March 1, 2026: Judging

As a teacher, assessing work and giving feedback is a great part of what I do. With both my elementary students and my college students, there is an enormous amount of time spend on formative assessments and coaching them through performance-based projects. With my student Writer’s Club, I am also constantly reading and critiquing their work.

         So, to an outsider, it may seem a small step to go from that, to judging something.  As any teacher will tell you, formative assessments are very different than summative assessments.  Just as standardized testing is different than classroom work and progress monitoring. Just as in sports, practices and scrimmages are different than the big game; and in the arts world, different than performances.

         And while I much prefer the formative, coaching, feedback, and support steps in my work, the final judging is also important.

I have thought a lot about judging recently, as in the last month I was asked to judge two very different competitions. Additionally, I had to seek out and secure two judges for a final project that my 5^th Graders are working on.

         While I enjoyed the judging, they were very different. One was the Annual Spelling Bee at my elementary school. The other was for a Speech Competition at another local school.  Both were well organized, students well prepared, and judges had clear rubrics and rules.  That certainly helped.  The Spelling Bee was very clear cut and easy to judge.  The Oration Speeches were not. It was certainly helpful that I did not know any of the students, so I had no preconceived expectations, but even with a clear rubric, judging can be very subjective.

         A student recently lamented this when she was discussing the results of the recent Men’s Olympic Figure Skating Competition. Her favorite skater was beat out by a skater whose performance she clearly thought was not as strong. 

         This is all rattling around my head as I prepare my 5^th Graders.  They will be soon be presenting their Problem-Solving Projects to our guest judges.  There will be one winner. However, that does not in any way diminish the projects of those who do not win.

         So honestly, I am currently struggling with the delicate balance with which every teacher every where fights.  How do I make sure my students understand the importance of the competition/exam/assessment, yet also understand that the results do not define them, their value, or even their work?