For years, students, parents, teachers, and other curious people have wondered if grades are the right motivation tool for students. From a teacher's perspective, my grandmother, who taught high school math for over 30 years, always told me over the years that grades were a false sense of success or failure . And she absolutely didn't believe in administering tests and writing the results into her gradebook so that administrators could determine which of her students had the potential to succeed in careers and which would cook hamburgers. Then there was Mrs. South (not her real name), my third grade teacher. I firmly believe that she measured her students' success by the number of "A" grades she could write in her grade book. Were his grades a motivator? Sometimes. Should his grades have been a motivator? Sometimes. As the age-old saying goes: “There is a time and a place for everything.” The same goes for determining when grades can be a positive motivational tool for students. Let me explain. My first two examples reflect my opinion on why grades were not the primary motivational tool. I was in the Union public school system, based in Tulsa, OK. Yes, I use the word stationed because my elementary school was run like a military school. Or at least, at a young age, I felt like that was the case. I attended Darnaby Elementary School, known as the most competitive elementary school in the Union School District, both academically and athletically. As young students, we were motivated and high standards were set for us, even in our physical education class. At the start of each school year, we knew that as soon as we walked into the gymnasium, we were going to be measured on the number of reps we co...... middle of paper ......great school and I am proud to know that I had the opportunity to go there. They have a reputation as a top school with excellent academic and athletic results. Even Union mentions on its website that it is a “premier school system known for its excellent academic and athletic achievements…and teaching style designed to meet the needs of unique and diverse learners.” But when you have 13 elementary schools, with over 6,000 young students being taught differently, the "grades" become skewed. On the other hand, when students get older and the playing field is level, then grades can be a great way to motivate students. Works Cited Rose, Mike. “I just want to be average.” 50 essays: a portable anthology. Ed. Samuel Cohen. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2007. 350-363. Print.Unionps.org. Union Public Schools, Tulsa, OK, nd Web. March 29. 2010.