Red Ink: Try Using a Different Color for Grading School Papers

Red is the general color used for grading papers in school. Students are raised with red ink being the mark of failure. With all the negative thoughts it brings, red ink can be very detrimental to the growing mind,slowly leading to depression or even worse. Because of this, red ink may be one of the worst serial killers ever known to man. Yet, despite its wicked habits, schools continue to use it as their number one grading tool, encouraging this negative spiral to keep spinning downwards.

Teachers tend to use red pens when grading and editing homework and tests. It is especially used for editing essays and written responses. As students advance through school they quickly learn the negativity of red marks. When they get back their graded assignments they quickly look for how much, or how little, red ink is on their paper and begin to compare the marks with one another. Kids that show to have more marks than others are labeled as stupid, slackers, or slow by their peers. Though the red marks were meant to correct errors, help students learn to fix their mistakes, and encourage kids to grow in their knowledge, these marks actually create a caste system within the school. The school gets split into cliches: the A students, the B-C group, and then the remaining kids whose grades seem to get lower and lower as time goes on.

Research is finding that labels kids are given in school become fixed on them, like tattoos on their foreheads, and stick with them for the rest of their lives, often choosing the path the student will follow in life. Students perceived to do poorly, and are labeled as below-average students, tend to live out that label. They see their failing grades and “realize” they aren’t as good as the rest and then giv...

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...ms to divide up the student body and affixes labels that direct the paths kids take in life. Grading with red lowers self-esteem as students compare themselves to others. Creating a downward spiral of negativity, low grades often dwindle down to failing grades. With a low self-esteem and failing grades, students drop out and depression kicks in. People always manage to find a way out of their troubles, either by drugs, cutting, or death itself. Red ink brings negative thoughts to people’s minds and ultimately starts the path to death. Teachers should take action against this killer called “Red” and grade in softer colors like greens and blues and purples. Changing up the color used for grading can ultimately change the outlook students have on life. Though it accomplishes the same task of grading, different colors don’t bear the same negative label that red does.