Many teachers think that it’s great when a student gets constant 100%s. They think, “No problems here!”
But there’s nothing less helpful to a learner than a 100%.
It tells you nothing.
It’s like using a yardstick to measure your height. When we keep getting “3ft tall,” it tells us more about the measuring tool than anyone’s actual height.
Likewise, 100% is a useless measurement. It only tells us that the task was too easy. It tells us we aimed too low.
And imagine measuring your height over and over with just a yardstick. You’d see no growth. It’s disheartening. You’d feel like you maxed out before you were 3-years-old.
Likewise, it feels bad to always get 100%s. It creates apathy. There’s no growth. Humans want to see that they are getting better.
Plus, it creates perfectionists who come to expect 100%. Then, when school finally catches up to their ability (in high school or college), these students have an identity crisis.
Because schools let them become “100% kid.”
So, if you’re seeing 100%s in classrooms, it tells you that you need to realign your expectations. Because they’re way too low! And you’re setting up all sorts of future problems.