I liked Augusta S’s article “Graded Discussions” because I can strongly relate to it. In her article, Stockman describes her dislike for the pressure and anxiety she feels as a result of restricted expression during discussions. Augusta and I have similar feelings on how a discussion in school should be like. It should be an occasion  where students can openly exchange ideas about topics and offer their own opinions. In stockman’s case, she feels nervous about her discussion in her social studies class, because she is given a numerical grade based on the “right answers” in a discussion rather than effort, explanation, and participation. As I enter into high school I reflect on a personal level, I realize that what were once fun ways to raise participation points and stimulate the mind have turned into numerically evaluated conversations with robotic flow and sound. In the eighth grade I was always nervous to go class because I had to come up with a religiously memorized contribution instead of brainstorming my thoughts and sharing with the class. However, because graded class discussions have become routine, they are now just as fun as reading out of a textbook, and excellent comparison made by Augusta in her article.