As someone who comfortably was at the top of every class without a ton of effort I found grading to be stupid. Incentives demanded you have As. Teachers who were rigid graders with thresholds at 95% for As were very frustrating.

The difference between an A and an A- is not one of mastery but of minor errors and lapses in focus.

Teachers don’t have the ability to meaningfully measure top performance. Imo grading should have a lower ceiling for an A but no curve.

So much anxiety would be lost if everyone just chilled out and said, look, if you generally understand all the material, you get the top mark.