No one can achieve absolute objectivity or agreement in grading.  Grading will not motivate all students to learn in the same way.  We have to:

1. Appreciate the complexity of grading as a tool for learning (the process of grading should meet the needs and constraints of the course)
2. Substitute judgment for objectivity (the process of grading should be based on the clearest and most thoughtful criteria and standards that professional training can supply)
3. Distribute time effectively (the process of grading should reflect professional judgment and consistency, but not be subject to repeated review and negotiation)
4. Be open to change (the process of grading yields different meanings in different learning situations at different times--e.g. defining what is an "average" grade)
5. Listen and observe (the process of grading should avoid assuming that students understand what meanings we give to grades or what criteria and standards we have set)
6. Communicate and collaborate with students (the process of grading should build a spirit of collaboration with our students to reach course goals)
7. Integrate grading with other key processes (the process of grading should be coordinated within the course planning process)
8. Seize the teachable moment (the process of grading will involve misunderstandings; when students misunderstand, we must clarify what we want them to learn)
9. Make student learning the primary goal (the process of grading should encourage student-faculty contact, cooperation among students, active engagement, high expectations; grading should reflect prompt feedback, adequate time to complete a task, respect for diverse learning styles)
10. Be a teacher first, a gatekeeper last (the process of grading should give everyone an equal chance to learn, no matter what the student's background)
11. Encourage learning-centered motivation (the process of grading should convey to students that they have the power to affect what happens to them, and that hard work will yield realistic, attainable results)
12. Emphasize student involvement (the process of grading requires student feedback and response)