Tutor Blog #3- Taylor Martin- Grading Rubrics

For my individual lesson I was asked to create a grading rubric for the students. This rubric was to outline the goal of the lesson and give the required criteria for a specific grade. I had no problem creating this, but during the process of developing what I felt most important for the students to learn, I decided I am not too fond of rubrics.
I do not understand how an entire classroom of students is able to be graded the EXACT same way, based on whatever guidelines the rubric may contain. To me, as a student and teacher, I never want to be compared to or compare my students to other students work. I believe that if a student completes his or her work in a timely manner and fulfills most assignment requirements they should be awarded a grade based on their own personal work. If a child does not comply with all the guidelines, but gives an immense amount of effort I believe he or she should be credited. Now, don't think I am saying that we should give free grades to students simply because they "tried," but what if you have a student that can barely compose a sentence while the rest of the class is composing essays, and that one student writes a paragraph for an assignment that really shows he is working?? Don't you think that student should be given credit for working to better his writing? How would it be fair to fail this student simply because he didn't fulfill the exact requirements on the rubric?
On another note, on the opposite end of the spectrum... In high school I "earned" a B in my College English class (while all of my friends got A's). I was extremely upset because I knew that I was going to be an English major and that I definitely wrote as well as or better than most of my peers. However, when talking to my teacher, she told me that I "earned" a B because she knew I wasn't doing my best work. She knew that I was capable of more, and didn't feel that I deserved an A with the work I had done. I was really angry at first because I thought that that was completely unfair, but now, working to become a teacher, I completely understand why she did what she did. She wasn't grading the class as a whole, she was grading us based on our potential and capability. Now, looking back, I thank her for that. I thank her for grading me on my own ability, not compared to how everyone else did. It made me work harder for an A, and when I EARNED an A in English 102 I knew that I deserved it.
Overall, I believe that it is important to give the students a paper outlining what is expected of them, but it is important to also tell them that they will be graded based on their personal work and amount of effort put into it. If we just hand them a paper outlining everything they have to do to get an A than we are setting them up for failure later in life. We are teaching our youth that everyone is on the same scale no matter what. This isn't how life works. You succeed based on your effort and potential... I'm pretty sure most will agree with the fact that everyone's life is different and circumstances are always changing-- everyone works for what they get there is no set success/failure scale in life, so why give our students this success/failure rubric?

Question: Do you think rubrics are beneficial? Why or why not? How do you recommend giving a rubric to students that shows them that they're personal best is what is important?