Grade Less. Learn More.
Editors: Most TG2 teachers find ways of grading less in traditional, mainstream settings. There are, however, many teachers in our midst who work in nontraditional environments, ones that have moved away from grades on a building- or system-wide basis. Our intention with these TG2+ posts is not to advocate for one or another of these … Continue reading TG2+: Competency Based Learning
Grammar. The word alone is either off-putting or inviting (you know who you are, grammarians). Perhaps you are imagining visions of worksheets, sentence diagrams, or a writing piece riddled with red ink. Or maybe you are someone who secretly corrects grammar in your mind as others speak. Wherever you fall on the love-hate continuum of … Continue reading Stop. Grammartime.
Procrastination is such a dirty word. In our competitive, production minded society, procrastinating is a sin, but I have always been a procrastinator. There is something about waiting until the last minute that is alluring and exhilarating: the adrenaline rush, the caffeine binge, the loss of sleep. Despite all those thrilling benefits, I have rarely … Continue reading What Happened When I Procrastinated Giving Grades
As the school year approaches, my anxiety begins to take hold. Knowing there will be 125 or so new faces staring up at me, expecting me to inspire them keeps me awake at night. After 20 years of teaching, I would think this feeling would have diminished. But it hasn't. So I spend my waking … Continue reading Now’s the Time to Put It All Together
"To one with a hammer, everything looks like a nail." This adage reveals the power tools have to shape our perceptions. What does this mean for the tools we use in the classroom? If using a hammer pushes me to see nails wherever I look, how is the grade book software on my computer influencing … Continue reading Edtech in the Gradeless Classroom: Google Keep
Grading and reporting have been hot topics in education in recent years, spawning a move to grading practices that are grounded in standards, competencies, or proficiency, depending on the language of the state. The idea has been if we ensure that our grades are based on clear standards, then the meaning of the grade is … Continue reading Going Gradeless and Special Education
In our dream we have limitless resources, and the people yield themselves with perfect docility to our molding hand. The present educational conventions fade from our minds; and, unhampered by tradition, we work our own good will upon a grateful and responsive rural folk. We shall not try to make these people or any of … Continue reading From Hostility to Community
