Grow beyond grades.
While the benefits of a gradeless classroom are attractive, with feedback and discussion replacing numbers and ‘fire and forget’ assignments and introspection and intrinsic motivation supplanting whinging and grade grubbing, we all know that cultural norms and expectations (of students, parents, administrators, and teachers) can cause anxiety and distract from effective implementation
If I asked you to close your eyes and imagine yourself in the place where you feel like your most authentic self, where would you find yourself? What would surround you? Who would be there? What would this place sound like? What would it feel like? What kinds of things are explored there? Now imagine … Continue reading Cultivating Culture
The process of building a portfolio and reflecting on one’s work allows students to demonstrate their best work and participate in the evaluation process, making the teacher’s role more of a facilitator or guide.
I explained the importance of giving students feedback, but realized it wouldn't be much use, since there really was no opportunity for improvement. It was more about making sure each student had met each standard. She pressed me further, “but why do you need to be the judge of that? Have them evaluate it themselves.”
This episode features an interview with Dan Scratch, high school social studies teacher, author of the website Teaching for Equity and Social Justice, and advocate of teaching for social justice. Topics include: Why it is important for students to engage in social justice Building relationships as a foundation for social justice How social justice impacts … Continue reading Social Justice Education w/ Dan Scratch – TG²Cast Episode 9
When I first started teaching roughly 10 years ago, I knew that I wanted to embrace social justice as a framework to my pedagogy. Specifically, I wanted to create the conditions where my students and I could learn about how issues of race, class, gender, sexuality, ability and colonialism have impacted the world we live … Continue reading The Case for Social Justice Education
Countless educators, including many in Teachers Going Gradeless, consider Ken O'Connor one of the first to introduce them to the idea that traditional grades are “broken” and that a better approach is possible.
