If you want to know more about minimizing grades and points in the classroom, check out https://teachersgoinggradeless.com/. The slideshow in this slice is inspired by Tamara Molina’s slideshow that she uses with her Biology students: https://teachersgoinggradeless.com/2018/05/12/making-conferences-work/.
I have written about my ongoing process of minimizing grades in favor of a more feedback oriented approach to assessment for that past few years; here is a link the archives: http://www.ethicalela.com/category/grading/.
The key to the portfolio and the end of the term evaluation is to make it a celebration of learning. I encourage students to include pieces that demonstrate their learning and that they were proud to create. In our conferences, I want to hear about their process and am eager to listen to their narrative of choices including what they read, what they wrote and the language they use to talk about it. We’ve written over a hundred pages of quick writes, and students have read between 20 and 200 books this school each. Choice has really increase volume, stamina, and, of course, knowledge. How they talk about their learning demonstrates their engagement with the discourse of writers, readers, and even literary critics. Love this week.
I enjoy your blogs. I do teach, but not Lit nor YA, but your perspective on choices and balance in this career resonate. And of course, good teaching is not subject-specific, so I always come away with something to think about. Thank you for your work.
Thank you so much. I write as a way of processing this work we do, and I am glad to hear when it resonates with others.