How often have we given a grade (or gotten) one and wondered if it accurately represented learning?
I can't remember when it happened exactly, but I totally stopped using the term "give" when it came to grades because I wanted to be sure that my students understood that they earned their grades, these letters were not magically or randomly bestowed on them.
Matt Weyers, in his article Going Gradeless: Student Self-Assessment in PBL offers insights about how he partners with students and transformed the way he and they understand grading. Relationships, conferencing, and a purposeful approach to the metacognitive process are critical components of a growth mindset-based system that has shown positive results.
What is stopping more teachers and schools from going gradeless? In what ways could you integrate some of Weyers' methods into your own instruction and assessment?
What is stopping more teachers and schools from going gradeless? In what ways could you integrate some of Weyers' methods into your own instruction and assessment?
