Final Blog: Teaching without grades!
First of all, thank you all for a very insightful, fun, and intelligent experience in this class. I have learned a lot from all of you. I happily put it all that I learned in my brain and no grade is needed from any of you.
Dr. Bogad, although you will grade me, I really have learned so much in your class. Since the beginning of the semester I have been incorporating what I have learned into my teaching. The following example is a situation that happened spontaneously in my classroom, and I quickly, without too much thought, blurted out that there would be no more grade issued until the end of the quarter.
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My collaborative class consists of 26 students. Two students with severe speech impediments, one students who is repeating for the second time and he is 19 in an 11th grade class, and 5 students who are huge behavior problems and are very immature. The remainder of the students are great kids, hard workers, many who have IEP’s and struggle with the content and in school in general.
Their assignment is to create a poster/college, poem, or any visual representation they want to create to depict a theme. One student asked me what it will be counted as...
Student – Miss, what will this be counted as?
Ms. Lee – What do you mean?
Student – Well, will it be a test grade, homework grade?
Ms. Lee – I’m not sure yet?
Student – Well, I need to know?
Ms. Lee – Why is the grade so important? Maybe I won’t grade it right away, or maybe I won’t put a grade on it at all.
Student- If I don’t get a grade I won’t do it.
Ms. Lee – Hmm… Why does everything have to have a grade? Isn’t it more important to learn something, even if you don’t get a grade?
Student– You don’t understand, I just want to graduate for my parents, and I’m not that smart you know. I just need the grade.
Ms. Lee – I am not going to give grades in this class anymore! From now on you will get your work back with remarks on how you can improve. At the end of the quarter we will look at all your work as a whole and see how much you have learned. If you have made improvements, and completed all your assignments then you will pass the class. I will give you one grade this quarter and that will be your midterm grade.
Backlash from students: What…you can’t do that? How will we know how we are doing? I need to see my grades?
Miss Lee, I happen to be a really smart person, I just don’t like to have to show you or anyone else that by writing an essay or reading a book. I just want my 65 so I can get out of this place and be a fireman. Nothing I learn in this class has to do with what I want to do when I graduate.
Why this is going to work!
After that class I had a student come up to me and say, Ms.Lee what you said inspired me. Don’t tell the class but I like the idea of no grades; I don’t want to get made fun of. Every time I look at my grades and I see a bad one I get so upset and it makes me want to quit.
I was not expecting that! But that was all I needed to hear. It made my day and I realized that I have to follow through with this. The first set of comprehension questions that I gave back to them simply had comments on ways to improve and words of encouragement. I put a check mark in the Power grade for the students who completed the assignment and under the comment section I gave a formative assessment. This took more time and effort on my part but I am hoping it will pay off in the end. No more pressure for these kids! No more just getting a grade! More learning!
I am taking the risk and hoping it will pay off! No repercussions so far; parents haven’t called, students haven’t mentioned it since, and principal hasn’t noticed!
Thanks Alfie!
