W hen I began analyzing my grading practices several years ago, I was embarrassed by what I found... more W hen I began analyzing my grading practices several years ago, I was embarrassed by what I found. Although I claimed I wanted my students to think more critically and engage with the world more fully, my grading practices communicated a different message. Students received so much credit for completing work, meeting deadlines, and following through with responsibilities that these factors could lift a student’s semester grade to a B or an A, even as other indicators suggested that the student had learned little. My grading practices communicated clearly that, despite my claims to the contrary, students’ willingness and ability to comply mattered most. I’ve observed that other teachers approach grading similarly. Recently I heard from a parent who, after homeschooling for several years, had enrolled her son in a public school. After just three weeks, her son was failing his language arts class because he had failed to bring a book to read for the daily sustained silent reading time ...
Educational Leadership Journal of the Department of Supervision and Curriculum Development N E a, Jan 10, 2005
Grades can only be a shiny distraction-unless we make them a strong message. Throughout my career... more Grades can only be a shiny distraction-unless we make them a strong message. Throughout my career as an educator, I have experienced frustration with how my traditional classroom grading practices have influenced my students' learning. When I discuss this issue with colleagues, parents, and-most important-students, I find that I am not alone in my frustration. Paradoxically, grades detract from students' motivation to learn. It is time to reconsider our classroom grading practices.
W hen I began analyzing my grading practices several years ago, I was embarrassed by what I found... more W hen I began analyzing my grading practices several years ago, I was embarrassed by what I found. Although I claimed I wanted my students to think more critically and engage with the world more fully, my grading practices communicated a different message. Students received so much credit for completing work, meeting deadlines, and following through with responsibilities that these factors could lift a student’s semester grade to a B or an A, even as other indicators suggested that the student had learned little. My grading practices communicated clearly that, despite my claims to the contrary, students’ willingness and ability to comply mattered most. I’ve observed that other teachers approach grading similarly. Recently I heard from a parent who, after homeschooling for several years, had enrolled her son in a public school. After just three weeks, her son was failing his language arts class because he had failed to bring a book to read for the daily sustained silent reading time ...
Educational Leadership Journal of the Department of Supervision and Curriculum Development N E a, Jan 10, 2005
Grades can only be a shiny distraction-unless we make them a strong message. Throughout my career... more Grades can only be a shiny distraction-unless we make them a strong message. Throughout my career as an educator, I have experienced frustration with how my traditional classroom grading practices have influenced my students' learning. When I discuss this issue with colleagues, parents, and-most important-students, I find that I am not alone in my frustration. Paradoxically, grades detract from students' motivation to learn. It is time to reconsider our classroom grading practices.
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Papers by Tony Winger