Dr. Feedback: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Grades and Love the Learning

I've graded the following paper. Do you see the grade?

That is because there is no grade on the paper! I'm taking a new approach to my daily work this year. In the past I've found that once a student sees a grade on a piece of practice work the paper goes into the backpack (or worse yet the trash!) and is never seen again!

I read about a "no penalties for practice" approach when I was student teaching. In this method, detailed feedback is given, but no grade. This would, in theory, allow students to focus more on the learning, correcting mistakes, identifying strengths, etc. rather than a percent or letter.

This is what an "incomplete" paper would look like

I am still required to put in grades in my district, so if I can tell a student has put forth an honest effort in their work they will receive the points for the assignment. They will be able to see this on their student grade portal

There's no -1's, no 75%'s, no B+'s; only feedback.

I'll let everyone know how it goes throughout the school year! Let me know if you have tried a similar approach, or what you think of only including feedback on student work!

Summer PD and New Year

Hello World!

I'm back in the blog-o-sphere for the new school year!

I had an incredibly busy summer with a nice PD schedule:

Title I Summer School
EdCamp Kansas
EdCamp OKSDE
Engage OK
Advanced Placement Summer Institute OU
EPS IT 2015

@CathyBenge1 Leading a session on Curriculet at EPS IT 2015

Students work on completing a roller coaster during Title I Summer School

Manipulatives created during the Advanced Placement Summer Institue

Finished three books:

The First Days of School, Harry Wong
How the Brain Learns Math, David Sousa
The Power of a Teacher, Adam Lou Saenz

And participated in a book study!

Two weeks were spent in my classroom just starting to prep!

Can you tell whose door this is?

#notready classroom prep video

I've already survived day 1 of the new year, hope the next 179 are great!

See what else I'm up to on Twitter @iteach_kidsmath