Grading for Equity week 2: The Case for Change (Chapters 3 & 4) #Grade4EqChat

Last week's Twitter chat went really well. Please join in, even if you haven't read the book or aren't a physics teacher! I've archived the tweets, and you will always be able to find them on my Resources page.

We had a great discussion about some of our philosophy and current grading practices.

Part of my 1st day speech is to tell them they will do work I will not grade but I promise not to make it busy work, that I will have purpose behind what we are doing and they can always ask me why. I should be able to tell them why (if they can't tell) or I shouldn't assign it.

— Bree BarnettDreyfuss (@BarnettDreyfuss) July 27, 2021

It does require a change in the process, but I've found that the culture of the class is so much more positive. This is worth our time. #Grade4EqChat

— Jill McLean (@jillmclean27) July 27, 2021

One big takeaway: No more grading homework!

A6: So many! One thing for sure: Not grading homework next year.

#Grade4EqChat

— Kristin Newton (@KNewtonPhysics) July 27, 2021

This week we will be looking at Chapters 3 & 4, which focus on why we should be changing our grading practices. Here are the questions we'll be answering:

1. Thinking about how others have responded to your mistakes: How have helpful responses impacted you and your effectiveness? How have unhelpful responses impacted you and your effectiveness?
2. Recall something you learned to do outside of the school context. What motivated you to learn and to continue learning when you struggled? 
3. How effective are the use of points for students who are the least motivated and engaged? How might the use of points—the addition and subtraction throughout a student's day—affect those students' relationships with adults and their self-concept about whether school is “for” them?
4. What confidence or uncertainty do you have that two teachers in your school would assign the same grade to a student?
5. Are there teachers with reputations as “hard” or “easy” graders? What, specifically, defines them as that? How does this categorization make you feel? How does it make that teacher feel? How do students react?

See you tonight! The rest of the schedule is posted at this tweet.