I am a teacher

It only took me 6 years before

i wanted to quit

the largest obstacle to

improving school

What the hell is water?

fun

safe

self-efficacy

formative feedback

thrill of discovery

celebration & reflection

constructed & connected

encouragement & guidance

pleasantly frustrating & fearful

assessment is not a spreadsheet;

it’s a conversation

assidere: to sit beside

the day i abolished grading

no good reason to grade

What replaces grading?

Children should experience

their successes and failures

not as reward & punishment

but as information

There is no substitute for what

teachers see and hear while

children are still learning

The best evidence parents can

receive about their children’s

learning is to see their

children learning.

grading without grading

Detoxing students from grade use

Stage 1: intervention

Stage 2: Honeymoon Sobriety

If students care about grades, it’s likely

because the adults in their life are

encouraging them to do so.

Stage 3: Withdrawal Symptoms

Existential Vertigo

Stage 4: Sustained Sobriety

The problem with encouraging

children to think for themselves

is that they may think

for themselves

Stage 5: Relapse

Reassured by old school

and disturbed by its absence

Stage 6: Mindful Reflection

Ending the race to nowhere

sarah