he title says it all, something I have forever struggled with. I hate assigning a grade to work, I much rather provide feedback. Many times students are just doing something because it is a grade. Parents are going to open Skyward and see that grade. I don't really mind giving zeros, if you attempted nothing I am not able to do my job and provide you any feedback. Now a zero will come with consequences, you will be at a mandatory tutorial. Last year I started my journey to come up with a more authentic way to assess the students in my class and that is where I discovered Standards Based Grading, SBG. I rolled it out with my Algebra I students and boy did it take some getting used to. Assuring them that they are not going to fail. A 1 did not represent 1%, but it represented that you are just an emerging learner. I thought they'd all jump for joy, I'm not going to give you big unit tests, I am going to assess you with smaller objective quizzes, I am going to sit one on one with you and watch you work, you were going to demonstrate where you are and I would discuss how you felt about your progress with you. Change is hard! Assuring them that at the 6 weeks grading period as long as you did not have a string of zeros, meaning you are sitting comatose in my room, you will not have a failing grade. Positive Mindsets By the time most students cross the threshold of my room they are feeling pretty dejected and down about their mathematical abilities. It is Resource Math. At some point in their mathematical journey it was decided they couldn't cut it in an on level math class. Much to their surprise I am going to expose them to on level math. "But we are in Special Ed. Miss" Well I am going to specially educate you on the same stuff your friends are doing in their math classes and guess what you will be able to do it. Encouraging these babies to thing positively about math is a struggle to say the least. By adopting SBG I found many more smiles on their faces. Yesterday you were at a 1, emerging. Today how do you feel you are doing, a 2 maybe, you are starting to get it. They aren't feeling as bad about themselves. They are more willing to practice and make mistakes because mistakes aren't so bad. Promoting Perseverance Ultimately this is what I want to do. They will walk out of my room after 3 years and will graduate and will transition into adult life. Life is full of obstacles and things they will find hard, life is hard. Math is hard, get over it, we have to do it. When they ask me "why do we have to do this, it is hard", yes it is math is very hard but we together are going to take it on, make many mistake and we will persevere together. No correcting or retesting for a 70, you get to redo and retake everything for full credit. That is how I send the message that mistakes are OK, let them know that your hard work and perseverance will pay off in the end. It might take you longer to master a particular skill, why penalize you for that. If you work hard, practice, make mistakes and learn in the end you will be rewarded for this hard work. This system gives kids hope, and hope is a great thing. Without it what a sad depressing place 1.206 would become. Some of my peers feel this method creates an inordinate amount of work for me. No, not really. My retakes cover a couple of objectives and are short 3-6 questions, maybe a little longer. That is all I need to assess if you have grown. Now the 6 weeks grading period has ended, and I do have to assign them a customary grade. I am going to give a 0% to the student who has really done nothing, no. Why you may ask. Well it goes back to hope, is there any chance a 0% will average to a 70% in a semester? No. Some people thing by giving them at least a 50% I am rewarding them for doing nothing. I don't see it that way, I see it as giving them hope. Now granted I have not done my job is someone has sat in my room for 6 weeks and done nothing, I need to give myself a 0% as well if that happens. I have no done my best to motivate this student and build the relationship needed for them to trust me and for them to value this journey I am trying to take them on. Pressure Do you function well under pressure, I know I don't. Now imagine sitting in a class that you have struggled with your whole life. Chances are you haven't done to well on the math STAAR test either. You need to have passing grades so you can do the stuff you love about school, football, band, wrestling, choir......but most of your classes are so hard for you. You have a learning disability. Who is going to learn under all that pressure. SBG in my opinion helps alleviate some of this pressure. When you walk into 1.206 you know that you can make mistakes and it is OK. That bombed test is not the end of the world. You will continue to persevere and retake that quiz and learn from those mistakes. Learning will occur. Getting Enough Grades Since I am still operating under the standard way of grading and I am told I must have "x number of grades" SBG sometimes was at odds with this. Giving a grade just to give a grade really sends the wrong message. Does that tell you where you are on your journey? But my mom wants to know what my grade is? This is something I am still working on, an authentic way to assess and show mom that grade. I am working on spreadsheets, google forms, it is still a work in progress. Guess what guys I am making mistakes and learning and preserving. But what do you mean this is not for a grade? That is another one. How about we do this to learn and to discuss and to help one another. Those words passed through the lips of some of my learners this year. It is not about the grade! So, Where Are We As a special educator I am a datataker. I need a system that quickly lets me know where they are and where they need improvement and how can I alter my instruction to help them be successful. A system that will mesh my "data" for their IEPs and assessing them on their curriculum. I came across David Wees, students are not just mistake makers they are sense makers. It is imperative to get insight into how they are thinking. This is a journey I am on. I have implemented more writing, so they can explain their process. For those who really struggle with writing I allow them to verbally explain their process. I like what Mr. Wees says, I want my children treated where they know their ideas matter and they get to talk to each other where they can come up with alternative ways of thinking. When students are explaining things to me I find that they realize wow I know some math and that feels good. Wrap it Up I think I have rambled on long enough. As you may gather from this post, I like SBG, it matches up with my philosophy and really suits my personality. Now am I an expert, heck no. Last year was a huge learning experience for me. I am looking forward to this school year and implementing it in both Algebra and Geometry. I was really unhappy with how I was assessing my students and SBG has turned that around. I have learned a lot from Dane Ehlert and his When Math Happens website. I see 2017-18 as a chance to implement more of what I have learned from him and other experts. Thank you Dane for sharing your journey with the world wide web. See you soon!! Adrienne Jones
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I remember having an incoming Freshman and wondering the same thing. It is a momentous year the beginning of the end. I came across a great article with some helpful advice, advice I wish I would've read 6 years ago when I had my first incoming Freshman. There are 4 relatively simple steps to help relieve some of that stress. (I came across these this summer while reading other blogs, when I figure out who said these wise words I will reference them, I'm not trying to steal someone else's ideas, really I promise) Clarify Expectations: Your student might be scared! They know that the grades they make here are the ones that matter, GPA becomes so important to some. Staying eligible for their extra curricular activities can also cause some stress. But they also might fear that these higher academic pressures and the added responsibilities will alter the expectations that you as a parent might have on them. Sit down and have a chat. If you are a kid reading this you can initiate that chat or tell your parents they have to read my blog and they might initiate that chat. It is better to talk about expectations before the pressure gets out of control and this might head off unnecessary panicking. This chat can be short, and if your kids are like mine you might just get a bunch of Ok, Ok, Ok I got it mom. Express Unconditional Emotional Support: This is another time I would hear a bunch of Ok, Ok, Ok I got it mom from my kiddos, but I wish I would of done this. As summer ends and the impending first day of school comes let your student know that they have your unconditional emotional support. Assure them that they can come to you with questions and concerns, articulating that you are available to help and clarify questions when you can. Reassuring them that you are in their corner can help with their anxieties. Do a Walk-Through: US News says that this is one of the best strategies to help reassure your new HS Freshman. Now this is one I didn't really have to do, I work at the school they knew the lay of the land. I can not imagine walking into this building at 14 without a clue. Now, don't worry DSHS staff and students are exceptional, we will get them where they need to be. We recognize who is traumatized and about to have a meltdown, we won't let that happen. Taking that extra time the week before school to scout out a plan will make them feel better. School starts on a Wednesday this year, come in on Tuesday and walk around, pick up a map and highlight, circle, whatever works for you. Contact Us: Us, who is us? My advice is start with the counseling center, I cannot say enough nice things about them. If you are on my Blog you are probably one of my kiddos, so by all means contact me. I am more than happy to give you a personal tour. If I'm not available I will find someone to help. Don't you feel better already, we have a plan to help transition into high school. This is my 4th school in my educational career and I always walked the halls when hired to find my way. Imagine being 14 and not having that chance. When I find the blog I got this advice from I will reference it HERE. See you soon!! Mrs. Jones |
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