Before the Gradeless Shift

The math classes that I remember were ones where students worked alone, copied notes, finished practice problems from a textbook, took quizzes and tests, and then tallied up correct answers to reveal a final percentage grade.

Success in mathematics equated to how many algorithms you could commit to memory (and then just as quickly forget). Active participation was nonexistent. I don’t recall any engaging feedback or any discussions about how the learning connected to life. Regardless of the percentage, math was a simple binomial distribution: it was either right or wrong. Motivation consisted of achieving the minimum grade needed to proceed to the next level.

For many, this is what math education looked like. Unfortunately, it also summarizes my first years of teaching.

Looking back, I realize two things. First, my students weren’t active participants in their learning. Second, I wasn’t an active participant in my teaching. I stood at the front of the room, rarely engaged with my students, and labeled them with numbers ranging between 0 and 100.

By assigning grades to my students, I was doing what was done to me—and I felt I turned out okay. But something inside me told me I was limiting their learning. Grades demotivated my students, convincing many that they did not have mathematical ability. Likewise, my higher-ability students were reluctant to engage in further learning once they achieved the grade they needed.

The model of teaching I used never met the intentions I had for my classes. I wanted lessons and projects that would get students actively engaged in math, developing skills and competencies in the process. I wanted my students to grow as mathematicians and have fun.

My students could not or would not make those shifts under this system, and I realized I needed to make a change. I had been reading a lot about the student-led classroom, which seemed to foster increased student engagement and achievement. I wanted to shift toward being a facilitator instead of the stand-and-deliver lecturer, moving my classroom more towards a student-driven environment.

Authentic participation is the gateway to greater student agency and engagement. Through participation, students gain confidence in their abilities, discover new ideas and skills, and eventually take responsibility for their own learning. Motivation needs to be more intrinsic: students need to find satisfaction and joy in their learning regardless of ranking.

Making the Gradeless Shift

Going gradeless seemed like a good way to help my students be more authentic learners. But I needed a project to shift their thinking away from the old paradigm. Given the popularity of video games, I decided to introduce the concept of pixelation using the video game, Mario Maker. I gave no points, grades, rubrics, or due dates, making it low risk and easy for every student to participate. Students colored a 16 x 16 grid, using avatars and blocks from Mario Maker. In place of grades, I encouraged reflection and provided narrative feedback.

From these early “building blocks,” we moved on to more complex concepts such as area models, transformations, and symmetry.

The Mario Maker project was a perfect fit for the gradeless shift. It empowered and engaged my students in mathematics as they connected the content to their projects. It also allowed me to support them with feedback, pointing out what they did well and providing suggestions as how to improve. I noticed that communication and collaboration between students increased, as they helped one other learn through the the project. We kept finding new applications to explore: coding the high score, animating Mario running, designing personal avatars. The sheer output of the Mario Maker projects necessitated adopting learning portfolios to keep track of their growth and accomplishments.

These portfolios gave students a living record of their learning. They included successes, mistakes, and reflections. Reflections allowed learning to become more personalized, as students shared their process, reflected on their products, and set new goals. If they didn’t like the Mario Maker theme, they could choose a new way of exploring the content and curriculum.

After completing the project, I held conferences with students. They referenced their portfolios, using their pictures as concrete evidence of the concepts they were learning. We were able to flip through the portfolio and see the progress students made. The portfolio became an enduring artifact of experiences, accomplishments, interests, and emotions on our mathematics journey.

After Going Gradeless

The Mario Maker project was a turning point. Removing grades was like ‘warping through pipe’ from a world of compliance to a world of meaningful engagement. The sound of solitary pencils scratching on paper was replaced with discussions and projects, suggestions for improvement or extensions, celebrations of learning, and even the occasional mathematical debate. It has since become the basis basis to develop and explore new projects that bridge to our mathematics curriculum.

My students were engaged in what they were learning, enjoying what they were doing, and satisfied with their progress. Going gradeless helped transition them from right answers to problem solving and creativity. This shift helped students see themselves as successful mathematicians.

Going gradeless was also a turning point in my teaching. In-the-moment feedback resulted in spending less teaching time and more time for passion projects and career research, both of which helped improve students’ interest in mathematics. Conversations with students helped reflect on my teaching and informed my professional development as new situations arose. I learned more about my students, using this information to plan activities they would connect with. I also improved my work-life balance, as the majority of assessment and feedback occurs in the classroom as students learn. Rather than taking home hours of work each night, I spend this time with my wife and children, sometimes involving them in the same activities I did at school with my students, and having similar discussions about our learning and enjoyment.

Final Thoughts

Although in my current position I am required to assign students a term and final grade, my students are succeeding because of the gradeless feedback and growth they experience in my classroom. The shift to gradeless came from a desire to improve my students’ mathematics education. Although it is going well, I still feel today that I am learning what it means to teach in a gradeless classroom.

Like myself, I suggest new teachers pick a passion and start small, implementing one change at a time. Going gradeless not only empowered my students, but made me a better teacher.

Jared Hamilton is a teacher educator in British Columbia, Canada.  He also serves as a mathematics and technology specialist, leading digital professional development sessions all over the world. You can follow him on Twitter @mrmakemathsense.