The problem with work habits in the grade

Communicating learning accurately in a traditional grade-based classroom is tough. Although parents, students, and even educators seem most comfortable and used to traditional methods of grading and gradebooks, they are not the most effective way to communicate learning or help students to focus on the task of learning over the task of earning.

Although there are many reasons that the “old way” of grading is problematic, one of the biggest reasons is that grades are often inflated or deflated based on behaviors. Teachers have incorporated a myriad of behaviors as part of traditional grading. 

These behaviors show up in grades when teachers employ:

• Points for effort, participation, attendance

• Deductions for late work or retakes

• Zeroes for missing work

• Extra Credit for dressing up for a Spirit Day, donating for fundraisers, etc.

Behaviors impact the letter grade by either inflating them (extra credit, participation, effort) or deflating them (zeros, late work, effort). Educators also may assign heavy point value or weights to certain assignments to “encourage” students to complete tasks. When behaviors influence the grade in this way it can lead to inaccurate, inequitable outcomes. As Warikoo et al (quoted in Guskey & Link, 2019) point out , “Evidence indicates that when teachers are trying to balance multiple demands, they are more susceptible to the influence of implicit racial biases and to use grades as a means of control”  In light of this, Guskey and Link recommend removing behaviors from the academic grade:

To… limit the potential influence of bias in grading, we must do three things: (1) Determine students’ grades based on learning criteria; (2) Distinguish product, process, and progress criteria; and (3) Report each type of criteria separately.

So…what happens to work habits?

None of this is to say that work habits are not important. In a previous article, I shared how students are able to communicate their learning in all three areas (product, process, and progress) using weekly reflections. Although the main focus of these reflections is learning, students are also prompted to reflect on their growth over time as well as their soft skills or work habits.  

Again, the three areas students communicate home are process (soft skills/work habits), progress (growth) and product (achievement). As the classroom teacher, I also communicate home about work habits or soft skills based on what I am observing in the classroom. Including reflection on these behaviors shows students the value they can have in their everyday lives.

As Lawrence Bossidy, American Business Executive and author, states, “Self-awareness gives you the capacity to learn from your mistakes as well as your successes. It enables you to keep growing.” Being able to recognize areas for improvement is key for students to improve, but I also believe that identifying strengths is critical to students’ growth. Students also need to know that they have strengths, and that these strengths can be used to help improve areas of growth. When students self-assess, all students end up having the same amount of strengths and areas of growth, providing equity throughout the classroom.

The six work habits that we focus on in my classroom are:

• Communication

• Collaboration

• Critical Thinking

• Creativity

• Initiative

• Accountability

Students learn about each soft skill and I have some purposeful activities to help students incorporate each skill for success. With each work habit, I include at least 6 descriptors that give students a multifaceted understanding of what those work habits look like. We spend time at the beginning of the year learning these. Then, we document and communicate the work habits portion of a student’s learning journey in a variety of ways. 

None of that communication happens through grades.

Once we get rolling, students see the value these skills have for their success. After teaching each work habit, I have students do their first self-assessment of their 6 work habits using. For each soft skill, I ask students to think critically and select only one descriptor that they feel is strong for them and only one descriptor as an area of improvement. Allowing students to recognize their strengths and areas of growth is vital. Developing a plan for growth is as well. Students choose one area of focus and write an actionable goal to focus on for the next 3-5 weeks.  

The main way I communicate the process of a student learning journey is using Google Forms and Forms Publisher Add-On. This allows students to self-assess how they are doing at midterm and end of quarter. The information recorded through the Google Form is sent home automatically to caregivers via email so they can understand their child’s strengths and areas for improvement. All of this is separate from the student’s grade.

As I stated earlier, I also provide feedback to students on their work habits once a quarter using Google Forms/Forms Publisher Add-On that is communicated to students as well as to caregivers. Form Publisher produces an easy-to-read visual representation for each individual student, which, in turn, becomes an opportunity for conversation.

What about the gradebook?

The traditional gradebook tries to capture learning by assigning points, weights, and letter grades to various learning opportunities throughout a grading period. Since I am expected to log assignment grades regularly, I have created a gradeless system that still communicates what a student has done or not done, along with if they have demonstrated understanding of the concept or skill (product).

If students have met the expectation for a learning opportunity, I assign a checkmark in PowerSchool. If the student has partially met the expectation, they get a checkmark with an incomplete added. If students do not meet the expectation or don’t have enough evidence to determine if they understand the concept, they receive an incomplete. Any missing assignments are marked missing. Late assignments are marked late until they are turned in and then the late mark is removed. There is no penalty for late work, the late mark is used only to communicate a fact. 

Conclusion

I have shifted the paradigm in my classroom by communicating process, progress, and product. Families share a better understanding of what students are able to growth in those three areas. Additionally, removing the work habits from the gradebook has made it clearer what students understand in terms of content. 

Removing work habits from the gradebook is a great first step for educators who are wanting to move away from traditional grading or who are considering going gradeless. Reporting those behaviors as the “process” of learning in a separate report has many benefits such as:

• More equitable, bias-resistant grading

• Clearer communication through the gradebook

• Greater student awareness around work habits impact their success 

• Student self-reflection allows for educators to save time 

• More individualized communication home

Going gradeless and reporting on work habits separately has pushed me to become more creative in how I report student learning and growth. In an ideal world, process (work habits), product (achievement), and progress (growth) could be reported this way in a single system. 

As I continue on my own learning journey, I’d like to focus on better supporting students in developing their strengths through goal setting. Even I have room for growth!

Rachael Kettner-Thompson is a National Board Certified Teacher and has been teaching middle school Science for the majority of her 19 years in public schools in Arizona, Idaho, and Washington State. She currently teaches 7th and 8th grade Science just outside of Spokane, WA.