When we focus on assessment as a means of communication with and alongside our learners, it leaves space for their inner stories to be told and included. We are building the foundation for student-to-self and student-to-material relationships that can serve well beyond the confines of curricula and classrooms.

Including behaviors in the grade opens the door to the influence of implicit bias. Still, we know that soft skills and work habits are critical to student success. Rachael Kettner Thompson shares how she helps students to reflect on and communicate their growth in these crucial skills…outside of the grade.

Ungrading is more of a philosophy than a single model that says “do this and your students will learn.” Chris Sarkonak explores ungrading as a spectrum of possibilities that moves us away from the harmful traditional events-based grading that most of us grew up with.

While there is plenty of variety under the ungrading umbrella, we have more commonalities than differences. We all agree the current system needs to change, and we all recognize the way grading is intertwined with many other dimensions of pedagogy.

Don’t get me wrong, answering questions and helping students is one of my favorite parts of being a teacher. The problem is that not all questions are created equal and some questions inhibit learning.

Achieving a student-centered instructional model may be challenging. Miriam Plotinsky, author of the book Hover-Free Teaching, offers ways that teachers can foster a culture of shared responsibility for learning.

On the first day of class, your introduction to the gradeless classroom doesn’t go as expected. As you field students’ questions and concerns, you feel hurt and frustrated. Going gradeless is supposed to relieve anxiety, not cause it! What’s going on?

We know our students thrive in cultures that welcome, affirm, and challenge them. Lisa Wennerth explains why we need to also model this understanding by creating prosperous professional communities among our colleagues and peers. 

To counteract the anxiety caused by high-stakes assessments and grades, Nate Bowling invites students to focus on feedback and learning. Life is hard enough for students; assessment practices should not add to that stress.

With student-led conferences, families hear how students are progressing, more than any number or letter could tell them. Families become a part of the process, learning about their child’s interests and passions. Learning extends beyond the walls of the classroom.

The evaluative gaze of school is so constant a presence, so all-pervasive an eye, that many people have come to believe that children would actually not develop without it. But an oak tree does not require your opinion to grow, and believe it or not, 90% of the time, neither does a child.

Students using spikeview view their learning as a journey. They see where they have been, can explore what’s next, and make informed decisions on where not to spend time. It’s not a snapshot of one class or one reporting period. It’s life, as they know it.