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Lesson Plans


Re: 6 graders getting grades for art......(Bunki)

From: Diane Beilby (dibeilby2)
Date: Fri Aug 18 2000 - 04:23:11 PDT

  • Next message: Larry Seiler: "Re: Standard practices....etc;"

    I am way behind on e-mail now - getting in on the middle of this
    (No grade ) discussion
    I too do not give grades for three and a half years now. At first it was
    difficult.
    I was used to grades and I felt I needed them to keep kids motivated.
    I worked real hard giving grades anyway the first couple of years even
    though
    they did not show up on the report cards.
    Now I do not give grades at all.
    One reason my principle says I do not have to give grades is because
    of the number of students I have.
    I have discussed it with him and have decided not to ask for
    giving grades because of the amount of work. I also have classes that
    rotate every
    other day. Which means I have ten classes at a time and then half (6th)
    change every quarter
    and the other half (7th grade) change every 7 weeks.

    I actually like not giving grades now. It's one less thing to worry about
    and I can enjoy the student work more.
    A positive point - students may actually work for a more intrinsic
    motivation
    I do have a pass/fail grade on the report card and if a student is totally
    unmotivated I have a form.
    I fill this out, give it to the student, the student has to have it signed
    by homeroom teacher and parent. It says basically. Your child is failing
    art and needs to make up work.
    With a blank for specifics and a place for parents to respond. If the
    student does not bring this to me signed first thing the next morning I
    assign detention. I also ask the team for support on this form. The teams
    all have some kind of reward system and the student looses points or may be
    denied privileges until the work is made up.
    With this system I do not even have trouble with the 7th graders who are
    savvy about what counts on their gpa.
    I tell them that grades are not the primary reason to be in school, learning
    is.

    Diane

    Subject: Re: 6 graders getting grades for art...... 

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