"If I get an 'A' I know I'm Fine"

Middle schoolers are notorious for asking "when are we ever going to need this?" This year, I've decided to take a crack at this question by constantly discussing how all of the skills that we focus on in each unit spiral and build. Although each genre has specific elements that make it unique, there are basic elements that all pieces must have to be successful and - most importantly - entertaining to read.

Now, my feedback on writing is geared towards overall skill mastery and personal growth. With every major piece I use the voice memo app on my phone to create and email a brief recording of some feedback that talks about individual next steps and trends to be aware of. As part of our interdisciplinary team goal (I should stop here and say I have the BEST team around...so supportive of literacy in every class and so willing to collaborate all of the time), we have worked on encouraging self-reflective practices that aren't just important for academic success; they're vital life skills. Kids are frequently reviewing previous work, identifying writing trends, and talking about their growth. The most important life lesson to take away from writing is that we can always get better; we should always look for ways to improve.

But what does a report card really tell us? 

And, yet, no matter how much progress kids make, no matter how proud they are of themselves, no matter how good they feel, it all comes down to one, little, letter. Every time a rubric is returned, the eyes quickly move to the performance grade, then the revision grade, then to their neighbor's paper. Even all of the above-mentioned self-assessment tools are just a band-aid on this wound. It's not the kids' fault; I don't blame them. They are a product of their environment, but it's an environment that has to change if we ever want to truly motivate every kid and make every kid feel successful. 

Over April break, I proposed a portfolio-based writing assessment to pilot with one class over the fourth quarter. I'm very fortunate to work for a principal that encourages us to challenge the status quo. Instead of assigning grades to each piece, students will be assessed based on a portfolio of work from the year that demonstrates their skills based on yearlong writing expectations. The process is explained in more detail in this email that was sent home to parents. 

When I presented the idea to the group that my principal and I selected, I was relieved, impressed, and inspired by their responses. Sure they had questions about the process, but many of them expressed that they knew they were too obsessed with grades and they seemed hopeful that removing the grades could help them focus on learning and growing. Parents have also responded with positive feedback, some connecting to their own experiences as a student.

An excerpt from one parent's response to my email on the portfolio-based system.

Even though this is just a pilot and I still have to report their performance/growth as a letter grade, I hope that just relieving the pressure of a grade on each piece shifts the focus to getting better and better every time. Ultimately, isn't that what learning (and life) is all about? One student did defend the importance of grades, saying "but if I get an 'A', I'm know I'm fine; I'm good. If I get a 'C' then I know I need to pick it up." This quote is all the motivation I need. By the time we reach the end of June, I hope this student will know more about what his 'A' really looks like than even I do.