- So I wanted to talk to you today about the pedagogical approach of gradeless assessment. So what is that? Despite what it might sound like, gradeless doesn't mean you stop assessing or evaluating, it's quite the contrary. But it does mean that you may need to significantly shift the way you do it, and actively empower students to partner in that journey. So I'm gonna break down those two ingredients a little bit. Ingredient one, which is your assessment and evaluation practice. So the emphasis what we have anchored into for over a hundred years that result of learning, that tiered number or letter, moves instead two rich and meaningful comments from you that provides specific actionable feedback and next steps for your student. Ingredient two, then, is the students' involvement or investment in their own learning. And because numbers are letters are replaced with written feedback, as well as lots of conferencing and consultation and a traditional leveled out rubric is substituted with specific questions or comments in relation to the outcomes through something more generally co-constructed, students are truly invited in the absence of that traditional marker, that number, that letter to engage with the feedback and conversation that is about them, and their learning, and their progress. So the actual grade that appears on the report card is then a result of negotiation between you and your student after much discussion, reflection, collaboration, advocacy, and consideration. The goal then is for the student to better understand and articulate why they received what they did on the report card, and where they will want to consider going next to continue their learning. I ask myself that, why am I attracted to this approach? And this is what I had to ground into as I face some challenges with, you know, a career shift. As a Type A creative, as I call myself personally, I've always struggled with the traditional grading system. I always thought it doesn't quite adequately reflect or encompass a full picture of student learning. I always struggled a bit with how narrow the number was in the grand scheme of all that I was to be assessing and was assessing, even subconsciously on a daily basis. And I felt that the number was often interpreted on the receiving end as production driven or demonstration of learning heavy. So really short change the student and myself from regular conversation about process where we all know the real learning happens. And I was also uncomfortable with the idea that I was the expert all the time, that I was judge and jury for my students. I'm naturally a collaborative person, I like being on a team that works, and building things with others that do good in the world. And I found this approach more in line with what I wanted as a teacher, which was to develop meaningful learning relationships with my students. I wanted to work and learn with them, not at them. So some benefits that I saw was a significant increase in student engagement and an awakening of that deep learning portion of the brain. Their knowledge was no longer superficial or disposable, it was personal to them. And that in turn excited me, and reignited my creativity, and my innovation. because I was no longer drowning every night and weekend in traditional marking. So this deep learning from the students also I found promoted in them measured risk taking and demystify the curriculum outcomes, which just lowers everyone's stress. So when you boil it right down, my experience was as a result of practicing gradeless assessment we all worked more meaningfully, differently, but quantitatively less. And our over all wellbeing and our trust as a group significantly enhanced.