How do I help my students find a healthy balance between effort, stress, and success? I read this article on facebook today and it got me thinking about what I can do to help my students take a step back when they’re being hard on themselves. I started wondering if a constant emphasis on effort stemming from growth mindset and grit might have something to do with the worrisome pride I notice in my students when they talk about late nights, being over-worked, and getting upset over A’s and A-‘s because they weren’t A+’s. (more…)
grading
Grading that Encourages Learning?
I hate grading things & I hate testing. It’s not the pile of papers, it’s the concept itself. I hate assigning them a number that they often interpret as, “This is how good I am at Latin” and I hate that flurry of panic as students frantically try to remember as many things as possible by a given deadline. I hate it because it says, “now you have either learned this or not, and as soon as you finish taking this assessment, we’re moving on”. I know that they will be tested and graded in college and isn’t that what we’re preparing them for? Honestly, no. I want them to care about learning. When they do that, the college and life-rewards will follow.
Teaching Latin 