For the past two months, I have been part of the Teach Better Team's inaugural Grid Method cohort. The goal has been simple, to create an instructive and collaborative learning environment to create amazing mastery learning oriented plans for our variety of students and courses taught. My goal for the fall is for 100% of my classes to transition to mastery learning/standards-based grading. Here's why I'm super pumped about this change:
Personalized Pace for Every Student Everyone learns at their own speed, right? With mastery learning, my students can take the time they need to fully understand a concept before moving on. No one gets left behind, and no one gets bored waiting for others to catch up. Using an instructional grid-based approach allows for ample opportunities for re-teaching for students who are struggling with a concept as well as opportunities for students to explore in greater depth to go above and beyond!
Clear Learning Goals Using a grid lets my students know exactly what's expected of them. It's like giving them a roadmap to success! Each standard outlines a specific skill or knowledge area that they need to master. This clarity is a game-changer for setting goals and focusing efforts. Long gone are the days of putting together a lesson calendar at the beginning of a month, semester, or year, and then finding instant frustration when a lesson takes longer than expected, an assembly or state testing eats up a class etc. With the grid, you can build it, and then watch your students thrive.
Focus on Growth This approach is all about growth mindset. Instead of using grades as a way to rank students, I use them to communicate about learning progress. This means celebrating improvements and understanding that making mistakes is a part of the learning process.
Better Feedback Because each step of the grid is anchored to a standard with specific learning targets and mastery questions, my feedback can be super targeted. I can let a student know exactly what they've got down pat and where they need a little more practice. It's about giving feedback that's meaningful and actionable, not just a letter grade.
Reduces Anxiety and Competition Let's be honest, traditional grading can cause a lot of stress. With standards-based grading, the competition to get the highest grade takes a back seat to actually learning the material. Plus, since it’s okay to make mistakes along the way, test anxiety may go down, too. I know this will create some potential fighting with students and/or parents who have their own preconceived notion of what an A looks like, but with the pathway to growth laid out, buy in may be easier to achieve.
Skills Over Scores I'm all about preparing my students for the real world, and the real world cares more about what you can do, not what score you got on a test. Mastery learning focuses on developing actual skills and understanding, which is what will really matter in the long run. This also allows me to more easily look for multiple modes of proficiency, and show students how they have achieved over time!
Flexibility in Teaching If I notice that a lot of students haven’t mastered a concept, I can easily adjust my teaching plan. This flexibility means I can offer more help where it’s needed, so every student has the opportunity to succeed.
Positive Classroom Culture This new system encourages students to help each other out and understand that learning is a journey. It fosters a classroom culture of support and cooperation, rather than one where students are pitted against each other for grades.
So, this is why I'm super excited to take this leap. It's going to be a journey for both me and my students, but I truly believe it's a step towards a more effective, engaging, and equitable classroom. Here's to learning that sticks, and to students who feel empowered in their educational journey!
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