Stage 1: Ecstatic
Wow, I’ve finally found a grading system that makes SENSE! An it matches with what I believe. This is the BEST THING EVER!
Stage 2: Confusion
Uhhhhhh, how do I get started, what learning objectives should I use, what should I do for assessments, won’t students blow off the assessments and wait to reassess?
Stage 3: Quivering ball of nerves
Oh crap, my students are doing any homework, they aren’t reading, they aren’t even reassessing. This is going to blow up in my face, I just know it.
Stage 4: Outright Fear
Oh nooooooo, most of my students are going to fail and then I’m going to get fired. Is it too late to go back to using points. I’m going to have to tell all these irate parents why little Jonny and Jessie failed my class.
Stage 5: Cautious Optimism
Hmmmm, they seem to be getting the hang of this. I’ve even got a few students on track to get A’s. I think they are learning.
Stage 6: Exhausted Happiness
Oh thank god it’s over. I gave out a lot of A’s, but they all earned them. They really seem to have learned the material for once. But next time, next time I’m doing things better so I don’t spend so much time grading. Is it time for break yet?
PS: Right now, most of us at Stout are in stage 4.
This is dead on! One of my classes is definitely in stage four, as well, but thankfully my others seem to have moved to stage five. I think the difference is lots of small objectives and near-daily quizzes in the latter classes, sometimes with multiple objective quizzes per class meeting. Do you find any differences between classes in how they progress through the semester that you can attribute to anything concrete?
Even after three terms, I still get nervous that everyone is going to fail. Fortunately the fear isn’t quite as bad now as it used to be.
Love this — I have lived it and appreciate you articulating it. Having a supportive colleague(s) is very important at Stage 4:)
Love it! It is so you!!!