Hooked on Alternative Grading

My introduction to alternative grading came from a somewhat unlikely source. I recently ended a two-year term as secretary/president of the PTA at my kids' elementary school. During a district-wide PTA meeting early in the spring, our associate superintendent gave a presentation on alternative grading, which is being considered for adoption by our local high school. The teachers in the district had been reading "Grading for Equity" by Joe Feldman to prepare themselves for the work. I decided to read it, too. After reading the introduction, I was hooked! Each night for several weeks, I read a chapter or section and then mulled over what I had read. Just a few chapters in, I started considering how I might alter my grading in accordance with what I was learning. 

In May, I attended the (virtual) grading conference. The conference offered actionable advice, compelling stories of others' adventures in alternative grading, and many resources for those new to the field. One piece of advice was to blog about our experience. I actually dove in a few weeks ago, so I have a little catching up to do on posts, but I hope to keep this going throughout the semester.

I am excited, and also (truth be told) nervous, to be venturing into this new territory. Several presenters at the conference suggested that alternative grading is not for the risk averse. There is a lot that can go wrong. I am VERY risk averse, but creating equity in the classroom is too important to hide behind cold feet. And so, with two weeks to go before classes start...I'm ready (almost)!