After spending the summer researching assessment and grading, after meeting with colleagues and my principal about facilitating a no-grades classroom this school year, after resisting numbers and letter grades on student work for nearly nine weeks, after countless hours of writing narrative feedback to students …
Kelly Mogk talks about the ethics of writing in schools focused on grades and scores. She says, “When students submit a piece of work to me, my first thought is always the same: First, do no harm. I want to develop writers that can express themselves with ease, and more than that—I want them to see themselves as writers and find joy in the learning.”
Teaching can feel so lonely at times. Do you have a colleague who is your BFF, who pulls you out from under your desk to make you laugh, who hands you a tissue when you just need to cry, who just inspires you? Diane and Sarah taught together for over a decade, and through a series of email exchanges, they talked about stories, students, and the beauty of teacher-friends.