The Beginning to my SBG Journey

By -
Another school year is upon us and this year I am determined to get back into the swing of blogging. I have a lot to talk about. This year is the first year that I am using Standards Based Grading in my social studies classes. I am very excited about this because I fully support the idea of Standards Based Grading and I think it will be beneficial to my students. When I give out a B or a C+ it is not always transparent as to what that grade actually means what the student understands. With SBG it will be more clear what the student is proficient in and what they still need help with to master. I am on board with the philosophy, but now I have to actually use it.

At the end of the last school year, my social studies department created standards for two courses (World Geography and US History). It was tough to come up with the "right" ones or the ones we thought were "right" at the time. Now I am working on creating a rubric for these standards. This is the tough part. I have done six drafts of the World Geography one alone. First I started way too general that I couldn't see myself actually using. Then I went in the opposite direction and became too specific that it started looking like a checklist instead of a rubric. I am still working on these because creating a rubric is hard and all of my research has proven that there are a ton of really vague rubrics in the world.

I will keep you posted on my SBG journey and I will try to attach any resources that I find helpful along the way. I wonder how many other educators are on this journey either on the path ahead of me or maybe some are still at the beginning. Either way it is great to feel connected.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Will You Take The Challenge?

By -
For the last 30 days, I have been answering one reflection question each day and I have learned so much about myself as an educator. Whether you are a veteran blogger or brand new to blogging, I invite you to take this challenge. Video tape or write your answers to each of the reflection questions and share it with your PLN. Here are the questions that I came up with. Are you ready to take the challenge? 30-Day Blog Challenge Day 1:  How did you decide to become a teacher? Day 2:  What do you believe is your greatest strength as a teacher? Day 3:  In which area do you think you can improve the most? Day 4:  What were you most worried about as you approached your first day as a teacher? Day 5:  How do you keep your classroom organized? Day 6:  What have you observed of other teachers that might work in your own classroom? Day 7:  How can you best promote responsibility in your students? Day 8:  How do you connect with your...
Read more

A Letter to New Teachers

By -
In the last few weeks I have noticed that there have been many educators walking the halls of my school waiting for their interview. This scene makes me remember what I was like five years ago when I was in their shoes. It inspired me to write this letter. Dear Me Five Years Ago, I know you are feeling excited to finally be done with college and be out into the "real world". I also remember you feeling scared out of your mind about the "real world". I know you were ready to start your back-up plan, but I'm sure dental school would not have been that much fun anyway. Remember it is not about the paycheck. Be sure to use all of that passion you have for teaching everyday. Your passion is what gets you a job and what has been keeping you excited to go to work. Don't take your passion for granted. Don't be so worried about how you seem to your co-workers. Trust your gut and always do what you know is right for kids. Don't feel like you have t...
Read more

Standards Based Grading

By -
Okay along with my 30 day reflection videos I do want to use this blog for sharing my ideas and collaborating. I was just telling my students that we live in a "global community" and I started thinking that I could collaborate with great teachers from all over. I have been researching a lot about standards based grading and I think it is the right thing for my classes. I have been reading books on grading and my eyes have really opened. My grade book used to be filled with all homework assignments and assessments. This doesn't tell anyone what the students actually came away with. I know that I need to change how I have been doing things and I know that it is best for my students.
Read more