This is where the failure stops

My Sister, Gay’s, Fifth Installment: Stepping Out On the Water February 23, 2012

Beth

Someone Comes Along February 17, 2012

Every now and then, someone comes along who changes everything. I was in my late twenties when a woman I’d come to know through my aerobics class then a small Sunday school class came up to me and said with a gentle firmness, “God is calling me to support you in ministry.” It was the [...]

Beth

My Sister Gay’s Fourth Installment: “Like Sunlight Burning at Midnight” February 13, 2012

First Installment: Meet My Sister Second Installment: The Functioning Years Third Installment: The Maelstrom From Gay’s heart to yours… Gregg Taylor, my pastor and sweet, sweet friend, said in a sermon one night at Mercy Street that “the person who has a WHY to live can bear with almost any HOW.” He was quoting Victor [...]

Beth

This is where the failure stops

Posted on October 23, 2011 by Kristine

I began wrestling with this philosophical issue on my very first day of teaching. Our school district uses the Pinnacle Grading System, which is a wonderful resource if you want to assign letter grades to students. I; however, did not want to assign grades for my student’s work. I had trouble articulating the dissonance I was experiencing to the instructional assistants who work in my classroom, my colleagues, and my supervisor. It just seemed as though our grading system could never work for me. What I wanted instead was a way to communicate with my students and their families that would give them specific feedback on the progress children were making towards their IEP (Individual Education Plan) goals and objectives.

I am a middle school teacher, so most of my students have already experienced academic failure in one form or another. Very few of my students perceive themselves as good students. A fragile self-esteem is almost a more foreboding obstacle than the disability that qualified them for special education services in the first place. Because of this, I try to build self-confidence into each and every learning experience. When students feel safe, learning increases. When students feel threatened, they often shut down and learning stops. A guarded and defensive student requires the greatest caution and care. Our relationship, teacher to student, is tenuous at first. However, it grows stronger with each success the student experiences. I tread with caution as I try to build self-confidence and trust.

I still haven’t figured out what to do about my “grades” dilemma, but I am wrestling it out on a daily basis as I strive to do what is best for my students.