Grading - am i doing it right?
“Jimmy!” the coach yelled to his athlete after he wiped the sand off his bum and shook it off his socks. The coach sported the team t-shirt and a backward baseball cap. In his hands, he held his phone on which he had just recorded Jimmy’s jump.
I was standing next to them waiting for three more jumpers to compete before my athlete would jump. I couldn’t help but overhear the feedback from the coach. He rattled off to Jimmy four or five things he needed to fix for the next jump and sent him on his way. I noted the mark Jimmy got on his first jump and was interested to see if the Coach’s feedback worked. The next jump for Jimmy, however, was worse than the first. So, the feedback came again - in the exact same way and with a few more fixes thrown in for good measure. The third attempt was a foul, and Jimmy walked away from the pit with his head down.
You see, Jimmy was given too much feedback. As adults, we need to learn how to do MORE with LESS. Let me explain….
When I coached, it was difficult for me to shake off the classroom teacher when I walked out to the track. Therefore, my training with reluctant learners and students with disabilities saturated every interaction I had - with students or athletes. Here’s how:
First, I compliment.
For some students or athletes, one is enough. For those who struggle with their confidence, I give more. It really depends on the student.
The compliment is always connected to something they can control - their effort or their attitude. “Wow, I loved how calm you looked as you started your approach” OR “You really took your time with this assignment which showed me how much you care, and I appreciate that!”
Then, I give the next step.
That’s right. One.
For jumpers, it was usually a sequence thing. Before they can fix “y,” they have to get “x” correct. So I focus on just “x.” For students, it could be the same, or it could be the skill we are focused on for this unit. For example, if we are writing an essay, I am not going to point out ALL the ways they can improve. However, if we were working on cohesion, then I am going to give them feedback on how they can use transitions or phrases to link thoughts and ideas more smoothly.
Think about what is the next step they need to grow, and just give them that feedback.
Feedback and grading go hand-in-hand.
To start, you need a rubric for whatever you are grading. Your rubric should:
be created as SKILLS (think state standards or common core standards).
be written clear so your student what mastery looks like for each skill.
be limited to just a few skills.
Ensure that you are giving compliments about your child’s effort or attitude as well as something they did really well on the assignment. There is always something they do well - even if it’s tiny. Don’t leave out what they did well. Don’t gloss over it. For every area of growth you are going to point out, you need a compliment. Or, if your child is struggling with their confidence, then use a 3:1 compliment to growth ratio.
Then, find the next step they need to do, and sell that as the area of growth.
“You are already doing x, y, and z really well. Your hard work is paying off! But we need to keep learning and growing. So the next step for you is ______. We’ll do some more practice and then try it again. I am excited to see it because I know you’re ready!”
I promise you that when you learn to do MORE with LESS, you will be better informed on what your child can do and what he needs to do next. More importantly, you will help to build his confidence while pushing him to continue to grow.
This is exactly my forte! If you want help getting started, you can check out some of my resources as guides, or I can make them for you! If you want help navigating these conversations with content or skills your child really pushes back on, I can meet with them and coach them through it while providing you with the resources you need, too! I would love the opportunity to help!
I’m here when you need it.
-Kristin
