Teaching Right Now Teaching Right Now

In this first episode, I discussed my experience with grades. Essentially, grades during the pandemic do not at all reflect academic progress. They in fact have been inflated for quite some time. That said, the current situation has led to students receiving "A's" simply for completion. Once the pressure of grades was removed, I actually began giving better feedback. I was able to tell students my honest opinion on their progress without worrying about backlash from admin or parents. 



I also discussed powerschool as a source for grade inflation, mainly the intrusion of parents into the classroom. I realize now that I never said what powerschool actually is... so if you don't now, it is an online grade book. It gives all interested parties full access into a student's grades 24/7. While it is a great tool to have as a teacher, it also has led to unnecessary inquiries into grades, and often has spurred on requests from parents and admin to change grades.