What is a Results Only Classroom?Dear Oak Park Freshman Institute Families,
My name is Owen Bondono, and I am your child’s English (ELA) teacher this year. This is my 4th school year with Oak Park and my second teaching the 9th grade. From 2012 until now, I’ve worked in classrooms from kindergarten to the 12th grade. What I learned last year is that 9th grade is my favorite! I’m so excited to share with you how our class will be organized this year. When my niece was learning to walk, we did what all adults do: we knelt in front of her, opened our arms, and encouraged her to take just a few more steps. We didn’t assess her learning and scold her when she fell; we celebrated her successes and pushed her to go just a little further next time. When teaching, I think about this experience often. My job as a teacher is to praise when a student succeeds and provide them with guidance when they do not. This is how we all learn things authentically, like riding a bike, cooking a meal, doing hair, playing a sport, or practicing an instrument. After much reflection and research, this class has been structured as “Results Only.” Grades, it turns out, are more often punishment than they are a representation of learning. They stop learning, because the task is seen as complete; anything the student will learn has already been learned. Instead, a Results Only classroom makes learning into a cycle; students can try a task as many times as they need (with feedback and guidance from me) in order to master the skills we are learning. This is where the term “Results Only” comes from – we’re concerned with students learning the skills, not earning points and grades. Students will accumulate solid pieces of work that showcase what they’ve learned during our time together. Rest assured, Results Only does not mean that students will not be accountable for their work. You will not see grades in the gradebook, but the class will remain academically rigorous. The activities in my classroom will look similar to other English classes at the high school level. Without grades, our process will look more like this:
As we move forward with this process, I welcome your questions or concerns at any time. Best, Owen Bondono 9th Grade ELA Room 129, Oak Park Freshman Institute [email protected] mrbondono.weebly.com |
Research:If you’re curious, you can find links to some of the research behind this decision here:
The Case Against Grades, by Alfie Kohn Learning Increase with Immediate Feedback on Textbook and Skill Homework Why do schools use grades that teach nothing?, by Jonathan Lash The Power of Believing You Can Improve, by Carol Dweck Feedback In Lieu of Grading in ELA, by Joy Kirr A Note on Homework:Your child may tell you that in a Results Only classroom, there is no homework. Generally speaking, this is true. Traditional homework doesn't work for a few reasons:
For these reasons and more, I do not assign traditional homework. Homework for my class is simply work not finished in class. If a students cannot complete a task by its deadline in class, they may need to work on it outside of school. If you feel your child would benefit from additional practice in reading and writing outside of the classroom, here are two ways you can establish a homework routine:
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