,
6 tweets,
2 min read
Read on Twitter
Taking time to talk to students can transform how you see them and, more importantly, how they see themselves. I stumbled on the one-on-one conference as my most important teaching strategy. Here's an example from @MakeThemMastrIt on doing it purposefully. makethemmasterit.com/2018/12/08/1-w…
Personally, I always did conferences on drafts of writing, but over time I realized we could expand the frame beyond the piece at hand and more could be accomplished one-on-one. This was a big step in my journey towards upgrading. Students can tell you if they're learning.
I totally understand the skepticism about letting students self-assess, but that skepticism is rooted in a system that privileges grades, not learning. Students may be tempted to pull a fast one for a better grade, but they will not lie about learning. It doesn't make sense.
I use similar questions to @MakeThemMastrIt (his example below), focusing on students articulating what they can do with their writing that they couldn't before. They know. They also know where they still have work to do. 
I so wish I'd gotten on to upgrading and focusing on reflection and metacognition when it comes to developing writing earlier. It's what drove me to improve my own writing. When I allowed students the space to do the same, the growth was incredible. Grades could never achieve it.
"ungrading" I'll know we're making progress on ungrading when Twitter doesn't autocorrect it to upgrading.
