Why Conversations About Grading Matter More Than We Admit

We don’t talk about grading enough. Not in teacher preparation programs. Not in PLCs. Not in staff meetings. 

And when we do talk about it, it’s usually reactive– a complaint, a policy push, a scramble to justify a number. But grading isn’t just a spreadsheet function or a box to check. Grading is a conversation–about what we value, how we see students, and what we believe about learning. Those are the conversations worth having.  

After 16 years in the classroom–within a K-8 setting, across content areas, curriculum shifts, and standards rewrites–I’ve realized something: Most teachers are grading by instinct or by pressure, not by design. 

We inherit systems. We replicate what was done to us. We say things like “I have to grade this,” or “It’s policy,” or “It goes in the gradebook,” but we rarely pause to ask the important questions. These questions: “Does this grade reflect what my students actually know?”, “Am I assessing growth or compliance?”, “Is my feedback usable or just viable?”. Grading can reinforce inequity. It can reward privilege and punish trauma. It can crush confidence or create clarity. Yet, when done with intention, it can also empower. It can humanize. It can change the entire culture of a classroom. But that takes real work and real conversations. 

This space isn’t about perfect systems, silver bullets, or one-size-fits-all answers. It’s about asking better questions. It’s about rethinking what “assessment” means beyond tests and tasks. It’s about instruction that works, literacy that matters, and grading that actually reflects growth. Whether you’re a first-year teacher, a curriculum leader, or somewhere in between, I hope this space gives you what we all wish we had more of: permission to reflect, language to push back, practice tools to shift your practice, and space to say “wait–does this actually make sense for my students?”

So here’s my question to you: When was the last time you questioned what went into your gradebook and why? Feel free to respond, subscribe, or just sit with the discomfort for now. We’re all learning here. 

And the conversation? Oh, it’s just getting started.