The Almighty Gradebook!

     In the old days a teacher's grade book was a three dimensional, multi paged ledger that kept track of student grades in all subject areas.  These books were sacred, and kept close to the teacher at all times.  Only the teacher him/herself could peruse through the pages therein.  This has fallen away to computerized grade book programs used by most districts nowadays.  The teacher sees the grades, the administrators, and even the parents can go online from their home, and see what grades their children have whenever they want.  I use our districts online grade book...I have too...but I still have my handy-dandy, tried-n-true "House of Doolittle" class record book, where I hand record all grades in their own little respective boxes.
     No matter if a grade book is on your desk, or online, it is a very important set of documents (I am sure we can all agree on this).  It shows how your kids are doing, how well they are doing, how poorly they are doing, whether or not your class is progressing, or not...yada, yada, yada.
     My point here is that a grade book should have recorded in it the achievements of your students.  Each grade should show mastery by your students.  Each grade should be an accomplishment of academic awesomeness!  Sounds like a lot of who-ha, doesn't it?  To the teachers who record every grade...let me explain.
     Just because we have a grade book...a record of letter or numeric indicators that show how a kid is doing...doesn't mean that we have to record every grade in it! 
     Think of this...A kid plays baseball.  He or she practices, and practices.  During practices the kid has to learn the game, and all of the rules that apply.  This is the time that mistakes should be made!  A kid shouldn't have to pay for practicing.  Think about theater!  An actor isn't judged or assessed on his/her performance during rehearsals...only on opening night when all of the lines are learned! 
     My system is this way!  I don't make a kid pay for NOT understanding a concept when we begin practicing.  Through both formal and informal assessment you see...early on in a theme, or unit...that some kids get it, while most don't.  We go at it again, more practicing, more assessing, group work, collaborative pairing.  Soon you know (And you will know when your kids "Got It!"), and then the kids have their "Opening night" or "Opening day!" 
     NOT ALL GRADES SHOULD GO INTO YOUR GRADE BOOK!  All grades don't have to go into your grade book!  Get your kids proficient, guide them to mastery...then fill those tiny boxes with what your kids have truly earned.
     Oh yeah...the concept of giving a kid a zero?  This has always been perplexing to me.  In nearly 11 years as an educator I have never given a kid a zero!  Never!  It is inconceivable to me.  I have had students (Every year, in fact) who try to not hand in an assignment, or finish their classwork.  They figure it out very quickly...there are no negotiations here.  But, another time about this, another post!