The Master Teacher Blog

Most of us have probably heard of the term lean manufacturing, a process popularized by Toyota. The focus of lean manufacturing is to improve quality and reliability, without increasing the time and other resources required to support the manufacturing process. While the thinking behind lean manufacturing has been applied by other activities, only recently has the approach been applied to the process of learning.  

Yet, learning is an activity featuring ample opportunities to increase efficiency and effectiveness. Consider that we forget 75% of what we learn in just seven days if we fail to apply it, according to research by psychologist Herman Ebbinghaus, the discoverer of “The Forgetting Curve.” Meanwhile, estimates are that college freshmen retain less than half of what they learned in high school. It is not unusual to find that students fail to recall much of what they have previously learned, even over the course of a few weeks or months.  

Much of the thinking and research related to lean learning is occurring in the world of adult learning, primarily in the workplace. Businesses have clear incentives to have the learning of their employees be efficient, so that minimal production time is sacrificed to classes and other learning activities. They also want employees to retain what they learned to avoid having to relearn what they once knew.  

Lean learning thrives in the presence of several conditions. For example, it works best when it is driven by a specific need, is seen as useful, or has a purpose. Lean learning practices also fit best with skills and concepts that have immediate application and can be applied in real-life settings and situations. Lean learning is typically iterative. Learning starts with just the essentials of what is to be learned, and additional information, skills, and applications are added as learners are ready for them. Introduction of new content and skills is driven by and aligned with the specific needs and interests of the learner. Further, lean learning is enhanced when learning and practice are shared with peers.   

There are obvious opportunities to apply lean learning principles and practices with our students. However, there also are challenges in the context of standardized curricula, set schedules for instruction, and frequent difficulties providing real-time, real-life applications for learning, especially if we are just starting.  

You might consider starting with your own learning to gain experience and build confidence with the approach before engaging students. Consider this brief lean learning cycle as an example of a place to start: 

• Identify a skill you would like to learn. For example, you may have a technology tool or application with which you would like to become proficient, or you may want to try a new discussion or questioning technique. The list of potential topics and skills is limitless. (Condition: Specific need or purpose) 
• Engage someone to help you learn the essential information you need to get started. And, if possible, enlist others with a similar interest or need to learn with you. Often, as little as 20-30% of the full scope of the skills is enough to begin. Focus on what is crucial to be able to do something with what you learn. (Conditions: Focus on essential learning and learn with peers) 
• Apply what you have learned as soon as possible, optimally within a few hours or days, while the learning is fresh and the recall is clear. The longer you wait, the less you will remember, and the more difficult it will be to practice productively. (Condition: Real-life, real-time application) 
• Get feedback on initial attempts, ask questions to clarify and extend your learning, and capture any insights you gained. Ask yourself: How did it go? What do I need to learn next? What did I discover from the initial application? (Condition: Explore what you want to learn next) 
• Repeat the cycle to build the next level of learning, expand your skills, and gain expertise while your initial experience is fresh and feedback is still recallable. With each iterative cycle, focus on new applications, more sophisticated skills, and new insights upon which to build. (Condition: Iterative cycles) 

The principles and conditions that underlie lean learning are not new. However, too often they are ignored in large-scale learning efforts and neglected when what we need to learn is challenging. Take some time to build your lean learning expertise and then offer the same opportunity to your students.  

We know that the environment within which learning occurs matters. The right environments can encourage and facilitate learning, while environments filled with conflict, fear, and confusion can have the opposite effect. As we approach the midpoint in the school year, now is a good time to step back and consider what is working well, what may need attention and adjustment, and what may need to be abandoned and replaced.  

A good place to start is to conduct a scan of how well the current operation of your classroom reflects your hopes, expectations, and priorities across nine key aspects of operation. Here are questions to stimulate and support your reflection:  

• Instructional strategies: How well are instructional strategies aligned to individual student readiness and needs? Do classroom activities regularly include variety, novelty, humor, voice, and choice? How well informed are students of their progress? How frequent, timely, and effective is the learning feedback students receive?  
• Learning focus: How consistently are students actively engaged in their learning? Are students more focused on learning or on grades? How often do students set goals for their learning? How frequently do students have opportunities to review and reinforce previous learning?  
• Learning Progress: Whose learning is on track, and who is falling behind? What recognition and encouragement do successful students need now? What supports are available and accessed by students who are struggling? What role do students play in monitoring their progress? How might students become more involved in and accountable for monitoring their progress?  
• Emotional climate: What is the emotional tenor in your classroom? What is the level of worry, fear, and stress? What might be done to lower the levels of emotion that may interfere with learning? How anxious or stressed are you?  
• Relationships: How strong and stable are your relationships with students? Do students seek you out when they have academic and personal concerns and struggles? Do students accept, support, and encourage each other? Have families bought in to your course expectations and goals? 
• Management activities: How well are classroom routines addressing transitions, learning activities, and student behavior challenges? In what areas do you still have to remind students of routines and expectations? How frequently are you able to anticipate potential issues or problems and take steps to prevent their emergence? What opportunities exist to make better use of time?  
• Behavioral issues: What types of behavior issues are you finding to be most frequent and disruptive? What have you tried that has been effective in moving students to more acceptable behavior? Where do you struggle most with behavior issues? How are you ensuring that all students are treated equitably? Where might you access support to expand your strategies, receive coaching, or other types of assistance?  
• Technology use: How integrated is available technology with learning activities? What is the balance of student engagement with technology as consumers, appliers, and creators? What opportunities exist for students to use technology to extend their learning beyond simply consuming information and regurgitating it? 
• Physical supports: How well does the arrangement of classroom furniture reflect student learning and engagement goals? Is the room aesthetically pleasing and reflective of the cultures and demographics of students? Are supplies, materials, and equipment organized and readily accessible?  

Obviously, there may be many aspects of your classroom environment that deserve attention. However, be careful not to become overwhelmed. Choose a few areas on which to focus. Meanwhile, do not forget to pause and reflect on what is working well, lessons you have learned, and successes you have achieved. 

The saying that “a picture is worth a thousand words” may contain more truth than we assume. We know that looking at a powerful image can stir our emotions, stimulate our curiosity, and stay in our memory for a good while. As an extension of this, a recent study points to significant power in creating pictures of things we want to learn and later recall.  

The study examined whether picture drawing as part of the learning process can enhance performance and build long-term memory. Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada found in multiple trials that drawing to-be-learned information produced results superior to any other known mnemonic techniques, including visualization, viewing pictures, listing physical characteristics, writing, tracing, or associating the information with a mental image. In fact, drawing pictures of what needs to be remembered was more than twice as powerful as writing down new content.  

The researchers noted that at least four powerful learning and recall processes are at work when we draw a picture to represent words and concepts: elaboration, visual imaging, motor movement, and pictorial representation. To draw, we must notice or create physical characteristics of what we want to learn and remember. This step requires us to elaborate beyond what we see or hear. As we draw, we create an image of the object of our attention. This step engages the process of visual imagery. The act of drawing involves hand movement, thus further solidifying our attention through motor activity. Finally, the product of the process is a pictorial image with multiple links to our observation, imagination, and actions.  

Importantly, the artistic talent displayed, or the quality of drawing people produce, does not appear to influence the benefits gained from the drawing process. Further, the amount of time invested in drawing pictures for this purpose also does not appear to be a significant factor in the effectiveness of the strategy. In fact, even when study participants were given only a few seconds to draw a picture, they still experienced significant advantages in later memory. Age also does not appear to be a factor in reaping the benefits. Drawing activities improved learning and memory for young learners, adults, and even individuals more advanced in age.  

The potential benefits of this strategy for students are obvious. The deeper observation and engagement associated with drawing pictures can enhance the learning performance and memory recall of our students.  

Meanwhile, the process also does not have to be time consuming, as students can benefit even from making short, rough drawings when time is limited. Of course, there may be circumstances when allocating more time to the process will allow students to add details and enhance the depth of their learning and extend their recall.  

We can support students to engage in drawing as a learning and memory assist by: 

• Sharing and discussing with students the research on the benefits of drawing to enhance learning and memory. 
• Guiding students to notice elements or aspects of what they want to learn that might be converted to a drawing. 

• Encouraging students to create a mental image of the information or content they want to learn and recall.  
• Reminding students to pay attention to their hand movements as they draw to create an even stronger connection between the image and their experience. 
• Having students practice drawing pictures of what they want to learn and then explain their drawing to other students to reinforce the experience. 
• Replicating the research study to test this approach against other mnemonic strategies. (The full research report is available via the provided link.) 

Giving students tools and techniques to enhance their learning and extend their recall can be a great way to build their learning capacity. We also help them to expand the array of strategies they have available when they struggle or need to learn something particularly important.  

Source:

Fernandes, M., Wammes, J., & Meade, M. (2018). The surprisingly powerful influence of drawing on memory. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27(5), 302-308. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721418755385 

When students struggle, it can be tempting to lower our expectations, especially when our thinking is that doing so will increase their opportunities for success. However, the opposite is true—expensively so. When we lower our expectations for the quality of work and learning students will produce, we risk setting in motion consequences that can be life limiting.  

While there are times and circumstances when lowering expectations might be contemplated for any type of student, multiple research studies have shown that lowering expectations disproportionately affects our most vulnerable students. The adjustment in expectations may be well intended. We may believe that it is best for students not to feel pushed and pressed to do work that is challenging or difficult for them, especially if they come from challenging life circumstances or have a history of struggle with academic learning.  

We might even believe that focusing on building strong relationships with students will lead to greater learning success than having high expectations for them. However, students need more than our warmth and caring. They also need to be exposed to interesting work, meaningful challenges, and opportunities to build competence and confidence in their learning. It is the right balance between high expectations and high levels of caring that lead to learning success.  

Importantly, the cost of lowering expectations can take many forms. Some costs are associated with the way in which students will come to view themselves. Other costs can be seen in skills not developed and competencies not gained. Still others can be found in negative responses to the experiences to which students are exposed. And some of the most expensive consequences are found in the limits and sacrifices students will face if they leave us not having learned what will be necessary for future success. Let’s consider five ways in which lowering expectations can be a costly decision.  

When we lower our expectations, students lower their expectations. In fact, our lowered expectations risk communicating to students that we not only do not expect high level work from them, but we also believe that they are not capable of meeting high expectations. This is a dangerous message. The most difficult student to teach is the student who believes they cannot learn. We cannot afford to communicate this message or otherwise contribute to such a perception.  

When we lower our expectations, we deprive students of opportunities to face and overcome difficult challenges, persevere, and build resilience. Yet, these are key life skills students need to develop for success in life. Further, while these challenges can be uncomfortable during the times when students face them, once successfully met, they can be sources of price and new confidence.  

When we lower our expectations, we deprive students of opportunities to develop critical-thinking skills and employ creativity to solve novel problems. Low expectations for learning often mean that the teacher does most of the thinking, creating, and problem solving. Yet, these activities are what can make learning interesting, meaningful, and challenging enough to invest in.  

When we lower our expectations, we are more likely to expose students to superficial and uninteresting content. We risk diverting students from learning with depth and full understanding. Absent useful application, meaningful purpose, and engaging activities, students learn and recall even less.  

When we lower our expectations, we risk disqualifying students from pursuing highly skilled, learning-dependent life and work roles. We dramatically increase the likelihood that they will struggle to find work for which they will qualify and which will provide adequate compensation to support them and their family.  

How can we communicate high expectations for our students? Here are five actions to consider:  

• Consistently present students with challenges at the leading edge of their learning and development. Students need to consistently feel our nudge for them to struggle and grow. 
• Take extra time to establish the purpose, implications, and details of concepts and skills. Focus on generating deeper understanding rather than limiting attention to the steps and sequence of completing an assignment or finishing a task.  
• Focus on progress. Reaching high standards may take time and multiple learning attempts. Success is often the result of processes, practices, and purposeful effort. These are the building blocks for our attention. 
• Frame coaching language around the inevitability of success. We might talk with students about “when” they succeed, not “if” they succeed.  
• Intervene quickly when students begin to drift and underperform. We need to approach that behavior as an aberration that needs attention rather than as a reflection of the student’s potential.  

Admittedly, holding high expectations for our students can be challenging. However, students rarely have the maturity and wisdom to consistently exceed our expectations. In many ways, the expectations we set and hold become the ceiling for performance and possibility for our students. We need to be certain that our expectations are high enough to protect their future. 

It goes without saying that we want our students to be motivated, take ownership of their learning, and practice persistence. Of course, we also want them to build knowledge and grow wisdom. However, these important elements of high-level learning do not usually happen by chance; instead, they emerge through the engagement of underlying elements that must be tapped and nurtured through the design of learning experiences, our instruction, and student responses.  

Unfortunately, in our desire to have students demonstrate these key learning elements, we can overlook the elements that lead to their development. Of course, some students will make important connections and build key skills and dispositions on their own, but it is a mistake to assume that most or all students will accomplish this task independently. Most students need our intentional focus and measured support to build the learning bridges they need to succeed.  

By designing learning experiences focused on underlying or driving elements, we can increase the likelihood that students will make connections and build the skills we seek for them. Here are five outcome examples and contributing drivers on which we can build: 

• Want ownership? Offer choice. The process of making a choice implies favoring one approach, activity, or object over others. As a result, we form a relationship with the object of the choice. When students are given meaningful choices in what and how they learn, they naturally take greater ownership of the result.  

Learning design: We might allow students to decide how they will approach a learning challenge, what materials they will use, and how they will demonstrate or document their learning.  

• Want students to gain knowledge? Encourage curiosity. Curiosity is how we learn much about life and the world around us. When what we learn is in response to something about which we are curious, we are also more likely to invest in learning and we are more likely to retain and use our new knowledge. 

Learning design: Students are naturally curious, but they may not initially be curious about what we want them to learn. However, we can stimulate curiosity by designing relevant questions that students find compelling, sharing a story or experience that students find engaging, demonstrating a useful application, or presenting a dilemma or mystery that students find difficult to resist.  

• Want to build wisdom? Support reflection. Memorization and repetition can increase recall, but wisdom requires a deeper process. When we reflect on an experience or learning activity, new insights and understanding emerge. When we connect new learning to what we already know, we are more likely to understand its significance, appreciate its value, and can decide where and how to apply it in life. 

Learning design: When we want students to develop a deep understanding or achieve new insights regarding what they know or have learned, we can have them pause and reflect. We might invite students to think about the significance of what they have learned and how it might inform the way they think about a circumstance or challenge. We can buttress their reflection by providing open-ended questions and encouraging students to ask their own questions, followed by discussion and analysis.  

• Want students to be motivated? Tap their interests. Interest takes various forms. It may emerge from a student’s natural inclinations, or it may reflect a student’s perception of utility or a useful purpose. Motivation is a willingness to invest energy and attention in response to interest. Engagement follows when motivation transitions into action. 

Learning design: We can begin new learning activities by tapping elements or experiences in which students are already interested. For example, we might draw on student interest in sports, technology, pop culture, or some other topic with which students already have a positive connection. We also might plan an activity or pose a question that will stimulate students to seek new knowledge or skills. Of course, we can build interest through extrinsic incentives or even threats of consequences for a lack of investment, but the impact will likely be temporary. 

• Want more persistence? Have students set goals. When we identify a goal, we create a focus for our efforts. Meaningful goals function as magnets for attention, energy, and effort. The presence of goals also supports students to measure their progress and achievement. When students focus on accomplishment of the goals they themselves set and own, they also become more persistent in their pursuit and more resilient in the face of challenges and setbacks. 

Learning design: Students may be unfamiliar and inexperienced with goal setting related to academic learning. They are more likely to have experience with learning goals that others have set for them. To stimulate and model goal setting, we might share with students how we set goals for our instruction or our own learning. We can also tap student goal-setting experiences in other areas of life such as athletics, the arts, video games, or earning money. The key is for students to set goals that are meaningful, challenging, achievable, and owned by them. We can provide support by providing feedback, coaching, and sharing evidence of progress. 

Building knowledge and wisdom, stimulating curiosity and interest, and nurturing ownership and goal-setting skills are key elements in our work with students. However, these outcomes are dependent on our attention to—and leveraging of—the underlying drivers that lead to their attainment.  

When the influential people in our lives whom we respect notice unique characteristics and latent potential in us and share their observations, the impact can be dramatic and lifelong. However, their influence does not always have an immediate and visible impact. The “seeds” they plant can stay with us, eventually germinate, and ultimately grow into important drivers of the lives we build and paths we follow. Those of us fortunate enough to have had this experience know how powerful these comments, questions, and insights can be, as well as how much influence they can exert.  

We can be these influential people in the lives of our students. When we take the time to notice, question, and imagine what could be, we hold something special that may become life changing. When we share with our students what we see in and imagine for them, we can be a catalyst to unleash surprising commitment, emerging identity, and growing talent. What we share does not have to be a long conversation or “sermon.” They may be seemingly passing comments, casual observations, or incidental questions.  

The fact is that we can often see hints and glimpses of what the future of our students can be. However, most young people do not have the life experience or self-knowledge to fully appreciate what they can become. They also may be in family and community circumstances that fail to instill and support their becoming something beyond what is consistent with the history of the family and neighborhood.   

These comments, observations, and even urgings require little of us other than our attention to and insights about our students. Yet, the potential impact can be far beyond what we might hope or imagine. Here are seven examples to build on: 

• I hope that I am still around when you realize the full potential you possess. Most students are unaware of their potential. In some cases, the potential may be related to learning, or it may be in forming relationships and influencing others. Or it may develop in another aspect of life. The key is to plant the seed that the student has more to give and gain than their current aspirations and investment reflect.  
• I often wonder how much better you can become if you fully commit yourself. For some students, the opportunity to be better and the talent waiting to be developed is obvious, but their lack of commitment leads to uneven outcomes, unforced setbacks, and unnecessary barriers. Many students fail to realize what they could accomplish if they made a consistent commitment to accomplish what is important and meaningful to them. They do not need more intelligence or talent. They have what they need if they choose to consistently apply themselves. 
• I admire how you dig in when you encounter a challenge. Some students struggle and seem to make limited progress. Yet, they do not give up or give in. Despite the barriers and challenges they face, they possess special power in their persistence. In life, persistence is a more consistent predictor of success than intelligence. Often, students just need someone to recognize this special characteristic and encourage them to keep it up and know that their efforts will pay off.   
• I notice that when you take the time to think about an issue, you always seem to have a unique insight. Some students are quick to volunteer opinions and perspectives without giving much thought. Others are more deliberate and need a little more time. They may not be ready with a quick, often superficial answer. Both types of students can benefit from this observation. For the quick-to-respond student, this statement can be encouragement to take more time and think more deeply. For students who are more deliberate, this observation can offer important recognition and reinforcement for their approach.  
• Your level of curiosity has the potential to give you an amazing future. Curiosity is the gateway to learning. Even students who come from challenging backgrounds and may not have extensive academic background knowledge can find exceptional success when their curiosity is present, persistent, and pursued. When we encourage students to respect their curiosity and continue to ask questions, explore interests, and discover new ideas and insights, we can reveal for them a lifelong path of learning and success. Of course, we also need to be ready to hear and respond to more of their questions, ideas, and wonderings. 
• It would be amazing to see what would happen if you chose to use your leadership skills to make a positive difference. Many students who have special leadership skills and talents choose to use them in ways that distract the attention and undermine behavioral choices of other students. While they are practicing leadership, it can get in the way of their and other students’ success. This statement recognizes their skills and talents but nudges the application of leadership behaviors in a positive direction. Rather than fighting or seeking to undermine their leadership, we can encourage its application in a more positive direction.   
• I wonder what you will do with the talent you have yet to discover and develop. This statement suggests that the student may possess yet unrecognized talent. We open the door to a search and discovery that may surprise us and the student. The fact is that each of us holds the potential for special talents that we have yet to uncover and cultivate. Sometimes we just need someone to believe in what we may become. 

We have exceptional potential to influence our students. An encouraging observation, optimistic prediction, or insightful inquiry can make an amazingly positive difference. However, this same power, if used thoughtlessly, can sap the confidence of our students and leave undiscovered opportunities that assuredly exist for them. 

We may not think much about the concept of awe. When we do, though, we likely associate it with grand works of nature, like the Grand Canyon or Mount Everest, or incredible displays of power, such as lightning strikes or hurricanes. Or we may associate awe with magnificent works of art or jaw-dropping acts of compassion or skill. Of course, the stimuli of the experience we know as awe are varied, and they are not all as grand or stunning as these examples. 

Experts note that the feeling of awe can be stimulated by vastness that is difficult to comprehend, challenges to what we have thought or assumed, and exceptional acts of human virtue and ability. We can be awestruck while walking in nature, observing an act of kindness, or hearing a new piece of music.  

While experiencing awe can be surprising and delightful, it also holds significant benefits for our mental and emotional health. Researchers describe awe as an emotion like joy, contentment, and love, but it is separate from each of these. Experiencing awe has been shown to reduce anxiety, calm the nervous system, and increase our ability to cope with stress. Experiencing awe stimulates the release of oxytocin, often called the “love hormone.” 

Importantly, experiencing awe does not have to be expensive. Nor does it require travel to a far-off place or demand extra time and planning. We can make awe-filled experiences, and their associated benefits, a frequent presence in our lives. Here are five common circumstances in which we can discover and experience awe: 

• We are fully present. Our attention is completely given to what is happening, free from distractions.  
• We notice and are open to what is happening around us. Awe can be experienced in almost any place if we just look for and notice it in our surroundings. 
• We look for the goodness in others. People engage in awe-inspiring behaviors more frequently than we may assume. Common people do uncommon things for other people far more often than is noticed.  
• We expose ourselves to art, music, science, and other experiences that stimulate our emotions, offer astonishing surprises, and capture our imagination. 
• We try something new and unfamiliar. First-time experiences can expose us to new thinking and novel ideas, expose us to opportunities, and open doors of possibility and surprise.  

Awe can also be a powerful tool for stimulating learning to which students will commit and long remember. Consider how awe might be a part of the learning we offer to students: 

• What concepts in math, science, or other subjects might we use to challenge the assumptions and beliefs students bring with them? 

• What stories of compassion, kindness, and sacrifice might stimulate an interest in and growing commitment to an upcoming topic of study?  
• How might art, music, or dance provide a unique perspective on a learning challenge or social problem?  
• How might we tap the wonders of nature to illustrate the vastness of the universe and the intricacy of a blooming flower?  
• How might we inspire awe as our students observe the power of relationships and valuing of each other? 

Use your imagination to add to this list and create awe in the learning experiences of your students. It’s totally worth it!

We give students a special gift when we teach them a “hustle” approach to learning and life. Hustle creates an advantage in almost every life situation. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” Hustle is the key advantage people who are successful over a lifetime know—and tap. 

In fact, hustle is a better predictor of success in school and life than intelligence and innate talent. Hustle is making small increments of additional effort proactively and consistently. Over time, hustle becomes a huge differentiator in learning and life. People who emerge as exceptionally successful in life rarely do so by a single effort or action; often, hustle is their secret.  

We have taken the important step of building strong, positive, influential relationships with our students; sharing learning and life success secrets with them is a natural next step. The secrets of hustle may seem simple, but they can transform the way students work in our class and even change the trajectory of their lives. Here are eight behaviors we can teach our students and coach them on so that they know how to tap the power of hustle: 

• Decide what is important. Stay focused on what matters. Refuse to allow distractions to pull you off of the path you have chosen. We can choose to change direction, but we need to be sure to take our hustle approach with us. It is fully transferable. 
• Show up. This advice may seem obvious, but people who are present are more likely to be aware of and influence what is happening around them. Further, people who can be depended on disproportionately determine what is going to happen and play a key role in making it reality. 
• Stay curious. Curiosity keeps us connected and informed. Curiosity is often the door to discovering opportunities. Asking questions, seeking to understand, and exploring possibilities accelerate learning and build insight.  
• When we see an opportunity, take it. Hustle uncovers more opportunities in life. Opportunities are gifts life presents to us, but we must act in order for them to benefit us. Being able to recognize an opportunity is important, but doing something with it is what matters.  
• Do one thing more. Choose to always take one additional action or step than required or planned. Over time, the gap between what others do and accomplish and what we achieve will widen in our favor. The long-term difference will be amazing. 
• Get better every day. Even very small improvements accumulate over time and can make a huge difference. The Japanese call this approach to life kaizen, meaning continuous improvement, and use it as a way to stay fresh and always be learning and growing.   
• Choose to work hard and smart. Working hard has its advantages, but working smart increases the likelihood of desired results. But when we work hard and work smart, we create a near unstoppable winning combination. 
• Treat mistakes and setbacks as natural, even expected. People who hustle also experience errors and missteps. In fact, hustle makes some mistakes more likely. However, for these people, mistakes and setbacks are almost always temporary. They also often reveal new insights and signal what to do next. Mistakes are a natural part of the learning process for people who hustle.  

We teach students many things during their time with us. Some things students learn may have limited impact and be quickly forgotten. However, when we teach students how to be successful in life, we give them a gift that can transform their achievement with us and set them on a course of lifelong success.  

Grades are such an integral part of schooling today that it can be difficult to imagine how schools could ever operate without them. Students are told that getting good grades is the ultimate reason to work hard. After all, grades are used to judge a learner’s history and status, and even predict—and sometimes dictate—their future. Given the significance assigned to this component of our educational system, we might think that it has a deep and rich history associated with learning.  

Yet, grades and grading have not always been the way in which learning was measured and reported. Prior to the introduction of grades, the quality and preparedness of students were connected to the educator, or educators, under whom they studied. When seeking a position, students presented the name and reputation of their teacher or teachers. The reputation and testimony of the person(s) under whom they studied was used to assure the preparedness of the position seeker. However, this approach presented at least two challenges: first, educators’ reputations were dependent on ensuring that their students gained the intended knowledge and skills, and second, such a tight connection between learner and teacher meant that educators could support a limited number of students at any time.   

In the late 1700s, a tutor at Cambridge University, William Farish, borrowed the practice of grading the quality of shoes made in factories and applied that practice to students. Finished shoes were given a grade based on the quality of the workmanship they represented; better-quality shoes were worth more, while lower-quality shoes were priced low or rejected. Interestingly, Farish’s idea caught on almost immediately, became common practice in schools within a generation, and has remained the most common way to judge learners and learning ever since.  

Why is this history important, and why might it matter today? Let’s explore.  

First, students and learning are much more complex than stitching and leather, and learning is infinitely more difficult to measure and judge than the ruggedness and style of a shoe. Deciding to consolidate the multiple dimensions of learning into a single number or letter compromises understanding and ignores the complexity of the process.  

Second, while a poor-quality pair of shoes may not be comfortable or last long, failing to learn risks handicapping future opportunities for students. Further, a low grade does not just imply poor-quality learning; it often means that some learning did not occur at all. Consequently, future instruction based on the assumption that prior learning occurred further disadvantages the learner and compounds the error.  

Third, when grades are applied to shoes, the identity of the shoe is intertwined with the quality of its materials and workmanship. Alternatively, students are much more than the grades they receive. Yet, grades too often are used to assign identity, define expectations, and determine the levels of adult effort and investment that students will experience.  

Fourth, a shoe may be the product of the assembler’s effort and skill, but learners play a key role in the teaching and learning process. Readiness, relationships, and instructional practices are all significant to the learning process. However, the assignment of grades can create a temptation to blame students for lack of learning rather than sharing responsibility, providing needed support, or taking timely steps to address barriers. 

Fifth, while the idea of grading students like shoes provided an efficient way for teachers to teach more students, there remain limits on how many students a teacher can effectively support. It is true that many of the limitations present at the time grading was adopted no longer exist today. We know much more about how learning occurs and how to nurture it, and technology can help us to customize experiences and track progress in real time. Regardless, the ability to assign grades should not serve as a reason to continually expand the number of students teachers are expected to support.  

The time has come to re-examine the traditional practice of assigning a single grade to such a complex process as learning. Students, parents, and others with an interest in learning progress and performance deserve more informative and actionable indicators of where learning has occurred, how much learning has occurred, and what needs to be done to see that expected learning will occur.