Chapter 6: Breaking Barriers and Bad Habits

Discussion Questions

• What things need to change in your classroom to make it less of a one-size-fits-all experience?
• In what ways do you need to stop playing along with the game of school?
• In your classroom, how do grades reflect learning?

Chapter 6 Actions

• Start small. Brainstorm the tasks you do every day in your role as an educator. How do these tasks contribute to student learning? How do they contribute to the game? Pick one thing you can challenge or change.
• Start a discussion in your school or district about things that need to change. Start small and keep a positive tone. Start with yourself and what you can do right now. Post a reflection online to spark the conversation.

Additional Resources

• “In the Game of School, We Change or Students Lose!” blog post by Shake Up Learning
• “Rick Wormeli: Standards-Based Grading“
• “Standards Based Grading and the Game of School: Craig Messerman at TEDxMCPSTeachers“
• “Standards-Based Grading Overview”
  
• “The Case of the Illogical Grades” from ASCD, Educational Leadership
• Book: Shift This by Joy Kirr
• Book: Why School? by Will Richardson
• Book: Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution That’s Transforming Education by Ken Robinson
• Fair Isn’t Always Equal: Assessing & Grading in the Differentiated Classroom by Rick Wormeli