Chris Sarkonak

"Encourage students to celebrate their mistakes by: 1) Prioritizing looking at mistakes as a class. 2) Creating a collaborative environment where students feel safe enough to make those mistakes and take risks in front of each other. 3) Mitigating the importance of grades for the things you want students to take risks on, where you can." —Teacher Chris Sarkonak

Mistakes are where the learning happens!

Here's how T @csarkonak.bsky.social encourages learners to embrace them:

This Is How Learning Should Feel Watching students grow into confident, curious thinkers is the ultimate reminder of my “why.”

Looking to build a more S-centered classroom practice?

T @csarkonak.bsky.social offers these three strategies that have transformed his classroom:

buff.ly/dSWMFnd

#EduSky

This was such an influential book in my #ungrading journey! It was some of the best PD and at just the right time! Now, inspired by those that contributed to this book, I try to share what I can about my journey and where I’m at so others may find something helpful from my story.

Ss need to feel safe. A constant stream of grades takes that away from most Ss and Ss stop focusing on learning. Build a system with Ss that removes anxiety and honors growth and the classroom is filled with collaboration and community. Ss become risk-takers and learning will be far more efficient

Your work has been such a huge inspiration to me! I’ll always include you in a list of who to follow! Thank you!

A4: assessment:
@achiaravalli.bsky.social
@humanrestorationproject.org
@covingtonedu.bsky.social
@leeannjung.bsky.social
@mssackstein.bsky.social
@davefrangiosa.bsky.social
@stacieoliver.bsky.social
@jessifer.bsky.social
🎢:
@cossettej.bsky.social
@joemilliano.bsky.social
#T2Tchat #EduSky

A3: For me, #ungrading has been transformative! All that I’ve learned has been huge in helping me be successful in creating a far more equitable classroom that is focused on students! #T2Tchat #EduSky

A2: I love learning about their thoughts and perspectives as it helps me think more deeply about my own practice. I’m also always on the lookout for new physics ideas to give Ss the best experiences I can! #T2Tchat #EduSky

A1: I’m Chris, a high school Physics teacher in Manitoba, Canada! This summer I’m going back to being a student again! 🌻📕 #T2Tchat #EduSky

"Encourage students to celebrate their mistakes by: 1) Prioritizing looking at mistakes as a class. 2) Creating a collaborative environment where students feel safe enough to make those mistakes and take risks in front of each other. 3) Mitigating the importance of grades for the things you want students to take risks on, where you can." —Teacher Chris Sarkonak

How T @csarkonak.bsky.social is building a #GrowthMindset classroom culture:

🍎 Talk about mistakes together
🍏 Create a collaborative culture
🍎 Keep the focus on real learning

If the only feedback is a grade, why bother putting effort into the process? Students learn the game fast. Grades need to go.

Facilitated a gr8 session with admin about assessment practices and how they shape the culture of a school.

Blue = assessment of
Yellow=assessment for
Pink=assessment as

Y-axis=Student identity
X-axis=school culture

What do you notice?
#EduSky
#EduSkyChat
#educoach
#edchat
#mtbos

I have the full size one and love/hate it! They are really finicky and one dead speaker, which happens, disrupts the pattern enough that you can’t levitate as lg of objects as you should. When it works, it is VERY cool and Ss LOVE it! Combine it with Schlieren or smoke and you should see the pattern

Such a great opportunity for students to share their voice and have their experiences impact education in the future!! #ungrading

Contest — Grow Beyond Grades

🕐 ONE WEEK LEFT!

Students: How have grades—or the lack of them—shaped your learning or growth?

All genres & formats welcome ✍️
Cash prizes 💸
Chance to be published 📚

growbeyondgrades.org/contest
#gradeless #ungrading #growbeyondgrades
@humanrestorationproject.org @gotlearning.bsky.social

A Close Look at Competency-Based Learning | Cult of Pedagogy Learn about this teaching model that prioritizes growth and mastery over grades.

Traditional grading systems do a terrible job of measuring learning and discourage students from reaching their full potential. This week, we're exploring a different model that is gaining traction in hundreds of schools: competency-based learning.

www.cultofpedagogy.com/competency-b...

Contest — Grow Beyond Grades

✍️ PLEASE SHARE WITH HS & COLLEGE-AGE STUDENTS!
How have grades—or the experience of learning without them—influenced your learning, growth, or personal journey? All genres and formats welcome! @humrespro.bsky.social @gotlearning.bsky.social
#gradeless #growbeyondgrades
growbeyondgrades.org/contest

I hear Ss say this almost every semester! Developing a system WITH them and honoring their voice builds a culture of learning. This is a human connection that AI can never replace and it’s only through this connection that Ss truly learn best. Eliminating grades clears the path for this to work!

I really need to go to bed but I just keep coming back to the utter and abject failure of imagination that exists in this particular discourse about learning & schooling. My god, people, schooling and learning can look like ten thousand different things and all be good and right and effective!

I’ve been using an ungrading assessment model in a traditional school for a 5 years now. It promotes risk-taking, having students learn about how they learn, and they are earning higher grades on traditional exams. Students are empowered and confident developing skills they need for their future

‘We should not be ranking and sorting children’: educator group gives old-school grading an F A new teacher group is promoting the benefits of “ungrading” and how professionals across the province can tweak their classroom evaluations to better serve students.

A new teacher group is promoting the benefits of “ungrading” and how professionals across the province can tweak their classroom evaluations to better serve students.

Where the construction of school contradicts what we know about healthy human development, psychology, motivation, and learning, we have an obligation to reconstruct schooling rather than attempt to change human beings.

Amazing Student Power Summit in Ohio! I’ve learned so much the last couple days and was honored to be a presenter! It was great to meet a couple of huge inspirations on my #ungrading journey, @johannabrown.bsky.social and @achiaravalli.bsky.social! I wouldn’t be where I am w/o @growbeyondgrades.org!

Another great STEM for Girls week wrapped up and I am so proud of our amazing team, the week we put together, and the great turnout! This program is something very special to me since we started it 6 years ago and so much more so now that I have a daughter! #internationalwomensday

Excited to finally meet you in person!!

Priority on looking at mistakes as a class. Create a collaborative env where Ss feel safe enough to make those mistakes and take risks in front of each other. Get rid of grades on the things you want Ss to take risks on (and as much else in the course as possible). Honor S growth by not averaging

Create an env where Ss actually feel they can make mistakes and not be punished for them. Avg grades make mistakes a permanent stain that never go away no matter the growth, so Ss do the bare min and never take risks. Start by building a system that honors growth and model how to learn from mistakes

Let me know if you want to connect sometime, I’m always happy for good conversation and to share stories! I very much believe in engaging kids in those because they’ve been a huge part of my life as an adult too!

Our provincial curr docs have recommended portfolios, grading less, and not averaging for decades. It still took a lot to go against the “normal” and move away from grades. So happy I did! Ss are more engaged and I think life is happier for them and me! My work-life balance is better too! #sunchat

We still have to provide mid & final grades, but I have control in my classroom. No assessments have grades, only feedback. Ss build portfolios, we co-construct portfolio criteria, & conference to determine grades. The portfolio focuses on growth & gives them freedom to make mistakes #sunchat