Posts by Eileen Depka



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What role does homework play in the world of grading and reporting?

I often hear teachers say they have been told that homework should not be graded. This message is a source of confusion. 

Somehow, students have interpreted this as “homework doesn’t count, so I don’t really need to put any effort into it.” This is not the message we want to send. Any work given to students should be designed to further their understanding and increase levels of achievement. It is crucial to their success and that message needs to be loud and clear.

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What If Policy Focused on Learning Instead of Grading and Reporting?

Lately I have had cause to review a variety of grading policies from various districts. Clearly, I realize that the focus of a grading policy is obviously grading, but I can’t help but think that they unintentionally take the focus off of learning. Read more


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Are Rubrics Counterproductive and Limiting?

A few months ago, a young teacher, Maggie, asked me what I thought of the use of rubrics. I thought it a curious question, so I asked her why she was asking. Maggie told me that she was taking some college post-graduate courses, and although a few of her teachers used them, one professor was very opposed to them and said they were counterproductive, limiting, and should not be used. Read more


What a Difference Our Words Make! Asking Questions that Require Understanding

There are so many ways to ask a question! I was reviewing some assessments yesterday and noticed that one or two simple word changes can totally change the sophistication needed for the response. When we consider what we want a student to know, and then create the question, I think we need to look at the question from a different perspective. We need to ask ourselves if the question leads to a response that truly measures understanding. Read more


Adult Leadership Skills and Student Dispositions

I was on a plane a few weeks ago and picked up the in-flight magazine. There was an interesting article about leadership and the dispositions needed to succeed written by Gary Kelly, the president of Southwest Airlines. The article concentrated on the following:

  • Leaders Must Care.
  • Leaders Must Communicate.
  • Leaders Must Have Character.
  • Leaders Must Be Competent.
  • Leaders Must Have Courage.

It occurred to me quite quickly that these are the skills we also want our students to have. Read more