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Teachers Need TeachersTeachers Need Teachers is the podcast for new and beginning teachers. It's inspired by the questions beginning teachers are asking around the web, plus the questions that you didnt know you should ask! I'll help you clear the confusion and figure out... Author: Kim Lepre
Teachers Need Teachers is the podcast for struggling teachers, whether you're new or a seasoned veteran. It's inspired by the questions and frustrations that teachers are expressing around the web, plus the questions that you didnt know you should ask! I'll help you clear the confusion and figure out what to focus on so that youll have the most positive impact in your classrooms without losing your freaking mind. I want to help you navigate through the craziness of teaching while maintaining your sanity AND personal life! Language: en Genres: Courses, Education, How To Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Ep 146 Why Do Grades Even Matter Anymore?
Episode 146
Monday, 19 January, 2026
Grades were never meant to do this much work. In this episode, I reflect on how grading shifted from traditional point-based systems to standards-based grading and grading for learning — and how, in many schools, those frameworks eventually gave way to equity-driven policies that changed what grades actually represent. I believe in equity. I believe in standards-based grading. But I also believe we need to be honest about what’s happening when grades stop communicating learning and start communicating compliance, survival, or optics. We’ll talk about:why grades feel meaningless to many teachershow student apathy and entitlement didn’t come out of nowherewhy parents increasingly see grades as negotiableand how teachers are caught between professional ethics and institutional pressureI don’t have a solution by the end of this episode. What I do have is a growing concern that we’re avoiding a necessary conversation — one about accountability, motivation, and what we’re actually teaching students when effort no longer matters. If you’ve ever wondered whether grading still serves students the way we hope it does, this episode is for you.Chapters:00:00 — Why Grades Don’t Mean What They Used To03:00 — From Traditional Grading to Grading for Learning07:20 — When Equity Grading Took Over13:40 — How the System Went Off the Rails22:05 — Where This Leaves Teachers and StudentsI have a YouTube channel! Join me over there and subscribe!Got questions, feedback, or want to be on the show? You can email me at kim@teachersneedteachers.com
