The grades you receive throughout the course are just the beginning...
There are two types of grades: formative and summative. Here's what that means:
Formative: these grades are given as your understanding, skills and abilities FORM. That means that, by definition, they are subject to change. Your ability to write an essay, understand theme, or edit a paragraph into a powerful piece of writing will shift and change throughout the course. This is as it should be, because you are learning! Therefore, a formative grade allows you to see where you are successful and what you need to work on to improve. A formative mark might not come as a letter or percentage. Likely it will be descriptive (words only). Formative assessment will let you know where to go next.
Summative: this grade doesn't change. It is the final mark and has no instructional value except as a categorization tool.
Therefore, you should worry less about your final mark and more about the shifts and growth towards improvement that you will experience throughout the course. Aim to reach all the learning outcomes of the course to the best of your ability.
What does this require? A growth mindset.
You must be able to envision yourself as someone capable of change. As someone capable of learning. As someone who can CARRY FORWARD new learning to new endeavours.
As your teacher, I believe this of you. I hope you believe this of yourself too.
Formative: these grades are given as your understanding, skills and abilities FORM. That means that, by definition, they are subject to change. Your ability to write an essay, understand theme, or edit a paragraph into a powerful piece of writing will shift and change throughout the course. This is as it should be, because you are learning! Therefore, a formative grade allows you to see where you are successful and what you need to work on to improve. A formative mark might not come as a letter or percentage. Likely it will be descriptive (words only). Formative assessment will let you know where to go next.
Summative: this grade doesn't change. It is the final mark and has no instructional value except as a categorization tool.
Therefore, you should worry less about your final mark and more about the shifts and growth towards improvement that you will experience throughout the course. Aim to reach all the learning outcomes of the course to the best of your ability.
What does this require? A growth mindset.
You must be able to envision yourself as someone capable of change. As someone capable of learning. As someone who can CARRY FORWARD new learning to new endeavours.
As your teacher, I believe this of you. I hope you believe this of yourself too.