Earlier this year, I attended the Home Education Council of America's Super Summit. I say attended, but it was online, so I didn't actually have to go anywhere!
One of the speakers was Rachel DeMille of The Thomas Jefferson Education. She and her husband Oliver have a website Thomas Jefferson Education or TJed for short.
I wrote a review of the this session HERE if you'd like to read it. Today, however, I'm just going to bring up one point. Here's what I wrote:
Quality, not Conformity. This key means you avoid grading and use personalized feedback to encourage quality. George Wythe (one of Jefferson's mentors) College used A and DA. "A" meant acceptable while anything less than quality would receive a "DA" for "do it again."
I started using this practice this school year (all three days of it so far), and it seems to be making an impression.
I've been using "A" and "D" instead of "DA", but using the same meanings. I explained to mija that she was either going to earn an "A" or it would mean a "D" which means do over.
It has been a great incentive. First, she doesn't want to do it again. Second, she likes to see an "A" on her paper.
I also like that "A" means "acceptable" not perfect. "Quality" for my 6-year-old, third grader will look a little different that "quality" for an average third grader. That does not mean, however, that I allow uncorrected errors, sloppiness, or even bad attitude. Those things are not acceptable to God. "..anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him" (Acts 10:35).
So this year, we are going to work on getting A's that shows our work is "acceptable"! That includes mommy. After all, I won't get a DA or "do again" with my child!
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