new spring semester grading policy: please read to the end

It's Saturday.  It's Spring Break. So: Why am I thinking about your grades today and posting to the course blog?

Because I'm in this for the learning.  Every single one of us has something to learn. I could say that about the whole country, the whole world -- so many people everywhere, looking at the pandemic response, the economy, and our politics, are wondering: "WHEN ARE WE GOING TO LEARN?!?"

This morning I went for a trail run. I thought about what is different these days and what hasn't changed.

I'm actually smiling in that picture. You can't tell. That expression could be a squint, or I could be experiencing stomach cramps. If I want you to understand me, especially in this "new normal" where we have to do things differently in order to care for ourselves and each other, I have to explain myself.

So do you.

It's a sad thing that so many people associate learning with grades. It's even sadder to watch people stop learning because they don't see a reward or punishment coming.

There was no external reason for me to go for a run this morning. It's not going to make me more money. My wife isn't going to love me any more (maybe less, if I don't wash that stinky shirt). There was no crowd to applaud wildly when I finished sprinting up the last hill, put my hands on my knees, and watched the drops of sweat hit the dirt.

If you haven't figured it out yet, the title to this post has a double meaning. I want you to read to the end of this post -- you're almost there -- and I want us to finish the year strong. That means finishing the novel we're reading, and reflecting on our thoughts about it in writing.

I understand that not everyone has the same circumstances right now. I also understand that not everyone has the same internal motivation. I am concerned that some people might read the school district's credit/grading policy as an invitation to stop reading and writing and let their brains atrophy for the next four months, and that will make your senior year all the more difficult.

So, I'm announcing a new grading policy for our course. This is designed to build on the school district policy (which still applies, of course) in a way that will give all of you an opportunity to earn at least a B in the course.

Beginning Monday, April 14:

• You will receive at least a B for this course on your report card for the Spring 2020 Semester, if you:
• post at least three journals per week
• post one writing assignment per week
• attend at least one online meeting per week (or watch the recording, or -- if your internet connection is too slow -- connect with a friend to see what you missed)
• post notes on one online meeting per week
• and complete the final essay (I will post the prompt on May 26 and the essay will be due on your blog 6/2)
• You will receive an A for this course on your report card for the Spring 2020 Semester, if you:
• do the work above with demonstrated integrity (that is, you try hard instead of just checking the boxes) 
• and the work itself is of superior quality, OR you ask for a writer's conference and revise it to make it better

This means EVERYONE has an opportunity to earn an A or a B in this course. Even if you were failing before March 13, this is your chance to steal victory from the jaws of defeat.

Please comment or email if you have any questions. We will be online Monday at 1:00. Onward!