Episode Details

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If you’ve ever wondered why students stall out just before assessments, it’s time to rethink your approach to the practice phase. “Teaching strategies for student practice before assessment” isn’t just an episode title—it’s a wake-up call for every secondary teacher exhausted by mountains of grading and still seeing confused faces at test time. Host Khristen Massic blows up the myth that every bit of student work ought to wind up in the gradebook. The real secret? Knowing the true purpose of classroom practice and how it can actually slash your workload if you get it right.

Here’s the trap most of us step right into: treating student work as assessment from day one. Maybe it’s paranoia about accountability, or just survival mode when you’re teaching multiple preps. As Khristen points out, she lived it—every worksheet, every assignment, all dutifully graded. The problem? The gradebook started filling up with evidence of where students started, not where they actually landed. No wonder the stress piles on and the grades don't reflect real learning.

The better way: respect what the practice phase is really about. This isn't another box to check or a quick run-through before the “real” work. This is feedback time—for students and for you. Khristen shares how ditching the gradebook (at least for practice tasks) brought instant clarity. When students have room to make mistakes and learn from them, they stop worrying about failing and start owning their learning. It’s a small shift that can pay off in both student confidence and in real work life balance for teachers.

What does better practice look like in a secondary classroom? It’s students talking through a problem, testing ideas, comparing results, and yes, making mistakes on purpose. Khristen gives the example from her 3D printing unit: instead of having students print one item and wait for a grade, she sets up activities where they tweak settings, debate why their prints turned out differently, and try again—without the immediate pressure of a score. The result? More curiosity, more growth, a lot less wasted time.

One of Khristen’s biggest takeaways: Don’t grade practice. Instead, make sure every practice task provides feedback students can use right away. The moment students know what they need to fix, while they still have time to fix it, is where real learning happens. And for teachers, it’s a massive grading workload reducer—especially essential if you’re juggling three, four, or even five preps and trying to keep your head above w