Your own opinion of the no-zero grading policy based on the evidence from the researchand the responses of your classmates. How would you personally handle Steve’s situation?Did your thinking change after reading your classmates’ viewpoints? Why or why not?

I still do not support the no-zero grading policy. Allowing a no-zero rule helps children
not to be left behind in some classes, but it also hurts them in many ways. I do not agree with
giving students an easy pass. Our society awards effort and hard work, while a no-zero rule asks
teachers to award a lack of effort and initiative. How do we teach students the ideals of the
workplace if we o about giving them free marks for doing nothing? I do not think I want that for
my children or even the students in my classroom. As such, students should learn right from the
beginning that they get graded for their work, not for lack of it. This way, they will be prepared
for reality. In the workplace environment, people only get awarded for work done and effort
shown. This should be the standard even in schools.
Personally, I would reject Steve’s work and give him another assignment. I will time the
assignment. I will ask him to hand in the assignment in a day. that way, he will learn the value of
time. Keeping deadlines and time management are important not only as a student but also in the
workplace. Accepting Steve’s work will show him that he can and, in his assignment, whenever
he wants, even when there are clearly set deadlines. To teach him a lesson, I would have him
hand in a new assignment. I would do this because I will have told them in class, prior to this
incident, the rules of late assignments. As a teacher, I believe in setting routines and informing
students of rules and expectations early on in the year. That way, every student knows what is
expected of them right from the start. In regard to assignments, I will ask students to adhere to
deadlines. If, for whatever reason, a student cannot hand in their work within the given deadline,

they should inform me early and make arrangements with me on when they will hand in their
work. I will also let students know that failure to comply will have them do a new assignment if
they want it graded.
After reading my classmate’s responses, I did not change my viewpoint. This is because
there is a difference between punishing students and teaching them to be responsible. My aim as
a teacher is to influence my students positively, not only through instructing them on the
curriculum content but also impact their attitudes, values, and beliefs. Changing a person’s bad
behavior can be difficult. The lesson can be delivered in a way that might be perceived as a
punishment by the recipient. However, certain lessons are learned the hard way. Laziness, poor
time management skills, and accountability need to be imparted. The no-zero rule does not
support such an approach hence the reason I am opposed to it as an educator.
 Using the Resources for teaching growth mindset (Links to an external site.) web
page as a point of reference, how might a no-zero grading policy help to promote a
growth mindset for learners. Explain, and if applicable, share your own experiences
as well.
In an article on Edutopia, Carol Dweck states that when a teacher has high expectations
about the students and offers them the right support, then they develop a growth mindset
(Edutopia, 2020). When educators provide an optimal environment, students find the purpose
and motivation to own their education. They put in the work necessary for their success. A no-
zero grade may help promote student success if it is partially implemented. This would mean that
students do not get zero grades for assignments that are submitted but are poorly done. At least,
students should be awarded for the effort and then assisted through scaffolding and tailored
instruction to support their comprehension. Also, when students hand in assignments that are

halfway done, they should be awarded for effort and then asked to complete their assignments
for full points. However, I think teachers will not be helping students develop a growth mindset
if they award points for assignments that students never submitted. Rather than helping develop a
growth mindset, they will be encouraging a fixed mindset. Students who think that a certain
assignment is too difficult will opt not to complete it because they cannot handle the tasks. Either
way, they will be guaranteed points. Thus, the implementation of the no-zero policy in its
entirely will encourage laziness and a fixed growth mindset. The policy can, however, be
partially implemented and applied positively to help students push themselves out of their
comfort zones and work towards reaching their full potential.
References
Edutopia. (2020). Resources for teaching growth mindset (Links to an external site.). Retrieved
from https://www.edutopia.org/article/growth-mindset-resources