Growing up, I was always the kid on the honor roll, the one who got straight A's on her report card, the one who worried constantly about the grades she got on every assignment. When I was young, the pressure to do well came from my parents; they knew I was capable of excellence, so they expected me to get grades that were excellent. As I got older, I started putting pressure on myself to do well. Getting an A was more important to me than doing my best; in fact, I convinced myself that anything less than an A was not my best.

Entering the education program in college was something of an eye-opener. A lot of conversation revolved around fixed vs. growth mindset - the belief that intelligence is either a fixed quantity that cannot be changed or something that can be grown over time. I realized that my mindset growing up was very fixed. I tied my grades to my intelligence, believing that if I didn't achieve certain grades, I wasn't really all that smart.

I determined quite early on that I wanted to be a growth mindset teacher - one who reminds her students that struggling to understand material does not prove a lack of intelligence. In the same way, I wanted to be a teacher who didn't put too much stock in grades, but focused on effort and the actual learning process. One of the most important things I learned was the true purpose of grades: to measure student progress against set standards. Grades do not measure how smart a student is. Grades not measure how hard a student works.

As a teacher, I don't want focus too much on the grades my students get. I am the one who knows the whole story: I see how hard they are working in class, I see them as they are engaging with the material. Even if a student doesn't meet the standard, that doesn't mean they aren't learning or progressing.

I am not making the case that grades are not important, because they do matter. It is important for students to continue progressing and reach grade level expectations so they will be prepared for the next year. What matters more, though, is the learning behind those grades. Anyone can get an A by memorizing facts that they'll forget as soon as the test is over. Demonstrating growth from beginning to end, regardless of grades, is what each student's target should be.

I've been the kid who stressed about scores on tests rather than recognizing the learning that was happening. I've been the kid who was trapped in my belief that grades defined how smart I was. I don't want my students to think less of themselves because they struggle to understand material. As teachers, it is our job to identify where students struggle and to help them push past to understanding. Even if it doesn't seem like it, that B- you got in high school won't stop you from getting into college. That C in your first college lecture won't prevent you from achieving your dreams.

While I think intrinsic motivation is important for students as they grow in their learning, they need to be taught that grades are not the only measure of their abilities and certainly not the only measure of their worth. I believe in all my students, and I want them to believe in themselves. I don't want them to focus so much on making grades that they lose sight of what is most important: doing their best.

If I could send one message to every student, it would be this: your grades don't define you. You are more than a number on a report card. You have the potential to learn and grow, even if it is difficult at times. The scores you receive in school are not the measurement of your worth or your intelligence. You can do great things. I believe in you.