#165 Beyond Grades, Rewards, and Standardized Testing with Alfie Kohn

Hello everyone! Today, I am releasing what I believe is the most important podcast in the history of the show. Not only is it filled with honest and real world talk, it is filled with research based advice and insight from one of the premier thinkers on education today. In this episode, I sit down with Alfie Kohn and discuss a range of topics, such as why grading hurts more than it helps, why rewards do more harm than good, and why the testing obsession leads to bad teaching. I consider these the three pillars of what holds up an outdated educational model, and Alfie Kohn is the main reason for that perspective. Without a doubt, Alfie has influenced my teaching in such fundamental ways, and I know his thinking, research, and expertise will encourage you to question some of the norms of our educational climate. Alfie Kohn writes and speaks widely on human behavior, education, and parenting. The most recent of his 14 books are SCHOOLING BEYOND MEASURE…And Other Unorthodox Essays About Education (2015) and THE MYTH OF THE SPOILED CHILD: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom About Children and Parenting (2014).  Of his earlier titles, the best known are PUNISHED BY REWARDS (1993), NO CONTEST: The Case Against Competition (1986), UNCONDITIONAL PARENTING (2005), and THE SCHOOLS OUR CHILDREN DESERVE (1999).       This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators. Heinemann knows that teachers make the difference every day for their students. That’s why they’re celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week for the entire month of May with a special discount. From now until May 31 , you can receive a special discount and free shipping on every Heinemann professional book and other select resources. Just use the coupon code MAYEDU during online checkout at Heinemann.com to receive this discount. There are some restrictions, so make sure you visit Heinemann.com or the Heinemann blog for all of the details. From everyone at Heinemann, thank you educators for everything you do.