Finally!! New title: Assistant Teaching Professor 👩🏻‍🏫

"Liking is not a feeling. It is a *set of practices* that leads to a feeling" Really great and thought-provoking talk from Asou Inoue this morning. #TheGradingConference

In yesterday's session "Special Topics: Equity" at #TheGradingConference, Robert Erdmann shared research showing equitable outcomes of dropped grade policies...

Three awesome talks in "Research: Student Perceptions" at #TheGradingConference. Across different institutions and even types of #AltGrading, students GET IT. They see how alt grading aligns more with true learning, and their views of it only become more positive after experiencing it.

Session "Special topics: Neurodiversity" at #TheGradingConference: @sarahesilverman.bsky.social making the point that #AltGrading *can* provide a "tolerance for error" that is often needed when neurodivergent students are trying to communicate with neurotypical instructors or vice versa.

Semi-live skeeting #TheGradingConference 2025: Asao Inoue Keynote: 🤯 What really resonated with me: He said he really wanted to get students thinking about the PROCESS of their writing over the PRODUCT of their writing.

Excited to hang out online with 900 of my closest friends at #TheGradingConference starting tomorrow!

Just in time for the start of 2025’s #TheGradingConference tomorrow! (And yes, I stitched this during last year’s conference. 😂) #BreakFakeRules

Happy 13th wedding anniversary and 20 years together to my ride or die! Longer together than apart 💕

As a political scientist who studies countries that managed to stop the slide into authoritarianism, I can assure you that ***refraining from provoking the authoritarian*** is not how it works. Without further ado, I will now go tear out another chunk of hair.

I am just contemplating retreating ever deeper in the Enchanted Forest.

Spoiler: It’s better diagnosis. 🙄 Autistic ppl have always been here and always will be. apnews.com/article/auti...

How are y’all dealing with all this *waves arms around* and also continuing to do all the things you need to regularly do? Let’s share some strategies.

My YouTube recommendations right now are hilarious, because it's half videos on molecular bio lab methods and half Stardew Valley.

I don't want to be on ghastly x anymore but it's where a lot of my sales come from so this post is a brazen request for shares to spread the word about my work on a kinder platform that isn't run by a dangerous megalomaniac! www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Sara... #selfemployedartist #ukgifthour #shopindie

Yesterday was told this was racist & sexist & asked how I would like it if speaker hung a Playboy centerfold on his office door. My favorite responses so far (none of which I used):

So I was asked to be on a committee to define and address the "problem" with grades at Tufts. Dear Husband's response: "Damnnnn. They just brought a sharpshooter to a knife fight." Note: The committee was formed in response to data on how high Tufts' grades are on average.

Suddenly felt urgent to find this in still-packed boxes from Summer ‘23 move…. Can’t imagine why.

Ally solidarity toolkit: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Love the epigraph for Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education! "One thing about systems, especially systems as old as American higher education, is that people grow unconscious of them. The system gets internalized. It becomes a mind-set.

"This course has truly helped me grow both as a person and as an intrepid molecular biologist." I address our class collectively as "intrepid molecular biologists" in every email, so I don't know why this is making me so emotional. 🥲 It must be the exhaustion.

#BioGradingForGrowth 🙏 and other communities centered around inclusive & equitable pedagogy sites.google.com/view/biograd...

I've fully drunk the Kool-aid around #AltGrading and #Ungrading, but this semester I began co-teaching a 550 person intro bio course run by another (amazing!!) instructor, and it's traditionally graded. We released course grades yesterday, and I have FEELINGS.

This was my first semester solo coordinating #TuftsMolBioLab, and I felt like a LOT of things went wrong. But I just met with a student who said she had "no notes" for class changes! Sometimes it's hard to remember that we're our own worst critics.

The perfect sweatshirt doesn’t exi- 😳😍😍😍 www.geeksoutfit.com/products/i-h...

My lab TA this semester has the same name as my SIL. Yesterday I definitely texted her, "Omg, should we get matching Christmas PJs for all the grandkids??" 😂😅

My colleague Lauren Crowe and I were featured today on the Tufts website in a piece about the amazing Tufts IRACDA Program! now.tufts.edu/2024/12/09/p...

Poster about the OER Encyclopedia of Biological Methods was super well received at #ASMCUE! Hoping for fruitful collaborations from these conversations to add more entries. #EOBM @libretexts.bsky.social @asmicrobiology.bsky.social bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/...

Amazing talk by @drtrmorton.bsky.social at #ASMCUE on fostering justice & joy in STEM Ed.

Based on a wonderful suggestion from @jaustinedu.bsky.social, I've created a rough Starter Pack for those involved with #ungrading & alternative #assessment. If I forgot someone (I'm sure I have!), please forgive me & let me know if you want to be added to the list. Thanks! go.bsky.app/G6hA6Ru

At long last, I have finished #LEGO #Rivendell one of the most fun and beautiful builds I've ever done!

Heading out to catch my flight for #ASMCUE! Can’t wait to see folks! @asmicrobiology.bsky.social

Finally did it!! Work by the amazing Tetiana Boiko. In addition to being stunning, this tattoo is actually about teaching and community for me.

Want to support teaching unions at Tufts? Please sign! And feel free to share. 😁 act.seiu.org/a/tufts-soli...

BioRender figures can now be published under Creative Commons licenses! This will make publishing their figures in open access journals or OER (like my Encyclopedia of Biological Methods project) possible! bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/...

Anyone have tips for the quickest way to get up to speed with the Canvas Learning Mastery gradebook? @southbaysharona.bsky.social? I feel like I might have seen a video by @sbagley.bsky.social about this once upon a time...

Please RT! I'm writing a post about applying for academic jobs while #AltGrading and #Ungrading and would love to get some perspectives other than my own! Please reply or DM if you're willing to chat. :)

Latest installment of cross stitch pieces inspired by #TheGradingConference. Love!! 😍 (This would have been finished way earlier, but I ran out of the right thread on my DC trip last week 😭)

Another amazing #TheGradingConference is in the books. So much love to this unbelievably generous and welcoming community!! Now time to collapse....

I have designed my new #ConferenceCrafting project for tomorrow. 😍

Loving this "menu" of alt grading options from Veronica Berns at #TheGradingConference!!

I made this Pride flag using only NASA images and our team thought it would be cool to share on social (I work on the NASA heliophysics communications team), but it's getting all sorts of hate on the bird app and Fbook. Thought y'all might be more appreciative of it here. ☺️🏳️‍🌈💖

There are roughly 1000 people registered for the #GradingConference that I'm now attending! I stand by the claim I make in my book that we are in the midst. ofthe largest and most successful grading reform movement since the development of letter grades in the 1890s.

Today's reminder from #TheGradingConference chat:

Wonderful reflection going on in #TheGradingConference keynote from Dr. Leila McCloud, asking us to consider Why me?, Why This?, Why now? #ungrading #AltGrading

Enjoying Laila McCloud's opening keynote at the Grading Conference @grading4growth.bsky.social and looking forward to the conversation over the next few days.

Academics, have you recently tried to write a non-formal letter and if so, WHY WAS IT SO DARN HARD? Like what words do normal humans use, lol?

Schedule is up! There are some great looking sessions as always.