Lincoln Academy English teachers Bridget Wright and Jack DeAngelis presented at the Maine Council for English Language Arts (MCELA) annual conference in Bangor on Friday, March 20.

Two Lincoln Academy English teachers who are working on a new way to engage students in their own learning and assessment made a presentation at the Maine Council for English Language Arts (MCELA) annual conference in Bangor on Friday, March 20. 

The theme of this year’s conference was “Rise: Lifting Voices, Bridging Worlds, Inspiring Change.” LA English teachers Bridget Wright and Jack DeAngelis presented on the topic “Moving Away from Traditional Grading: A Process-Based System.”

“We are excited about the work we’ve done to move to process-based grades, and wanted to share our experiences with other English teachers around the state,” said Wright, who was selected as the Lincoln County Teacher of the Year in 2025. “Our goal was to help teachers make positive change in their classrooms. For us, this looks like piloting a new grading policy.”

“This year in our own classrooms we are emphasizing the process of learning, and helping students take ownership of their own growth,” said Mr. DeAngelis. “We wanted to present at the MCELA conference to share our experiences and stories with other teachers from around the state, and to hear their stories as well.”

The presentation focused on a new strategy the teachers are employing in their own classrooms this year: the radical idea that grades shouldn’t drive learning. The teachers wanted to get away from students continually asking questions like: “How many points is this assignment worth?” “Is this going to be on the test?” and “How much will it hurt my grade if I don’t turn this assignment in?” 

Instead they are working with students on assessing their own learning, and engaging them in bigger, more holistic questions including, “What are my learning goals?” “What can I do to learn and grow?” “Where do I want to end up?”

“It’s not uncommon for teachers to be frustrated with traditional grading practices; I have yet to meet an educator who got into teaching because they wanted to score children and tally up points all year long,” said Mr. DeAngelis. “Presenting at the MCELA conference was a way for us to join the state-level conversation about grading and assessment that’s going on in Maine right now. We’ve submitted an application to present at another conference this summer, and we’re excited to keep the conversation moving forward.”

In addition to engaging with English teachers around the state, Mr. DeAngelis and Ms. Wright continue to challenge students in their classrooms at Lincoln Academy to think more proactively about their learning, rather than just their grades. 

Ms. Wright noted, “The piece that has impressed me the most is the change in how students think about their work and what it means to be ‘done.’ I feel like this work is pushing students to be less passive and more engaged in their learning.”