JOSHUA EYLER
Event Date: December 6, 2024
Time: 4:00 pm
Failing Our Future: How Grades Harm Students, and What We Can Do About It.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6 at 4:00 pm (Pacific)
Click here to register. $15 for members. $20 for non-members.
Eyler’s book by the same title is an indictment of the grading system in American schools and
colleges―as well as a blueprint for how we can change it.
One of the most urgent and long-standing issues in the US education system is its obsession with
grades. In his new book, “Failing Our Future,” Joshua R. Eyler shines a spotlight on how grades
inhibit learning, cause problems between parents and children, amplify inequities, and contribute
to the youth mental health crisis.
Eyler illustrates how grades interfere with students’ intrinsic motivation and perpetuate the idea
that school is a place for competition rather than discovery. Grades force students to focus on
rewards and distract them from exploring ideas or pursuing interests beyond what they’ll be
tested on. In fact, grades significantly impede the learning process. They are also significantly
affecting children’s physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. Rates of anxiety,
depression, and suicidal ideation have spiked, and academic stress tied to grades is a leading
cause of this escalation. This is a must-see program for all parents, grandparents, educators, and
people interested in improving education in America.
Joshua Eyler is the Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and a
clinical assistant professor of teacher education at the University of Mississippi. He is also the
author of “How Humans Learn: The Science and Stories behind Effective College Teaching.” He
previously worked on teaching and learning initiatives at Columbus State University, George
Mason University, and Rice University. He received his B.A. in English from Gettysburg College
in 2000 and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Medieval Studies from the University of Connecticut in 2006.
He writes about teaching, learning, parenting, and popular culture.