Erica M. Dolson, a Creative Writing Lecturer at Elizabeth College, recently wrote about her motivations for "ungrading" in Inside Higher Ed. Ungrading relies on "regular feedback and student reflection. The goal is for students to think less about what they are earning and more about what they are learning."
Through this process, Professor Dolson realized that not only was ungrading less stressful for her students but for herself as well.
"I became a reader of my students’ work—not the reader. Free from fears that I would be accused of only appreciating work I agreed with or to which I could relate, and free from the pressure to appear an infallible authority, I could respond more honestly."
IMO (In my opinion), I think ungrading is an approach worth trying. To get started, change one of your assignments from "A/B/C/D/F" to "Complete/Incomplete," and focus on providing thoughtful actionable feedback.
You can access the full article on Inside Higher Ed here.