Don't fall for the Participation {Grade} Trap

While it is tempting to give students points based on effort, we must keep our grading standards-based and objective. That being said, it is incredibly difficult to teach children when there is excessive misbehavior. Teachers are not able to get a true picture of academic abilities when students refuse or are unable to complete work (Wells, 2017). Even things like deducting points for late work or bonus points for neatness can be a slippery slope. When grading, ask yourself if your assignment is aligned with the standards and students’ mastery. Timothy Bogatz (2016) wrote a great argument about why we have to stop with effort grades, take a few minutes to read it at https://theartofeducation.edu/2015/09/15/can-we-please-stop-with-the-participation-grades/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CEffort%E2%80%9D%20is%20not%20a%20standard%2C%20and%20it%20cannot,no%20longer%20represent%20what%20our%20students%20have%20learned.