We all have those classes that just won’t stop talking, but there are also the classes where no one will speak up. In both cases, the students must be held accountable for their participation in the classroom.
Every marking period, I allow my students to reflect two times (usually mid-marking period and at the end) on their level of participation. Each of these grades is 20 points. I give students the rubric, which you can download here. They have a few minutes to think about where their performance has been over the past few weeks.
The four categories on the rubric are:
– Participation in the target language
– Active participation (volunteering to answer questions and participate)
– Listening comprehension (following directions)
– Accountability (being prepared for class and paying attention during class)
After students reflect, it is time for me to analyze their self-assessment. Usually the kids are spot on; however, you will always have the handful that are too hard on themselves and give themselves a grade much lower than they deserve. Then on the other hand, there are always those students that think of themselves as “perfect” when we know they have a lot to improve upon. So, I will make comments on their rubrics and pass them back.
BUT what do we do when students just won’t participate… maybe they’re too shy, or maybe just not the best at learning a world language? Here are a few of my strategies:
1. Pair-share: I know we are always told to do this, but I find it to be extremely beneficial for those shy students. As I walk around and listen, I tell them “Oh, that’s a great idea – share that with the large group!” Or during large group discussion, I will say “Student A had a great idea, let’s hear from them!” These little boosts of confidence will really help them to speak up more on their own.
2. Grades matter to our students! When something has a grade attached to it, they are much more likely to put in extra effort. So, if it comes to it, (and it has for me in two classes this year!) I will give extra participation grades in addition to the rubric above. Every time they participate, they get a point. At the end of the month I average the entire class’ points. Those that scored the average or higher (let’s say 15 times participating), will get 15/15. Anything below that gets that number out of 15.
Share your best participation strategies with me. What works well for you?
