The Point System
Class participation is extremely important to success in any course. Participating
keeps the student, not to mention the teacher, awake and on his toes academically.
Participation is the only way to get to know one another and to discover and
to share knowledge. Even though it is so important, it is difficult to track
and to make sure all have the opportunity to succeed at it. The point system
helps. Here is how it works:
1. When a student says or does something noteworthy the teacher might say,
"That's worth a point (or two points)."
2. A student point tracker will mark the point on the ledger.
3. The teacher has the responsibility to "spread the points" around
by giving everyone an opportunity to respond.
4. Points can be lost too, but it is difficult to lose them. If a student
is tardy, disrupting, sassing, or otherwise out of control a point or points
may be circled and subtracted.
5. The teacher makes the decisions and the decisions are final.
Since class participation is not the only measure of success and because all should be encouraged to experience all types of success, points will be tallied at the end of the marking period and applied to the already calculated grade. If the number of points is great, say 25-30 or about one a day, the grade can be increased two increments, say from a full C to a B-, or from a B- to a B+. Lesser totals will make a lesser difference.
RULES:
a. Allow fellow students to have their say and participate.
b. Do not get overly competitive.
c. Report any irregularity in point keeping immediately - this covers you.
d. Do not alter the point tally without direct permission from the teacher.
e. Should the tally sheet be altered without permission, the tally must begin
from zero again.
f. The teacher will choose the point keeper for a day, a week or longer as
seems appropriate.
