Chapter 15 – Classroom Assessment and Grading
My class is a 7th grade language arts class. In order to explain my grading system to my students I would first hand out a class introduction sheet discussing all the items that we would be covering in the classroom including the grading scale, point values, class rules and information and a list of items we would be covering, such as books, short stories, and poems we will be reading. This sheet will also include an overview of assignments for the class. I would go over this sheet with students allowing them to give input on what they thought they may or may not like and even some ideas on what type of projects and or journals they would like to write. This does take some time to go over, but in the end it helps the students understand what is expected of them and gives them the opportunity to be somewhat involved in their own learning and success in this class. This also allows the student’s time to ask questions about anything they are unsure of. I tend to find that by doing this the students start off with a better understanding of the expectation in the class and this there by makes them more comfortable. Below I have put together a small portion of what a class introduction sheet would look like.
Books:
Textbooks – Elements of Language
Elements of Literature
Novels – Zach’s Lie
Tangerine
The Giver
Materials:
Pen or pencil
Composition notebook
Binder with dividers
Paper
Grading Scale:
A+ 98-100
A 94-97
B+ 91-93
B 88-90
C+ 84-87
C 79-83
D+ 75-78
D 70-74
F 69-below
Grading Components:
Tests/Projects 30%
(Students will be given a list of projects for each novel such as a book cover, report, art project, etc. with rubrics for what is required. They will be aloud to pick the one that they feel is best for them, this helps them feel as if the are involved in what goes on in the classroom. Tests will be given at the end of a grammar unit or novel and again can come in many different formats)
Writing Assignments 20%
(Journals, short stories and essays with these assignments the students will put their names on the back of their paper or composition notebook in order to help me remain unbiased, all students will know that there is a chance that other teachers may be reading them this will allow me to make sure I am not being unfair in my grading)
Quizzes (These will be given on a frequent basis in order to see if the students are understanding the material we are covering and to see if I need to make any changes to make lesson plans. I will use a combination of true/false, multiple choice, short answer and short essay questions in order to give every student the opportunity to do well.) 20%
Homework 5%
(It will be due the day after assigned and points will be taken off for late work. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions on anything they had difficu1ty understanding)
Classroom Participation 5%
Exam (semester) 10%
(This will be a cumulative examine on the grammar part of the class, writing rules, punctuation, etc..)
Here I would have my list of class rules such as follow with explanations:
- Respect
- Materials
- Homework
General Cirriculum: (I’ve chosen a few of my favorites with explanations why to give you an example of some of the things I would be doing)
Novel –
The Giver with assigned vocabulary weekly and with the student’s choice of a project and chapter quizzes and journal entries. (I have been lucky enough to teach this book several times and found that it truly interests the students. We have great classroom discussions and question and answer time. I always ask them to predict what will happen next in their journals and have them share they come up with great answers. I have also found that many of my students will ask to take this particular book home and/or even go out and by it so they can find out what happens at the end. It is truly a great feeling when you can get students that involved. Often times I give extra credit if the students read one of the others following it either Gathering Blue or Messenger.
Short stories –
The Sound of Thunder ( I love this one as well because the student like to get involved and guess what is going to happen next, I have been know to take my time teaching this. I always start with reading the story with the students and having response and journal questions with it, I then send a letter home to the parents letting them know
That we will be viewing the movie in class and get permission since it is PG-13. I use this in conjunction with a comparing and contrasting unit. At the end of the movie I give the students an assignment on comparing and contrasting using the differences between the movie and the short story itself. )
The other short story I love to include is A Dangerous Game (I just cover this one because I love it. I usually find this an opportunity for a great essay on morals and their ideas on right and wrong. This is another story I find that holds the students interest.)
Of course you can’t have a language class without all the fun stuff so in between the reading there of course are lessons, homework and quizzes on the parts of speech, grammar and usage (which can also be used in conjunction with their essays), punctuation, etc.