Participation is key to an art class, but must it be any more than 10% of a grade or even considered in the grading at all? My answer will be somewhere in the middle. We know students who do not participate will receive poor grades on projects and assessments naturally. My own "universal rubric" (below) does not include "participation." My district actually forbids participation grades making up more than 10% of a marking period grade.
| universalrubric2023a.jpg |
However, I do grade participation in a unique way, I just call it "Studio Habits." The first day of the marking period, each student gets a participation grade of 100%. As we progress through the marking period, I deduct points as issues arise.
I circulate about three times each period to check progress and see if there is an issue I need to address and see if the student was thinking about a problem to solve, or confused, or maybe just chatting about a party they attended. I'll help that student refocus. If it was a participation issue, I may deduct 2 or 3 points for those distracted students. If I have to remind them a couple of times, then maybe 4 to 7 points for those who do little. I take up to 10 points off for those who flatly refuse to participate when I redirect them.
2024 Update: I have changed my process...
Now every project gets two grades. A studio habits grade and a project grade. Everyone starts with a 100% on the studio habits portion of the project grade. Every time I need to re-direct them to work or get off their phone, clean up, set-up, using tools unsafely, I deduct 2 to 3 points from the score. At the end of the project, I transfer that to their rubric when the project is graded. If I have never had to redirect them to focus, or they were never on their cellphone, then their “Time Management” score will remain at 100%. If I have to address them even one time, they can only earn a 90% for the Time Management component on the grading rubric. If I have to address them 3x during a project this will drop even more. I still note off-task behavior on my seating chart and enter deductions at the end of the period as they clean up. This new method does seem to be having a positive impact and is holding them accountable.
I also now have an area in my room for students to store and charge their cell phones away from their desks. That too seems to work well with other teachers.
Follow up: I got a good question from T.H. on Facebook: " Where does the studio habits grade fit into the percentages you list at the end?"
Answer: In my grade book program, PowerSchool, I have "Project 1 S.H." (S.H. = Studio Habits) where everyone gets 100% on the first day of the project. (This can be weighted or unweighted) Next in my grade book I have "Project 1 Assessment." This is the grade for the whole project with my rubric, and I use the "Project 1 S.H." grade to help me fill out the Time Management component of my rubric.
If "Studio Habits" is weighted, then the project is getting 2 grades essentially for the on-task or off-task behavior. This is where having an unweighted Studio Habits grade might be a good idea.
I circulate about three times each period to check progress and see if there is an issue I need to address and see if the student was thinking about a problem to solve, or confused, or maybe just chatting about a party they attended. I'll help that student refocus. If it was a participation issue, I may deduct 2 or 3 points for those distracted students. If I have to remind them a couple of times, then maybe 4 to 7 points for those who do little. I take up to 10 points off for those who flatly refuse to participate when I redirect them.
2024 Update: I have changed my process...
Now every project gets two grades. A studio habits grade and a project grade. Everyone starts with a 100% on the studio habits portion of the project grade. Every time I need to re-direct them to work or get off their phone, clean up, set-up, using tools unsafely, I deduct 2 to 3 points from the score. At the end of the project, I transfer that to their rubric when the project is graded. If I have never had to redirect them to focus, or they were never on their cellphone, then their “Time Management” score will remain at 100%. If I have to address them even one time, they can only earn a 90% for the Time Management component on the grading rubric. If I have to address them 3x during a project this will drop even more. I still note off-task behavior on my seating chart and enter deductions at the end of the period as they clean up. This new method does seem to be having a positive impact and is holding them accountable.
I also now have an area in my room for students to store and charge their cell phones away from their desks. That too seems to work well with other teachers.
Follow up: I got a good question from T.H. on Facebook: " Where does the studio habits grade fit into the percentages you list at the end?"
Answer: In my grade book program, PowerSchool, I have "Project 1 S.H." (S.H. = Studio Habits) where everyone gets 100% on the first day of the project. (This can be weighted or unweighted) Next in my grade book I have "Project 1 Assessment." This is the grade for the whole project with my rubric, and I use the "Project 1 S.H." grade to help me fill out the Time Management component of my rubric.
If "Studio Habits" is weighted, then the project is getting 2 grades essentially for the on-task or off-task behavior. This is where having an unweighted Studio Habits grade might be a good idea.
I let parents know to watch this studio habits grade because it is an early indication of a potential problem or a poor grade.
TIP: Put a piece of overhead plastic on your seating chart. This is how I do attendance with a marker on the plastic. I note participation problems, make notes if a students was called to the office or nurse, note the time a student left for the bathroom, I even do grades and check assignments on the seating chart as I walk around. This way, when I have time on my computer, I can add that info into my gradebook.
I do not grade each student's participation daily, BUT if I see a problem, then I add it in. So for me, it's only a problem when it's a problem. This means I do not have to focus on participation ALL the time, just when a kid decides to chat all period or hide their phone under their desk. I don't get angry, I remind them to stay on task, note it, and add it later. When that grade drops below 85% I send an email home and to guidance. This way I have a paper trail that I have noted problems before they were too big to address.
Sometimes though, participation is an issue of confidence. Some students think, or have been told, they are not "good at art." My my mantra to those students, and my whole class really is, "If you try, you cannot fail!" I have never had a student fail when they got 100% in participation, NEVER.
Another line I throw at them is: "Even if your self portrait looks like an alien pickel, if it's neat, complete, original, you followed directions, and you stayed on task, it will not fail. It might even get an "A"!"
TIP: Put a piece of overhead plastic on your seating chart. This is how I do attendance with a marker on the plastic. I note participation problems, make notes if a students was called to the office or nurse, note the time a student left for the bathroom, I even do grades and check assignments on the seating chart as I walk around. This way, when I have time on my computer, I can add that info into my gradebook.
I do not grade each student's participation daily, BUT if I see a problem, then I add it in. So for me, it's only a problem when it's a problem. This means I do not have to focus on participation ALL the time, just when a kid decides to chat all period or hide their phone under their desk. I don't get angry, I remind them to stay on task, note it, and add it later. When that grade drops below 85% I send an email home and to guidance. This way I have a paper trail that I have noted problems before they were too big to address.
Sometimes though, participation is an issue of confidence. Some students think, or have been told, they are not "good at art." My my mantra to those students, and my whole class really is, "If you try, you cannot fail!" I have never had a student fail when they got 100% in participation, NEVER.
Another line I throw at them is: "Even if your self portrait looks like an alien pickel, if it's neat, complete, original, you followed directions, and you stayed on task, it will not fail. It might even get an "A"!"
Pickle Godzilla by Droidguy1119
I find this helpful when having a discussion about the levels of participation I am getting from my high school students. It's based on Schlechty's Levels of Engagement. Feel free to use this one with attribution or if you'd like the poster, just click on the image.
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