Thread by @KarenCampe

@mathillustrated @giohio @khuangedu @dborkovitz My system when I was in classroom was: every test/quiz/lab activity worth certain amount of points. Quizzes 10-30, Tests 50-100, Labs 20-50. Add up all points & divide. Must show work.
Homework complete/incomplete/not done. Then hwk moved the average up or down +2 or - 5 points.

@mathillustrated @giohio @khuangedu @dborkovitz The reason for the +2 to -5 range was that doing your homework already helped your average be as good as it could be. Doing it all the time, get a boost. Missing it all the time, take away.
Other systems for hwk seemed unfair (if worth 100 pts, S w/90 would +3, S w/70 +10 etc)

@mathillustrated @giohio @khuangedu @dborkovitz This way, every S got same impact for doing/not doing hwk.
Lab activities meant that not all of the grade dependent on timed "high stakes" assessments. Ss w/test anxiety could demonstrate their knowledge in another way. Usually had 1 every week or two.

@mathillustrated @giohio @khuangedu @dborkovitz Also, the reason I got away from "tests 50%, quizzes 30%" is some quarters I had only 2 tests. So each Q on test/quiz worth whatever the math warrants (1 -10 pts). Thus every "question" throughout quarter similar weighting, doesn't matter if it is on a "test" or "quiz"

@mathillustrated @giohio @khuangedu @dborkovitz As for "class participation" or "notebooks" those seem to be ways to bring grades up for Ss & work for me. If I valued notebooks/taking notes in a class, would grade as a lab.
Some classes we might do a portfolio as a way to summarize, consolidate, reflect on learning.

@mathillustrated @giohio @khuangedu @dborkovitz MOST IMPORTANT things:
Be prompt returning graded items.
Be transparent about grading system.
Keep Ss informed of current grade & progress.
-->Gives Ss agency over their performance & grade they have earned.

@mathillustrated @giohio @khuangedu @dborkovitz And by the way, (this is a whole diff discussion), I didn't generally give retakes or points back for test corrections.
My experience was if Ss expected retakes, they didn't always take responsibility for being prepared in the first place.

@mathillustrated @giohio @khuangedu @dborkovitz There were some times when everyone bombed an assessment. That is on me as a teacher, usually. We would reteach/review/reflect and then take a second version that was averaged with the first.
I wanted to send message that first grade doesn't go away.

@mathillustrated @giohio @khuangedu @dborkovitz ALSO, almost forgot about extra credit/bonus questions.
When a good opportunity arose, would put a bonus Q or give extra cred for optional part of a lab. These points didn't get added in as bonus to the original pool of points. They accumulated in a "bonus quiz" for each S.

@mathillustrated @giohio @khuangedu @dborkovitz If bonus worth 5, you got 5/5 in your bonus quiz. By end of quarter, Ss had bonus quizzes anywhere from 1/1 to 35/35. Some had none.
These bonuses didn't fill holes of points lost elsewhere, but helped boost your average on the margins.

@mathillustrated @giohio @khuangedu @dborkovitz And... everything was graded based on showing your mathematical thinking (show your work).
If good work, but wrong answer, 4/5 pts. If right answer w/out supporting work, only 1-2 pts.
Any mistake that was carried through w/out new mistake, no new deductions (like AP)

@mathillustrated @giohio @khuangedu @dborkovitz & LAST comment... this system honed over several years & worked for me & my Ss.
*Each T should do what works for them.*

Be honest w/Ss if you decide to change it up & why.

"What gets graded is what gets valued" (Linda Wilson, MT 1994) to a large extent, for better or worse.

@mathillustrated @giohio @khuangedu @dborkovitz And PS that was high school math. Middle school and some 8th grade classes have different considerations; I did those a bit differently when I taught them.