Grading Discussions

After the bell rang, I stayed slouched in my chair, frustrated. Another class discussion had fallen flat. Superficial comments, long pauses, students distracted or silent. I opened my gradebook and marked who was present, but the process felt ridiculous. Why was I giving credit to a student who practically slept through the whole discussion? I started to wonder if a shift to competence-based grading, which emphasizes mastery of specific skills, would motivate students to take the discussions more seriously. This shift would also better align my grading with my values: participation shouldn’t just mean showing up, but actually engaging with the conversation. 

But I hesitated. I’ve always avoided grading discussions based on performance because of how anxious it can make some students. I’ve seen them freeze up when we move into a circle. And so many students tell me they hate feeling put on the spot. I remember that feeling, too – I was quiet in high school, afraid of sounding wrong or off-base. Still, I couldn’t keep assigning credit just for being in the room. Something had to change without punishing the students who are nervous or introverted.