Spanish

Participation Points System

Student Goal: Receive a five out of five (5/5) for each week in participation points by participating at leasttwo (2) times every class period (hopefully on the three days Sra. Henriqueschooses to grade).

How to achieve this:

  1. RAISE YOUR HAND constantly throughout the class period every day.
  2. Concentrate while doing speaking activities in class so you can RAISE YOUR HAND to participate.
  3. RAISE YOUR HAND to offer an answer when we are reviewing homework, even if you’re not sure.
  4. Avoid social distractions from others so you can RAISE YOUR HAND.
  5. Daily preparation (w/ materials & intellectually) includes print out of study calendar on webpage

Ways Srta. Vazquez will facilitate participation opportunities:

  1. Use name randomizer app to call on people in the class for them to PARTICIPATE.
  2. Call on as many people as possible who want to PARTICIPATE.
  3. Sometimes use partner speaking activities as PARTICIPATION points for those SPEAKING SPANISH.
  4. Choose three days of the week that the most people PARTICIPATED to use as the grading days.
  5. Give people daily points for giving a BEST effort to PARTICIPATE even if their answer is incorrect.

Grading Breakdown:

A.)Srta. Henriques counts the daily totals of each student every day.

B.)Srta. Henriques picks three (3) out of five (5) days of the week to grade.

C.)Srta. Henriques counts the weekly totals of those days for each student.

D.)Students receive a weekly participation grade using this calculation:

5/5 = 8 or more weekly total points

4/5= 6-7 weekly total points

3/5= 4-5weekly total points

2/5= 2-3 weekly total points

1/5= 0-1 weekly total points

Example of Participation tracking:

Name / Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday
Steven E. / III / II / IIII / III / IIIII
Sally M. / I / II / I / II

Days Sra. Henriques chooses to grade: Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Student Daily Participation Breakdown:

Steven E.: Monday-3; Wednesday- 4; Friday-5

Steven Spanish Total: 12 participation points

  • Steven Spanish’s Participation total grade: 5/5

Sally M.: Monday-1; Wednesday- 2; Friday-2

Sally Spanish’s Total: 5 participation points

  • Sally Spanish’s Participation total grade: 3/5

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

  1. Why are we doing this participation system?

Spanish is a method of COMMUNICATION. There is no point in being in a Spanish class if you can’t use it to communicate thoughts and ideas to others. Also, class participation is definitely expected in ALL high school classes, even if they aren’t a world language. This is good practice for you.

  1. What happens if I am absent or have a band lesson?

You will get a TE (teacher excused) for the day. If you are out for two or more of the days Srta. Vazquez chooses you will get a TE for the week and the points will not count for or against you. If Srta. Vazquezchooses only one of the days you missed to grade, you will be graded on the same system as the rest of the students so you’ll need to participate numerous times during the week.

  1. What if I raise my hand but Srta. Vazquezdoesn’t call on me?

Srta. Vazquezwill be calling on as many students as possible during the class periods and she will also use the pop-sickle sticks to ensure everyone has an equal chance. The more you raise your hand, the higher your chances are of being picked, therefore the more points you can possibly get. Please refer for the Ways Srta. Vazquezwill facilitate participation opportunities information above for more details.

Also, if Srta. Vazquezisn’t calling on you, it may mean that you already have enough points for the class day to probably receive a 5/5 for the week (if you also participated other days just as much, of course.)

  1. Will this participation system hurt or help my grade? Can it make me fail for the marking period?

That depends on you. The system is designed so it won’t make someone fail without other detracting factors coming into play as well (homework completion, assessments, etc.) If you participate often, it can only help. If you don’t participate, it will hurt your grade, but it won’t be the sole factor in making you fail. However, it could be the difference between a letter grade (example: A- to a B+)

  1. What if I am called on but get the answer wrong?

It depends on the activity we are doing and the effort you put towards your answer. If we are doing a speaking activity that other students have already participated (you should be listening), then it is expected for you to perform correctly. However, if you do get it wrong and you make an effort to correct it, you can still get the point. Bottom line- if you’re an active learner and you’re paying attention to what’s going on, you should be able to attempt and correctly perform the activity.

If we’re reviewing answers to an activity, your participation is all that is required whether or not you are correct. Of course, you should always be making corrections on your work.

  1. What can I do to get good participation grades?

Please refer to the How to achieve this information abovefor more details.

  1. Should I wait until the end of the week to start participating?

Not a good idea. You won’t know which days Srta. Vazquezchooses until you see your grade on Home Access Center at the end of the week, so she may not choose days at the end of the week. However, if that’s a chance you want to take, that’s your choice.

  1. Can I see my participation points after every class period?

No. You will need to participate every day as much as you can. You will see your final weekly grades on Home Access Center at the end of every week.

  1. Can I ask during class “Did that count for a participation point?”

Absolutely not. That is distracting to Srta. Vazquez, to the rest of the class, and to you. If you’re not sure, put your hand back up and keep trying! If you ask this, a point will be taken away from you.

  1. Can I ask during class “Is this being used for participation points?”

Absolutely not. That is distracting to Srta. Vazquezto the rest of the class, and to you. If you’re not sure, put your hand back up and keep trying! You should be giving your best effort to participate during every activitiy no matter whether it is counted or not. If you ask this, a point will be taken away from you.

  1. Can I keep track of my participation points during class?

Sure! If you want to do so, you may. However, this may be distracting to you and inhibit your ability to effectively participate during class, which will actually hurt your grade. Also, what you consider worth a participation point may not be something Srta. Vazquezconsiders a comment or question valid for a participation point. If you are an active participant in class, you will not need to keep track of every point because it will be obvious in all of your daily totals for the week.