I’m not sure whether to use a total points (unweighted system) or weighted grades system for my 7th grade math class. I assign homework every night, will give tests once a week or every other week, (some other misc. assignments), and have them keep a math vocab notebook. My 3 categories would be CW/HW, Assessments, and Participation. My main concern is that I don’t want one category to totally make or kill their grades. If they do all of their HW, but aren’t good test takers, I don’t want them to fail or get a low D. Opinions, advice?
Thanks, everyone, for your great input! It helped. I’m going to use total points…I figured out a way to make it equitable and accurate.
Well, I’m no teacher, but I am a high school honor student. In my opinion, you should use a total points system. It gives students a chance to work hard. My English teacher uses this system. It helps students in a way because if they do all of their homework, but didn’t score so well on tests, then they would at least pass with a C. Weighed systems tend to confuse the students when progress reports come out, and adding extra credit would be just a pain. My junior high teacher uses the weighed system and her desk was just packed with parents’ letters of complaint. Using an unweighted system not only helps the student, but also makes the job for the teacher much easier. I hope this helped you resolve your question.
February 24th, 2010 at 12:41 am
I used to always weight grades because I didn’t want their grades to be inflated by homework. In a math class, if a students doesn’t pass any tests, shouldn’t they fail? Because let’s be honest, most teachers grade homework mainly for completion. Regardless of your reason for weighting, if you want students to be able to figure out their grades, or if you’re working in a neighborhood where parents are really vocal, weights can really be confusing. It’s amazing how many people can’t do or understand percentages and weights! Because of that, I recently switched to just figuring the grade out of total points.
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February 24th, 2010 at 12:59 am
Well, I’m no teacher, but I am a high school honor student. In my opinion, you should use a total points system. It gives students a chance to work hard. My English teacher uses this system. It helps students in a way because if they do all of their homework, but didn’t score so well on tests, then they would at least pass with a C. Weighed systems tend to confuse the students when progress reports come out, and adding extra credit would be just a pain. My junior high teacher uses the weighed system and her desk was just packed with parents’ letters of complaint. Using an unweighted system not only helps the student, but also makes the job for the teacher much easier. I hope this helped you resolve your question.
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February 24th, 2010 at 1:11 am
I teach upper elementary. I do not weight assignments in general. I give equal weight to tests, homework, classwork etc. To ensure that students are showing mastery I do three things:
1. I give unit tests which I do weight by counting them twice on report cards.
2. When I give a test and a student fails, I work with them separately and give a new test that covers the same material.
3. I give student projects that include activities where students must demonstrate knowledge of the objectives I choose.
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February 24th, 2010 at 1:31 am
As a sixth grade math teacher I do weight grades. I don’t make it so they fail if they don’t pass their tests but I want my students to also realize that tests are important. I weight 60% tests and quizzes and 40% homework / participation. I feel this is the best way to get a balance of their work. I have some students who hate doing homework but can ace a test. I have some students who work hard on their homework but struggle on tests. I just want to give them all a chance to succeed. Good luck with whatever you choose!
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February 24th, 2010 at 2:07 am
Participation’s always been a grey area for me. Most sources I’ve seen say don’t do it, but now I teach Spanish, so it is essential that my students practice speaking. In a math class, I’m not 100% convinced that’s a necesary category.
As far as unweighted so the hard workers can still pass with decent grades, it depends on how you check homework. Is it just completion or accuracy? Accuracy will take a long time to grade, but if you base it on completion, allowing them to squeak by by just appearing to try is not doing them or their later teachers any favors.
Personally, I have been happier when homework counted less, but then I also had quizzes separate from tests, and sometimes those were project-y type things. I know my Algebra teacher had us do some creative things with number sets in visual form, and I’d wager there are more math-y projects out there if you’re worried about people test anxiety.
I would go with weighted, I think.
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February 24th, 2010 at 2:38 am
I teach middle school Spanish and I weigh my grades. Tests/Essays are 30% Quizzes 35% homework 20% class participation 15%
My students know this and we discuss ways to improve grades- for example, I give at least one vocabulary quiz per week, so by studying for these simple quizzes, it helps with their grades. Also by always doing homework, they’re assured a decent grade.
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