A guide for self-reflection on grades

 A guide for self-reflection on grades

Check your grades

Are you able to see your grade in Sakai?  If you can, notice how for my class Sakai breaks your grade into categories.  And  it calculates your overall grade.  Note that some professors may have different settings for their gradebook.

Participation

Participation is 20% of your overall grade.  But at midterms we have roughly half of that grade left.  If your participation grade is lower than you'd like, consider:

Are you showing up to class?  If not, why not? Have you communicated with your professor about it?  

If you are showing up, are you on time? Are you giving good nonverbal feedback like: looking up, using nonverbal communication like nodding, using facial expressions that indicate you are attuned to the lesson?  Are you answering questions in class and raising your hand to comment? 

Midterm Assessment

The first midterm assessment (unit 1) is worth 15% of your overall grade.  

If you are showing up and doing the lessons, but your midterm assessment was low, a few things to consider:

Reflect on the structures around you and your biological needs:

• Are you getting enough to eat?  
• Are you getting quality food to eat, especially fresh and less processed foods? 
• Are you drinking enough water? 
• Are you getting enough sleep?
• Are you getting to class with enough time to get situated and into the right mindset for learning?  In my class, you can use the bell as a way to focus. 

Reflect on how you process the lessons.  

• Are you limiting distractions and not multitasking? If not, consider limiting where the distractions are from - put away digital devices, keep apps/tabs closed, maybe use pen and paper, or maybe consider changing where you sit.
• Are you not just listening to the lesson, but thinking about what the overall lesson is - what are the key ideas that we are learning?  If not, look for clues about what is most important for each lesson - use the syllabus as a guide as well as what is written on the board, or in my case the blog.  Note that I try to include key questions on the blog page and then I try to give students a preview of the lesson at the start.
• When we do activities in class like thinking about something, writing, or sharing with other students, are you actively doing it?  Are you also thinking about how that activity relates back to the lesson?
• Try to take some time to process the lesson outside of class before the next class. So, even if no homework is assigned, your homework should be to go over the lesson and process it again.  The best way to process it is to try and explain it to someone or pretend you are teaching it.  Make a note of questions you have as you do this and you can ask them the next class.  Also, for my class, most lessons have a way of applying the lesson to your own life.  Even if we don't get a chance to discuss this, you should do it on your own.  Note that in my class this will be what the final essay requires from you too, it is all in preparation for that.

Lastly, note that in my class, I give students the opportunity to do a qualitative essay if students are unsatisfied with the quantitative assessment.  If you want to raise your grade, take advantage of that on the next two midterm assessments.