I use a flexible system that gives you control over the grade you earn in this class. My goal is to change your view of grading, at least as it relates to the act of learning and practicing skills. Your grade in this course will reflect how diligently you complete assigned tasks, both in and out of class, on time. Through practice, your skills will improve. Please read the Grading Contract for this course.
You'll rehearse grammar skills through homework and workshops, and them demonstrate those skills on exams. You will also take reading notes on reading assignments. Timely and accurate completion of all assignments can earn you the default grade of a "B" for the course. If you turn in assignments either late or incomplete, I will mark them as such. As explained on the Grading Contract, there is direct relationship between timely completion of assignments and course grade. This includes assignments done in class as well as out of class.
I will still grade each individual assignment as feedback for improvement (and to keep track of achievement for the "A"). For details, please see the Grading Contract.
Below is a list of tasks you will do this semester. Remember, assignments turned in late or incomplete will still receive grades, but they will marked as late or incomplete for course grading purposes:
Please always feel free to ask me how things work. The Grading Contract might be a little unfamiliar, but it is designed to help you earn the grade you want.
You can gain full credit on an assignment by (a) meeting deadlines and content/length requirements for assignments and (b) participating in classroom activities designed around completion of these assignments. Why? Most students want a course grade to reflect their effort in a course; this approach to grading rewards effort, the labor that you put into completing tasks on time.
