WGU’s Classroom Tip of the Month

How to Increase Student Participation

Defining Participation

What is Classroom Participation?If an immediate answer popped in your head…good for you! You are definitely in the minority. For the majority of teachers this topic is always one for contention.

• Should participation be a part of a student’s grade? • Should the teacher grade it objectively or should he/she have documentation to support the students’ scores? • Is it enough for the student to just raise his/her hand? • What if the student is shy, yet knows the material? • Should poor social/public speaking skills be penalized?• If the student isn’t participating, how do I know he/she understands the material?

I recommend you pause the presentation at this point and self-reflect on the questions above before moving on……

What does Participation look like?Post reflection, you may have thought of one or more of the following:

•The student is on time and has his/her necessary class materials.

•The student actively raises his /her hand and participates in class.

•The student is respectful of his/her classmates and of me.

• The student completes all his/her homework assignments.

How do I encourage participation?Now that you have thought about your approach to participation, it is important that you recognize your responsibility to your students before you consider issuing a grade in this area:

• Have you created a safe environment where students aren’t afraid to participate and share their ideas?

• Do you ask good questions (think Bloom’s Taxonomy) that require thought, not just factual recall?

How do I encourage participation? (cont.)•Have you considered cultural attitudes toward teachers that might affect the way some students respond to you?

•Have you created (and enforced) class rules that let all students know you are a student advocate and that all student contributions are valued and appreciated?

•Do you correct students’ incorrect responses with dignity or do you inadvertently move on to the “one you can count on” to give you the right answer?

How do I encourage participation? (cont.)

•Have you developed a fair, consistent participation policy?

•Have you posted it in your classroom?

•Is it in your syllabus or class rules?

•Have you created opportunities for all students to contribute by using differentiated instruction in your lesson plans?

The good and bad news is that there is no right or wrong answer to these questions/statements. Each teacher must individually decide what is fair for their students, keeping their content area in mind. For example, a foreign language teacher will place more emphasis on verbal participation than perhaps, a reading teacher. It is important that you feel comfortable with whatever system you develop and that you are consistent when using it. Lastly, make sure you read your school participation policy, if one exists.

Participation Strategies

Participation Strategies•Know your students’ names for personalized attention.

•Make eye contact with them to validate their responses.

•Ask for new hands! This might sound silly and simple, but sometimes it does work. Some students are used to remaining silent because they know other students will raise their hand and they’ll answer. Simply inviting students to participate just might do the trick.

Participation Strategies (cont.)• Allow enough wait time after asking a question. Give students enough time to process the question and prepare a response before you expect them to answer.

•Create pair/share activities where students work with one other person to share their thoughts, written work or ideas. Working with one person is much less intimidating to shy students who are afraid of public speaking.

Participation Alternatives

Participation Alternatives• Create a post-it note wall/bulletin board. Students who are afraid to raise their hand during class can put their question up on the wall as they leave class . You collect the post it notes and make sure you answer their question in tomorrow’s class period.

•Provide class discussion questions in advance. Students can take the material home, work on their responses and be prepared to participate in tomorrow’s lesson.

Participation Motivators

Participation Motivators•Talk with quiet students privately and encourage them to participate more. Encourage them to start out raising their hand once per class. Praise their efforts.

•Work the room during group work and provide encouragement to silent students as you “eavesdrop”.

•When students are engaged in partner/group work, alternate students in the “recorder/spokesperson” role so all students become comfortable with their classmates.

Participation Motivators (cont.)•Promote a monthly “Participation Award” and have the prize be something worthwhile. (i.e. free lunch in the cafeteria, gift certificates to local food establishments, free homework pass, etc.) Be creative and involve local businesses in your plans. Some will give you free coupons that you can award to your students. Most students will be motivated just by a free homework pass, so use that to your advantage!

Participation Motivators (cont.)

Cold Calling Ideas:• Buy a bag of popsicle sticks at your local craft store.

Put each student’s name on a stick and put them name side down in a small bucket/pail. Pull a stick out for each question you ask and call on that student. Place “used” popsicle sticks back in the pail upside down at the end of the class, so you know who got their turn today and whose turn it is tomorrow.

•Assign each student a number at the beginning of the year. Make sure they use that number for everything: labeling their papers, their textbooks, their homework, etc. Make a group of numbers cards (i.e. 1 through 35) and randomly pull out numbers to call on students. If I call your number, it’s your turn to answer.

Cold Calling Ideas:

Participation Problems

Potential Participation Problems:•Require students to raise their hand. Do not allow shout outs from students without consequences.

•Make sure you continue to call on the over achiever. Even if his/her hand is up for every question, make sure you don’t ignore them. Likewise, don’t call on them for every question, either.

Potential Participation Problems: (cont.)•Correct inappropriate comments/ridiculing immediately. If a student cannot answer your question after you’ve called on him/her and another student makes a comment about his inability to do so, you must take immediate action. Remind the students that it is safe to make a mistake in this class and that all contributions are valued and appreciated. Require the student to make a public apology to the offended student. If you don’t handle this situation immediately, the embarrassed student will never feel safe to participate in your classroom, again.

Grading Participation

Participation Grading Ideas:•Do a random book/materials check. Award students points for having their materials and supplies. Likewise, offer some extra credit opportunities that month so students who lost those points have the chance to make them up.

•Attach a transparency to your seating chart each month. Each time a student participates in class, make a check mark. Assuming each month has an average of 20 school days, make your participation grade 20 points for that month and assign each student their grade (the amount of checkmarks on the seating chart).

•If you have any comments or questions about this presentation, please contact Marcella Ryan, WGU TC Alumni Mentor, at mryan1@wgu.edu

•Please visit our WGU Teacher Blog and share your tips and ideas at www.alumni.wgu.edu. Click on “Teachers College” and then choose “Teacher Blog” to post your ideas.

Questions or Comments: