Peel Back the Curtain and Make My
Performance Expectations Clear
“The whole idea was to peel back the curtain and remove the mystery around how students would be graded. ”
Most teachers have heard sorrowful cry of the disinterested student: “Why do I have to do this?” When students are provided with a reason for what they are doing in class they become more open to feedback and are more motivated to learn (Goodwin & Hubbell, 2013). One of the best ways to give that reason for motivation at the beginning is the use of a rubric or scale. Rubrics allow the student to understand what is expected before they start the project and keeps grading of the project consistent (Florida Center for Instructional Technology, 2018).
In general, there are three types of rubrics provided by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology (see Creating a rubric link below):
Checklists - Contain a list of specific steps that can be checked off by the teacher or student. These help students to keep on task and are useful when a task needs to be completed, but not rated.
Rating Scales - These are used when checklists are not sufficient for measuring performance. They may include terms and specific point values.
Holistic Scoring - This provides an overall score instead of separate distinct dimensions. Although they don’t give the same amount of feedback as a rating scale, they are good for when an overall score is needed.
Performance Expectation Resources
References
Florida Center for Instructional Technology. (2018). Creating a Rubric. Retrieved from http://fcit.usf.edu/assessment/performance/assessb.html
Goodwin, B., & Hubble, E. R. (2013). The 12 touchstones of good teaching: a checklist for staying focused every day. ASCD, McREL International.