A Primer on Class Participation

Participation doesn’t have to mean policing your classroom. This post defines what participation is and is not, landing on “the interpersonal and informal parts of studying that make learning stick and feel good.”

This post offers specific practices that will get your students excited about participating in class. Many of these ideas can be implemented in addition to—or instead of—traditional methods for grading participation.

Meaningful icebreakers can help students see the value of participation and signal that you value their individual strengths and abilities. Here are two prompts that will help you get to know your students and set you up to promote a growth mindset on the first day of class.