Allow a "Free Pass" on an Assignment
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Allow a "Free Pass" on an Assignment
All students, particularly those who are often stressed about grades or time management
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Giving students a "free pass" or "throwing out" an assignment can reduce stress, increase self-awareness, and strengthen the trust between teachers and students. -
Announce at the beginning of the semester that every student has one free pass to skip, throw out, or take an extension on a quiz, test or paper.
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Be specific on the parameters. There might be exams or papers you want to exempt. Since part of the goal is to increase student self-management, you want to avoid surprising students that a task they planned to skip or delay is exempt.
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Encourage students to use this opportunity to plan ahead. Have them review their other classes, game schedule, etc. and consider when they are likely to simply have too much to do and will need a pass.
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Reflect with the class at the end of the semester. Who made good choices and found the free pass helpful? Who never used it? Who would have used it differently if they could? How might this help them plan their schedule in future classes?
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You might want to do this as a less formal process. When a hard-working student comes to you with high levels of stress, consider if you can give them an extension. Use it as a teaching moment. Did they fail to plan ahead or are they in a legitimately unavoidable situation? What could they do differently next time? How important is the grade? Can they still get the final grade they want even if they do not do well? Can they make appropriate trade-offs? Are they more prepared than they realize? Of course, teachers might need to balance what could seem to students as arbitrary or unfair decisions.