You may not be used to this much flexibility, but you can handle it. We may have only one or two exams for the semester, or we may have quizzes every other week. We might even decide not to have exams or quizzes and distribute the grade emphasis elsewhere. We ll make our decision during the first week. You can t participate if you re not in class, but obviously, your mere presence is not enough.
Participation is so important that there is a whole extra page explaining it.
Grading Since I have been a teacher I have been burdened with the obligation to grade students. Public speaking classes are particularly difficult for several reasons. When I grade your speaking you perceive that I am grading you as a person. Consequently a low grade on a speech is often more difficult to accept than a low grade on a physics exam. Sometimes anxiety prevents students from demonstrating their full ability.