PASS THE EXAM

AND PASS THE PIZZA

Julie Malsbury, MA
Michigan LAND Conference
February 11, 2016

The Usual First Day

Introduce ourselves
Go over the syllabus
Talk about writing
Have students

introduce themselves
with an icebreaker

What Are the Students Worried About?

Is there a text book?
What the heck is

reflection?
What the heck is a
portfolio?
What if I dont write
enough?

What Are the Students Worried About?

Wait, how many

essays?
Do I have to write all of
them?
Am I going to pass?

Most
importantly

Is there a
final exam?

BUT WHAT IF..

INSTEAD A OF A FINAL

THERE WAS PIZZA? ? ?

This

Becomes This

And I Go from This

To This!

BUT WHY PIZZA?

Pizza Empowers
Students dont know

writing, but they know

pizza.
This puts them in
control.
Students suggest a
local pizza place.

Pizza Promotes Participation

Students participate

simply by talking about

pizza.
Students build pizza
based communities
based on who likes
what pizza.

Pizza Solves Problems

Many schools meet for academic purposes during the

final exam.
But if there is no Exam, students dont come.
Pizza party exams have had 100% attendance.

Pizza is a Prize

Telling students they

will compile a 25-35

page portfolio is not as
exciting to them as it is
to us.
Pizza is exciting.

Pizza Gives Peace Mind

From day one,

students know they

have a pizza party at
the end of the
semester.
A pizza party is not a
real exam; Its one less
final to stress over

Pizza is Universally Loved

There is no such thing

as bad pizza.
Support local
businesses.
They usually offer

discounts or add a
coupon onto your order.
The least any one has
done is free plates and
napkins.

Pizza Cures Speech Anxiety

Students hate talking

in front of people.
Pizza creates a more
relaxed atmosphere
Creates a break in a
stressful week

Benefits
Extends the semester so

the final exam period is the

last class.
Lightens grading load since
the hard assignments are
finished.
I automatically become the
cool teacher
Every time I walk through
the hallways with piles of
pizza, students want to
know what class I teach.

BUT WHAT ARE THE

LOGISTICS?

Pizza Math
Each pizza is about $13.00

plus tax and drivers tip

(15%), totaling $15.85 per
pizza.
Each student eats an
average of 2 slices of pizza
Each student needs to give
$4.00, but I ask for $5.00
If there are 20 students, this
adds up to $100!
give change back to student
give it to the delivery driver

(extra nice during the holidays)

Collecting Money
Students learn on day

one they need $5.00.

Offset this by using
open access texts.
$5.00 for pizza is much
better than $50.00 for
a text book.
Students ask when
they pizza all semester
long.

WHAT ABOUT
ASSESSMENT?

Assessment Occurs Semester Long

There is nothing a student can do in a 2 hour exam period

that will change a grade from D to B.

They have written scaffolded assignments leading up to a research

paper
They have written essays of equal weight and revised the best for their
portfolio
They have brainstormed, drafted, discussed, revised, and reflected their
way to a 35+ page portfolio without realizing it.
70-90% of their final grade is already decided.

While Were Eating

Course

Students

Share a revision
Developmental Writing
Freshman Composition
Argumentation
Literature

Drop off portfolios

Present Visual

Arguments
Perform dramatic
interpretations

BESIDES

We Deserve Pizza Too!

Students have

endured 10-20 projects

among their classes.
We have graded,
conferences, and
reviewed hundreds of
essays, reflections,
projects.

Thank you! And Happy Valentines Day!