Are you preparing to teach a yoga course in a high school or college setting? Awesome! Maybe you’re just considering the possibility of offering a yoga elective at your school. Either way, you might be wondering how to grade your students.
I know it seems a little weird. Certainly, grading and yoga don’t usually go hand in hand…but the thing is, if you need a way to grade your yoga students in order for them to earn course credit, I can help.
I teach a high school yoga elective, and my students can choose take yoga instead of traditional PE. However, in order for them to earn the PE credit, I have to give them a grade. At first I wasn’t sure how to approach this. I wanted to bring yoga to my school to help students deal with stress and anxiety. I wanted to teach teens to be more mindful in their everyday lives. I was concerned that grading would take the yoga-ness out of the class and possibly create another source of stress for students who were already overwhelmed.
After some consideration, I developed a way to grade my students that didn’t feel judgemental or stress-inducing. I’m not talking about grading students on their abilities. I’m talking about evaluating overall effort, improvement, and dedication to the practice of yoga. I’ve created a simple rubric that encourages students to accept where they are and embrace a journey of progress, not perfection.
Weekly Yoga Participation Rubric
| Category | 4 (100) | 3 (85) | 2 (65) | 1 (50) |
| The student is present, on time, and prepared with proper yoga attire | Always | Usually | Sometimes | Never |
| The student follows yoga etiquette and is respectful to classmates and the teacher | Always | Usually | Sometimes | Never |
| The student makes a considerable effort to practice all poses in a way that feels safe for his/her body | Always | Usually | Sometimes | Never |
| The student makes an effort to learn the names of poses and the sequence | Always | Usually | Sometimes | Never |
| The student responds to the teacher’s cues and makes adjustments | Always | Usually | Sometimes | Never |
I use this rubric to give students a weekly progress grade. I also have a Quarterly Progress Rubric available. If you are interested in the Quarterly Progress Rubric or more yoga grading resources, such as my course outline, please leave a comment below. I’d love to help!
