Teachers who have attempted classroom discussions have experienced a number of scenarios and still long for the perfect constructivist discussion—one in which each student is engaged, the class directs the course of the discussion, and all students remain on the topic. In this article, find out how using graded discussions as a teaching tool can bring teachers and students close to this perfect discussion. Graded discussions help students recognize both desired and objectionable discussion behaviors by reinforcing positive ones and correcting negative ones. Students respond differently when they know they are being graded.