4 Grading Hacks You Need To Use!

These GRADING HACKS will help you survive the task of quickly and effectively evaluating student work.

We all know the harrowing task of evaluating student work during the school year, and even moreso at the end of it.

We’ve enjoyed the lesson planning and the lesson itself. You’ve reached students that normally do not engage in class, you’ve seen some students’ little lightbulb above their heads turn on during your lesson, your admin has walked in and loved your insightful, student-engaging lesson, but now what?

Grading.

Now, we have to grade the lesson and the mountainous parts or long essay you’ve assigned. Well, here are 4 hacks to make you an even more efficient grader and free up some more of your time to enjoy your life and your students.

1. ASSIGN GROUP PROJECTS –

We all know at some point students will need to show what they know individually, whether digitally or on paper. However, during the other points of the year, do not ignore the value of group assignments.

Having students work in groups adds value to a content area because students will remember when they worked in that group, students work on socialization and communication skills, students work together or realize who does not work well in groups, students recognize how much lighter their load is once a group assignment is given.

What do group projects look like? These may be in the form of PowerPoint presentations, chart paper posters, Individual writings compiled as a group, or an oral presentation of a chapter or concept – the possibilities are endless.

2. GRADING AT CHECKPOINTS –

Break up large projects into parts. Check those parts at individual parts of the year/semester. This allows less stress for you. After you’ve graded the individual part, the students compile the smaller parts to make a cohesive project, but you just have the overall completed part left to grade. You’ve already done the smaller segments, so not too much thinking required at the end. Easy peasy!

GRADING BONUS HACK!

Print up your roster for each class, grab your pen and your clipboard! Now, walk around as students work and be prepared to grade.

As you assist in comprehension of the parts of an assignment, as you clarify instructions, as you see how well groups are working, make notes or input grades by student names on the rosters, as you walk around the room. I’ve used this strategy so many times, it has been such a saving grace.

After I’ve observed students completing work and assigned a grade on the roster,

My STANDING PARTIES are great examples of these. Check out the video below.

3. USE SYMBOLS –

Now, for this grading hack, you’ll have had to train your students from the beginning, but it does truly pay off.

In my classes, when students do smaller writing assignments for me, I use typical ELA writing symbols for corrective purposes and then go over them with students. Symbols like a check mark, bullets (suspended full stops/periods, the paragraph symbol, arrows, I circle misspelt parts of words, quotation marks, etc.

Students become familiar with these symbols, so when they get larger writing assignments like essays or research papers and projects, students are already aware of what needs to be done.

Revisions become easy, and when students have to resubmit, you can just check what the original problems were – instead of the entire essay, research paper, math problem, or science experiment. Now, grading is easy peasy! No Re-Reading Required!

4. PARTNER UP –

Pair students up to complete tasks. You may do this organically or you choose their partners.

With that said, students may complete larger works through the individually parts. They can proof each other’s writings, discuss topics, review materials, study concepts, read passages, check answers, so it becomes less harrowing for you – the teacher.

Provide a rubric or time frame or instruction to give students guidance on what is expected and when. This guides their partnered assignment.

Sometimes, I even give grades for the partnering, especially if a discussion was expected. Again, easy stuff.

Yes, these 4 GRADING HACKS have made my life as 20 year language arts teacher easier. Once again, even though at times, you may have to buckle down and read multiple parts Introductions of essays in order to give feedback, or check multiple surveys to make sure students understand the assignment, know that using these hacks will definitely lighten you load.