I never thought I’d be writing a blog post about grading student work. It’s just one of those tasks that teachers have to do. But the truth is, there are ways to make the mundane feel almost new again. These are 3 things I have done to make grading *kinda* fun.
Fresh Pens
I mean, I know it sounds simple. But how many times have you been using a correcting pen and it is just barely making a mark? Throw those suckers out! Whether you are able to get your pens from the staff room or have to buy them for yourself, you deserve a set of pens that you enjoy using. And a pen does not have to break the bank in order to be a good quality.
Flair pens are reasonably priced and can often be found on sale.
And although I haven’t tried them yet, I love Crayola products and have my eye on these Take Note! pens.
Stickers
Now, the stickers you choose will depend on your grade level, but there are SO MANY cute options out there these days. I remember being obsessed with Lisa Frank stickers in elementary school (I realize I’m showing my age), and I have found that students are more likely to pay attention to their graded work when they are also looking to see what sticker they got.
Think stickers are just for little kids? Think again. Check out these meme-stickers – perfect for middle school and upper elementary!
Who doesn’t love a sassy animal sticker?
And, because I love a good pun, I think these would be perfect for elementary school!
Involve Students
Involve the kids as much as possible. There are some assignments that require teacher eyes, but so many things we assign are simply for practice. Find a 10 minute chunk of time each day to do some whole-class correcting. And honestly, trading papers to correct isn’t necessary. Students learn more about their mistakes by looking at their own work as it’s being corrected. And they can celebrate their accomplishments in real time, which is often more powerful that seeing a grade on an assignment from last week. The win for you? Less papers in your grading pile!
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