Science Education Idea Exchange

Early on, I developed a system that worked well for me to keep track of grades and keep students honest. Set-up: I would have a paper copy of a grade book. It doesn't need to be fancy. Just a list of students and places to name the assignments. As you write down the assignments, it is helpful to note when it was assigned and when it was due. That way, if a student is absent, you can figure out their new date with relative ease. You can take it with you as you look over student assignments for a quick reference. And, if the online grade book ever crashes, you have a backup. (I even found it handy if students changed one class period to another. Sometimes their grades would not transfer.)  Absent students: Make a little dot in a corner of their box to indicate they were absent when the assignment was collected.  I know some teachers mark it as missing in the grade book, but I have found that creates more stress for the parent/student and the teacher as a result. If there is a n...

 I must be in an organization mood because I wanted to write another strategy that I use to keep my classroom organized: file folders! I discovered early on that the simpler you keep things, the better. I labeled folders for every class period (and would place them in separate parts of the room to prevent students from turning in papers to the wrong class). I have never separated late work, missing work, and on-time work. I'm a bit too type A for my grading not to get done as soon as possible.  Photo by  Maksym Kaharlytskyi  on  Unsplash Benefits of this system: 1. I rarely was accused of losing papers because students placed it in the folder and I would grade them from the folder. (When things were done being graded, I had magazine holders for each class period to pass back at the beginning of the next class period.) 2. Students had an easy place to turn papers in. 3. Students were given a little more privacy on what they handed in versus a bin. 4. I could take...