New teachers often wonder how they’re supposed to do all of the things involved in teaching within a limited amount of time. It’s like packing for a ski trip with only carry-on luggage – you can try to shove everything into that small compartment, but eventually, your snowsuit is going to bust everything open. As […]
Assessment and Grading
How to conquer assignment grading and take back your weekends
So we need to talk…about grading. You’re thinking, AGAIN? Didn’t you tell me how to grade less while improving student outcomes, and then how to attack that pile of grading? I sure did! But in the past month or so I discovered yet another amazing tool that has cut down the amount of time I spend […]
Here’s an effective way to get organized and tackle that pile of grading
Raise your hand if you have a pile of assignments that still need grading. Raise your hand if that pile is giving you anxiety. Perfect, let’s tackle this head on. Commit to being organized I’m sure you’ve learned or know about time management, but are you actually implementing it? We get so caught up in […]
How to grade LESS while improving student outcomes
Whenever someone learn that I’m a teacher, I get asked about the endless stream of grading. I also get looks of pity whenever I tell someone what grade level I teach (Oh wow!), and then the subject (Oh you poor thing!). It’s common knowledge that when you sign up to be a teacher (especially an […]
Your feedback to your students isn’t working…here’s how to fix it.
Have you ever labored over grading assignments, and find that your students keep making the same mistakes every time, even after you reteach it? Do you take the time to write thoughtful feedback, only to learn that your students never read any of it? Are you able to identify where students are struggling, but feel […]
Grading your gradebook: reconsidering grading methods to improve student outcomes
For many teachers, summer has commenced, while for others such as myself, the beginning of a school year is right around the corner. I’ve seen so many teachers on various social media sites using their summer to plan for new and exciting things they want to do the next school year – new labels, bulletin […]
How to give comprehensive and fast feedback
In the past, I’ve tried using screen casting as a way to give feedback. However, it was very labor-intensive, however, I was able to personalize my feedback by recording myself commenting out loud on every student’s essay in one of my class periods. For my other classes, I decided to try out a different but […]
Maximize the effectiveness of your educational technology to promote learning
I clearly remember all of my amazing plans when my students first received their iPads. They were all going to use Evernote to keep digital binders, use a PDF annotator to complete worksheets, and do all of their writing on the iPad. I was going to try to use the iPad to do EVERYTHING in […]
