5 Teacher-Tested Ways To Make Grading Easier 

We all know the feeling. You’ve just finished teaching a lesson, and you know the stack of assignments on your desk is looming. It can take hours to grade each student’s paper, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But don’t worry—there are ways to make grading easier! Read on for five math teacher-tested ways to save time grading assignments. 

1. Set Clear Expectations First 

Before you even begin assigning work, it is important to set clear expectations for both the students and yourself regarding what constitutes an acceptable assignment. This should include information about what type of work needs to be included in the assignment, how long it should take, and any other key information that align to the standard that you are teaching. Setting these expectations in advance will help ensure that students submit assignments or complete tasks that meet your criteria without taking up too much time grading them. 

2. Focus On Quality Over Quantity 

Rather than spending all your time trying to grade every single assignment with perfect accuracy, focus instead on making sure that each student has received meaningful feedback about their work. Students should understand how they can improve their procedural skills and conceptual understanding with future assignments. This will also help you identify patterns of skill deficitis and learnig opportunities for students who might need additional learning activities as well as time on task. This will help you target instruction more efficiently. 

3. Give Partial Credit When Possible 

When assessing student work, try to give partial credit whenever possible rather than simply marking off points for mistakes made or nuances missed. This shows students that you recognize their effort even when they don’t get everything correct and encourages them to keep trying even if they don’t always get perfect scores or grades on their work. Furthermore, partial credit promotes student articulation because they are more apt to explain more in hopes of earning some points. Additionally, giving partial credit may also reduce the amount of time spent debating over small details when evaluating an answer sheet or essay question paper, allowing you to move on to the next one quicker!  

4. Ask Students To Self- or Peer-Assess Their Work  

Have students assess their own work before submitting it to you for evaluation. This will not only save you time, but it will also encourage students to think critically about their answers and build executive functioning skills by reflecting. This will come in handy later down the road when they are writing extended responses or preparing presentations for college courses!  Asking a peer to evaluate their work will not only build academic skills but also collaborative skills. 

5. Utilize Technology Tools 

Finally, many technology tools are available now to help streamline the grading process. For example, using a grade book app or software can help you keep track of student grades more easily than trying to manage them manually on paper or in Excel spreadsheets. Additionally, there are tools available that allow you to quickly scan through multiple pages of assignments at once and grade them with just a few clicks – saving you tons of time compared to doing everything by hand! One of my favorite technology tools to use is Google Forms. This allows students to get immediate feedback while providing teachers with data to guide instruction. Here are some links to some products that uses Google Forms that you might like: 

Online Math Test Prep for RIT Band 211 – 220 Set A by Dr Crystal Brown (teacherspayteachers.com)

Online Math Test Prep for RIT Band 221 – 230 Set A by Dr Crystal Brown (teacherspayteachers.com)

FREE Online Math Diagnostic Assessment for RIT Band 211 – 220 | TPT (teacherspayteachers.com)

Conclusion: 

As teachers, we all want our students to do well while keeping our workload manageable. With these tips in mind, we can make grading more efficient, so we have more time for teaching our lessons and helping our students succeed!