Check out our list of tips for testing and grading in the classroom.
Assist learners in organizing study teams. Learners gain support and help from each other. Show learners how to work within a study team and provide strategies they can use when studying in a group.
Prior to learners turning in their papers to you, instruct them to look over their papers for errors in the last-minute proofreading. Relate to the learners that mistakes are often missed and that they may find an error by glancing at the assignment. They can also trade papers with their classmates. This way, they can edit each other work and find errors that would have normally been missed
Meticulously monitor when learners correct each other’s papers. Each learner’s grade should be confidential. Protect their privacy by using this technique sparingly. A better system is to have the learners correct their own paper since the learner has a personal stake in their own learning and will learn from their mistakes instead of their neighbor’s mistakes.
Trust learners to grade their own daily work. Instruct them the purpose of doing their work is to practice and learn the concepts for themselves, not for you. Watch carefully as learners correct the papers. You may not count the scores; you don’t want learners to practice cheating.
Abstain from grading papers with a red ink pen. Utilize a green pen that is a more positive color and signals the reader to “GO” ahead and make revisions. Once correcting, use a slash instead of a large “X,” a more negative symbol. Once recording points, give the positive points, not a negative number. Add comments to the points.
Watch for learners who are cheating. While there are reasons they might cheat, they are depriving themselves and others of a fair chance to be assessed. Take the student aside, explain the consequences, and give the learner time to explain their position.
Find a place that is away from learners and coworkers to correct papers, prepare lessons, or organize your day. Get sure that it is quiet and has few interruptions so that you can concentrate during your prep period.
If you are planning s learning centers, carefully consider the following: 1. Ask another educator for ideas or to share by rotating centers between rooms. 2. Ask a parent or local volunteers to help find materials, laminate, and organize. 3. Carry the centers compact unless class space allows a larger area. 4. Select times when learners can use the learning centers. 5. Carry data on who has used the centers and who has not had an opportunity.
