Enter a grade into the grade book during the first week to 10 days of school. That first grade is often the most difficult to post, when you realize it’s such a responsibility. Getting it posted early gives students…and their parents/guardians some feedback early on.
Keep up with the grading. Enter grades by the next day, if possible. Larger projects and essays can take more time, but need to be done within the week. Otherwise, your feedback loses its impact.
Speaking of feedback…provide thoughtful feedback on assignments. Always try to offer a personal note.
For struggling students, try focusing on one or two areas for improvements; otherwise, it can seem overwhelming and the student might give up.
Appreciate the small steps students make toward improving; amazing progress won’t happen overnight.
If numerous students have low grades on an assessment, reflect on how you taught the information. Consider re-teaching some of the key concepts with a different approach.
Give students multiple ways to show that they’re learning—use a variety of assessments. It’ll hold their interest more, and you’ll get a more accurate view of what they really are learning.
Grades can be corrected; at some point, you’ll type in a wrong score or under the wrong name or for the wrong assignment—or maybe all three at one time. Be confident, but know that mistakes happen, and graciously correct them. Be sure to inform the student and his or her parents/guardians if necessary.
Have multiple grades in the grade book for each grading term to give your students an opportunity to recover from a poor assessment score.
Contact parents/guardians if there’s a major grading concern regarding one of your students. They’ll appreciate your sincere concern.
