I have evolved in the way I grade papers over the last seven years of my career. In my first year of teaching, I took every paper home. I’d look through it, make editing marks, and even record it. I quickly learned this is a way to get burned out so instead I would just glance at every paper and record it as completed.

By the end of that first year, I accepted the reality that taking every paper home was not going to be of any benefit to me or my students, especially because we did not have time in the schedule to go over everything I graded.

Year two came and went as I modified my grading practices a bit. I only took home tests and quizzes in efforts to ensure we had ample time in our schedule to go over each part. Years 3-5 took shape and I realized student performance was not tanking, but it certainly was not soaring. After all of my hours of written comments and feedback nothing was changing. I then decided to give similar assignments after a test or quiz to see if students applied the feedback from their original assessment. This seemed to help me get a baseline for growth. I still was not happy with the results.

During year 6, I began giving what I considered to be a “rubric” with every assignment. For example:

It turned out that it was more of a checklist and my administration team asked me to instead provide students with a rubric that clearly outlined expectations. My administration was right. Although this was helpful because students knew what components I was looking for, the point value was vague and left to my personal discretion. This allowed for inconsistency.

So I had to expand my knowledge base on rubrics, because a checklist is not a rubric. I then got my hands on: rubistar. Man did my world change! I did not have to fill in each little box outlining each component of how student work stacked up to a consistent measure of proficiency. For example:

But, I still was not out of the woods yet. Students turned in work, I graded with a rubric and passed back. Yes, the feedback was more meaningful and specific, but they had to wait until the next assignment to apply this feedback.

Thus, the “aha” of year seven. Giving students the rubric ahead of time allowed them to know the expectations, and constantly reflect the value of their work in comparison to the standards in the rubric. This self-assessment was more powerful than any feedback I could provide. This challenged them as a learner and aided in their growth as an academic scholar. Student success rate began to soar (finally!!). They were able to plan ahead, include the necessary components, and challenge themselves to work past proficiency now that the “how” to do that was clearly laid out.

As the second chunk of the year begins, I am going to take it a step further and have my students create a rubric with me. I think this is the appropriate time because students have been exposed to quality rubrics thus far, have had ample time to familiarize themselves with how to utilize it effectively, and now their background knowledge on rubrics is sufficient in order to have a meaningful discussion and provide insightful feedback. Had I tried to do this any other year, students would not have been able to truly help me create a quality rubric due to their lack of experience. This, of course, is a reflection on me as the teacher. But, as with all things, you learn as you go. The journey of learning is more powerful than getting it right the first time.

As I roll out our very first class-made rubric for an assignment, I will be sure to post our final product! Hmm, maybe the students can even help me write the corresponding blog post! (Now, there’s an idea!!)

How do you utilize rubrics? How responsive are your students to a rubric?

The post Rubric vs Checklist appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Need some ideas for those last few days of school? Writing prompts have been my best friend!

I gave my students the writing prompt: “_[insert name]___ lived in a castle in a far away land.” Students chose their main character’s name and copied down this sentence. They then added one more sentence. At the sound of a bell, students swapped papers in a clockwise motion, read what was written on the paper, and added an additional sentence. This cycle repeated itself until all students had written on each of their classmate’s papers. I think next time I will have each student utilize a different color pen/pencil to create a strong visual of the collaborative effort.

When students received their original writing piece back they had a howling good time rereading their silly stories. One student remarked, “I started out with a prince in a castle and ended up with leprechauns! How’d that happen?” haha  You’re right, how did that happen? That is the fun of it! (Of course, I liked the one about me the most!)

I had to apologize to my surrounding teachers for the noise level as students read what other students wrote and added on their own wacky twist of a sentence. Sharing each other’s stories afterwards had our stomach’s hurting! What a fun, creative way to spend our last days together.

What is your favorite end of the year activity? If you tried this one, tell me how it went!

The post Write On! appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This school year was fantastic! There are so many wonderful memories to cherish. So many in fact, I may have forgotten them! I asked my students to place their heads down on their desk and visualize the year from beginning to end. They brainstormed a few of their favorite moments from this year and chose their #1 memory. We created a “Remember When” bulletin board highlighting our favorite events. Students described the memory and added a corresponding illustration.

Below are some examples of events students will remember:

I agree with my students that those were some wonderful moments. I will treasure the celebrations, field trips, fundraisers, and in-class rewards. However, my most favorite memory to cherish is the closeness of my class. I realize this is special and may never happen with another class. I will always fondly think, “Remember when…I had the pleasure of having the best year with my favorite class in 2012!”

What events will you remember from this school year? What would your students say?

The post Remember When… appeared first on Always A Lesson.

At the end of every school year I do the same activity with my class. It’s a way to say “thank you” and celebrate individual attributes. I got the idea from a story I read while I was in college. I apologize to the author as I cannot remember the source. I also apologize that I cannot give credit to the amazing person in the story- the true HERO.

The Story (the abbreviated version): A soldier was fighting in a war and brought with him a very special good luck charm. It was a folded piece of paper that traveled everywhere with him. On this piece of paper was positive remarks about himself made by his elementary school classmates. Each student wrote a sentence about what they appreciated about him. He treasured this so much that it never left his side. He successfully made it home from the war and believes the good luck charm was the reason. He forever treasures that piece of paper and the encouraging words written on it.

For this reason, I feel it is important for my students to have the same treasured experience. Every person deserves to know they are loved and cared for, and this is the perfect way to do it!

I gave each of my students a piece of paper. They decorated the top and border whatever way they wished. They then numbered their paper 1-20, skipping a line in-between. Each student rotated to another student’s desk with a pencil and wrote one positive comment. Rotations lasted anywhere from 1-3 minutes. I even participated too- the kids looooved that! J Once students had visited each other’s seats, they returned to read their heart-warming gift. There were tears, laughter, and lots of hugging. Sometimes you never know what someone thinks of you- why not let them know?

I encourage you all to do this in a way that works for you! Then, let me know how it goes!

Do you do something similar? I’d love to hear it. Share pics too!

The post Student to Student Appreciation appeared first on Always A Lesson.

As I continue on my journey as an educator of young minds, I always reflect on how I can inspire my students. I want them energized and engaged in their learning, so much so that they yearn for more each passing day. But….how do I do that?

So I thought about what made me as a student love learning, but more importantly what was my point of view on what made a great teacher. Here goes:
–   Makes learning fun

–   Relatable

–   Youthful

–   Willing to help me 1:1

Although my list from a professional standpoint differs slightly, those attributes I saw so important as a child can still be found on my list today.

–   Differentiates instruction

–   Plans with the end in mind

–   Gets to know learners personally

–   Puts in extra effort and go above-and-beyond

–   Makes learning interesting and relatable

–    Spirals curriculum to ensure skills are not lost

–    Has fun

My list is written down and kept in my desk. I feel it necessary to constantly reflect on what is going well, what could be going better, and how I can reach all of my learners. My students and I began discussing this idea of what qualities make a good teacher and students brainstormed their own list:

We then discussed the list together. We evaluated how I as a teacher stacked up. (kind of scary, I know.)

But, the great thing is….I constantly reflected. So I was very aware when I was hitting the mark and when I needed to strengthen specific areas.

What qualities do you feel make a great teacher?

Are they similar to what you would have said as a child?

The post A Great Teacher Is… appeared first on Always A Lesson.