Cut Back on Grading and Paper Clutter NOW!

If you've got stacks of ungraded papers piling up (or shoved in drawers), this post is for you!

Let’s be real, you have enough on your plate and don’t need to be grading unnecessary amounts of stuff. It’s time to think about what really matters and let’s get rid of some of that paper clutter AND grading.

Tip #1: Stop assigning tons of homework

Re-assess what you are currently assigning for homework. Ask yourself these questions:

1. What is the purpose of this assignment?

2. Is the purpose of this assignment being met?

When I first started teaching, I viewed homework as an opportunity for students to get the extra practice and support needed to gain mastery. When I reflected on the questions above, I realized that the students needing the most support were the most were very ones NOT DOING THEIR HOMEWORK!

It was a constant battle chasing down assignments (and trying to keep track of who did or did not do each assignment).

When I truly thought about it, most of my homework assignments weren’t even truly serving the main purpose. So, I stopped.

I stopped assigning math homework (because parents tried to undo what I was teaching anyway) and stopped any type of spelling homework (because I didn’t want my students memorizing words).

Instead, I only assigned quick and easy assignments that truly supported my students’ learning. It was something I knew they could do independently (which is what I wanted). 

You can read about my nightly homework routine here. The type of assignments that I did assign, for the most part, I was able to do a quick spot check, mark my grade book, give it a star then return it back to students. 

Tip #2: Use Task Cards

I love task cards because you’re able to provide your students with LOTS of practice and you only use up 1 sheet of paper!

Teaching math using the math workshop approach allows you to differentiate work, differentiate instruction, and provide lots of practice with little paper clutter.

One of my stations would be ‘hands on’ where my students would be doing a scavenger hunt around the room solving task cards. Since my rotation blocks were short, they would work on completing that 1 set of task cards throughout the week. I would also typically assign 1 worksheet to check up on how students’ understood the small group lesson for the day. 

For the entire math block, I would only be collecting 1 piece of paper for every student (and the task card sheet at the end of the week). 

For more ideas on how to use task cards in the classroom, you might enjoy this post.

Tip #3: Grade Right Away!

My last tip is to grade whatever assignments you need to right away! This one probably seems like a no-brainer, but might be one of the most difficult because you'll need to get yourself into the HABIT of doing this.

Find some time during recess, at lunch, or after school. Make it a rule to yourself that while you're grading, you won't get distracted by anything (no scrolling social media or checking emails).

Not letting the grading pile up will be a tremendous help later. Plus, grading along the way will provide you with valuable information about what your students know and/or need extra support with. 

Tip #4: Create a System for Grading

Grading multi-page reading assessments used to take forever, until I came up with a system! Grading 1 page at a time for all students makes the grading 10x faster (this is especially easy with multiple-choice questions).

I then write how many points the student earned on the bottom right-hand corner of the page. That way, when I’m done, I can add up all the points then record them on the front of the assessment. 

Until next time!Aloha,

Weekly Homework Routine in my 3rd Grade Classroom

When I first started teaching, I was all about giving homework. I truly felt that homework helped to reinforce what was learned in class and that it gave parents the opportunity to see what their child was learning in school and the chance to help them with things they were struggling with. 
Little did I know, homework would become the bane of my existence. I spent so much time tracking down assignments that weren't turned in, talking to students about the importance of them doing their own homework (and not their parents doing it for them). I also became frustrated with parents trying to teach kids the 'easier way' of doing math, the way that we all learned when we were younger when I was trying so hard to build conceptual understanding during school.
 Homework was becoming a waste of time for me because my intentions of assigning it were not being met. Those students who needed the extra help at home, were the ones not getting it. 

I also began to reflect on the amount of time my homework was taking up. I began asking parents how long it was taking their child to complete homework. What I imagined would be a 30-40 minute homework routine, was taking up to 2 hours for some kids. This is NOT what I wanted. My students work extremely hard during the day and I want for them to have time to be a kid and unwind after a long day at school. 
Since I knew that my purpose of assigning what I assigned was not having the outcome I had hoped for, I decided to scrap it all. I came up with an entirely new homework routine that worked amazingly well. 

Each Monday I assign a new reading log. Students are required to read a minimum of 100 minutes per week. They can choose what days they would like to read and for how long. Reading logs are due every Monday morning.

The reason I stuck with a reading log is that I felt it was important that my kids actually read. If they want to become better at something, they need to spend time practicing. 

I also spent time stocking my classroom library up with TONS of books to help encourage my students to find new books. I never wanted not having anything to read to be an issue. For ideas on how to grow your library on a teacher budget, click here.

Before assigning these reading logs, I always model what a quality response looks and sounds like. We practice writing responses together as a class before I send these home. 
I believe that reading should be enjoyable, and I highly encourage my kids to read books that they love and are interested in. I require just one response because I do want to hold them accountable for their reading and I also feel that this helps them with their writing and provides me with check-in on their comprehension. Logs are collected on Monday mornings and a new reading log is issued. 
You can find these reading logs here. The product contains 4 different reading logs AND a digital option  You can give a different log each week so that students are not always answering the same question. 

Photo from Luckeyfrog's Lilypad

On Tuesday and Thursdays, I assign Text Evidence homework. I hand out a double-sided sheet every Tuesday. One side is a fiction reading and the other side is a non-fiction reading. On both sides, students are practicing finding text evidence to answer 5 different questions. 
These text evidence passages are quick, simple, but effective. When my littles come to me at the start of the year, locating text evidence is always so difficult for them. These sheets as homework really help to build proficiency with locating text evidence. Here is a GREAT post from Jenny, the creator of the Text Detectives product I use on how to get kids to refer back to the text. 
Students are given the option of how they complete these assignments. They can do one side and turn it in on Wednesday morning. This will get returned to them by Thursday morning. Thursday night, they can complete the other side and turn it in for credit on Friday morning. The other option is for the student to complete both sides on Tuesday night, turn it in on Wednesday and be done for the week.  To see how I manage collecting homework assignments, you can read all about it here.
The only other homework that I assign on a weekly basis is online homework. The first is Kidbiz3000 (only because it's a school requirement) and the other is typing practice. 
The reason I assign typing practice is that at the ending of the year, our 3rd graders are required to take the SBA. It is so important that students know how to type as they are required to give many extended responses for their answers. I started to practice giving my students their weekly Reading Wonders Assessments online and I found that the quality of their typed responses for #21 were so weak compared to their handwritten responses when given a paper-pencil assessment. I realized that the reason for it was because it took them way too long to type, so they wrote as little as they could. 
I don't collect anything to check that they did their typing homework, no do I have them log minutes. I can tell who has practiced typing by watching them on the computer during class. I just continue to encourage them to practice on their own as it will truly benefit them in the long run. I also used to try to schedule lab time so that students could practice playing games on various typing programs. This is key as this is often a 'hook' for them to realize typing practice is fun! 
What does your homework routine look like?? I'd love to hear about it in the comment section below! 

Spelling Homework, Flow Map Summaries....and Can You Say FREEBIES?!

 I posted about a Summarizing Breakthrough that I had with my students awhile ago. You can go back and check that post out here! As I was going through my posts, I was wondering why I didn't share that file?! If your students are struggling with summary writing, give a try to the worksheet I created. You can find it for FREE at my TPT store The students use a flow map to draw pictures of the most important events that happened in the story. They use their flow map to write a summary. I had my students just write a simple sentence or two to describe each picture. If you do use it, please let me know how it works for your students!! My students even use this for their weekly reading responses and they draw it out on their own. I love it!! :)

Secondly, I wanted to share a Super Spelling Contract that I created. I know many of you have probably experimented with contracts and allowing your students to work on an assignment throughout the week, which means they need to manage their time and be responsible!! Of course, this will not work for every class but I make a big deal in the beginning of the year how I feel this class is Responsible enough to HANDLE having a contract and it is a privilege. I get bored with assigning the same assignments for spelling homework each work. With this contract, students are able to choose which assignment they will work on for the week. There are three different columns to choose from and one study option. Students are only allowed to pick ONE item from each column per week. The reason is because the assignments in each column vary in difficulty. Parents have seemed to really like the contract too. Since many students have practice, church, or other things going on after school, they have the flexibility throughout the week to get it done on their 'off days'.

The students really enjoy being able to choose the assignment they want to complete. I also make them check off and date the assignment once it has been completed. The catch here is that the students are only allowed to do 'abc order' once during the month. This was my tricky way of making them think they have the choice, but really they end up doing nearly all the assignments on the contract throughout the month. At the beginning of each month, I give out a new contract and they write the month on top. If you would like your own copy of this Super Spelling Contract you can pick one up at my TPT store!!

I will be giving a FREE copy of this contract to the first TWO comments who leave their email. If you REALLY want a free copy and are too late...post a link about my blog or any of my free resources, leave a comment that you did and this contract is yours :)