Do you like spending hours grading? Me neither. I like to spend my time planning engaging lessons. Interactive science notebooks are great but they can be overwhelming to grade, especially if you teach multiple sections or periods of different students. I have two quick tips to help make grading notebooks efficient and painless.
1. Stamp It: When students complete science notebook pages, stamp the page with a custom stamp.
I created this stamp at www.vistaprint.com It is a self inking stamp and I purchased extra ink on Amazon. I refill it whenever needed. No need to purchase a new stamp. I let students know, I will stamp their work when they complete it. If it isn't to my standards, I don't stamp their page.
2. Notebook Points Page
This notebook points page is a FREEBIE in my TPT store. I add the page numbers and page titles to the notebook points page before I copy them. Prefilling the page numbers and titles makes it quick and easy for students to fill them out. If students have a stamp on the page, they put a "Y" for yes in the correct column. For each "Y," they earn 5 points. The points are totaled on the bottom. I have students put their first name, last name, and student number on the front. I spot check for honesty. Any student who put a "Y" when they don't have a stamp, loses the privilege of filling out their notebook points page. Within a few minutes, interactive science notebook points are in the gradebook and I haven't had to collect a pile of notebooks. Projecting examples of great notebooks increases student effort.
Saving time and energy as a busy teacher reduces stress. Grab the freebie and make your life easier!
Other posts you might like:
My friend, Lisa, has a great blog post on grading tips called "Destroy the Need to Check Every Paper Students Complete." Click HERE for this must read. You'll love her great tips and ideas!
Would you like a FREEBIE about the greenhouse gas effect? This freebie includes sketch notes, a CER, and a digital and print quiz. Click HERE to get this FREEBIE!
