Students love receiving feedback on their work, whether for a major project or a quick classroom assignment. It can give them a sense of accomplishment and help them see where they stand in that class.
Sometimes, we need to make assessments quickly but still meaningful to make them worth our time and benefit students.
In this blog post, the importance of having flexible assessment strategies and how providing students with success criteria is beneficial is discussed. I also offer a resource to help you make assessments quickly and give students a visual of the success criteria.
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Make Assessments Quick and Clear
As teachers, we know that feedback is a powerful tool, but sometimes we need quick, simple ways to make the process efficient while still meaningful for students. It’s not always easy to balance thoughtful grading in the classroom. Let’s face it, there are a lot of assignments, but having clear, visible assessment tools can make all the difference.
That’s where simple, student-friendly assessment posters come in handy; they’re a quick reference for both you and your students, making it easier to provide marks that matter, without sacrificing time or clarity.
Why You Should Have Flexible Assessment Strategies
Did you know you don’t have to grade every assignment with a formative assessment?
When planning for your week, choose assignments that you will mark for completion. You are not obligated, and it might be impossible, to give in-depth feedback to every student on every assignment.
Since not everything needs a formative assessment, it’s important to have flexible assessment strategies.
Developing a quick grading system will help you and your students understand where they’re at and what they need to work on while saving you a lot of time. When you have a way to make assessments quickly, you can prioritize using your precious time and energy to give more detailed feedback on summative assessments.
You can learn more about flexible assessment strategies and tips to improve your assessment skills in this blog post: Tips and Tricks to Help You Improve Your Assessment Skills.
Providing Students With The Success Criteria
The way you assess students shouldn’t be a mystery to them. They should understand what grade they need to reach for a project or assignment to meet expectations, versus just approaching expectations. This understanding will help them to set personal goals in class and understand what different grades mean.
Some students need the accountability of a grade on a paper to do their work, so I created a simple marking system that allows me to skim student work, gather data and assign a grade very quickly.
The Check Minus, Check and Check Plus System
I use a check minus, check, and check plus system, which is fantastic when collecting classwork or non-summative tasks. Decide what you will “grade” for—ideas, spelling, content, etc.—then skim student work looking for that one thing. Lastly, assign a checkmark grade based on their work.
I explain this system in more detail in this post, Quick Assessment Tips For Effective Student Evaluation. This is your permission to invest in some fun pens and pause the rubric usage sometimes.
However, even with this system, I don’t collect student work daily unless it is small, like an entrance or exit ticket. So, set your standard beforehand for what assignments you will use this system for, as one way to make assessments quick in the classroom.
Remember: You don’t need to formally grade every piece of student work you collect—not everything needs a detailed analysis. It is okay to toss out the rubrics (temporarily) and embrace your fun pens.
Having a Visible Grading Scale
It’s inevitable that when you give students a mark or grade, someone will ask what that mark or grade represents. Avoid the “What does this mark mean?” questions with this editable grading poster.
Now, when students ask me what a mark/grade represents, I point them to this poster and have them answer the question themselves. Keep reading to get your copy of this assessment poster.
Having a visible grading scale benefits teachers, as well. If your school district uses a variety of ways to assess students, you may need a chart until you get used to it. Standards-based grading typically uses levels. Each school district assigns a different percentage that students must reach for each level.
If this number varies from your last school district, having it be something you just need to glance up at rather than dig through a binder or desk for can save time and sanity.
Free Classroom Posters to Make Assessments Quickly
I’ve created two printable posters for you to use in the classroom for when you need to make assessments quickly, and for students to reference when they get a mark back. Print these posters and put them in a prominent place in your classroom where both you and your students can see them, making it easy for everyone.
You can get these free classroom assessment posters to make assessments quickly when you sign up for the 2 Peas and a Dog email list. Click on the image below to sign up and get these assessment posters delivered to your inbox.
Incorporating flexible and visible assessment strategies not only saves time but also helps your students by making expectations clear. Simple systems and a visible grading scale in your classroom can streamline your grading process without sacrificing meaningful feedback.
Remember, you don’t need to grade everything formally, and having quick-reference tools can make all the difference in a busy classroom. Download these free assessment posters today and start making your assessments quick, straightforward, and student-friendly.
Find more quick assessment strategies in these blog posts:
In this post, Strategies for Streamlining Assessment & Evaluation, teachers share their tips for streamlining the current marking system to make assessments quick and straightforward.
Additional Assessment Information:
- Student Designed Assessments
- 6 Quick Assessment Strategies
- Strategies for Streamlining Assessment & Evaluation
- Tips and Tricks to Help You Improve Your Assessment Skills
- Quick Assessment Tips For Effective Student Evaluation
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