Missing Assignments

Happy Thursday everyone! :)  I hope that you had a wonderful 4th!  


Today I want to tell you about what to do with Missing Assignments.  You know you will have those few students who have chronic problems with missing assignments.  I know I always seem to.  And everything I've tried so far hasn't worked as well as I wanted to.  


Last year my school used a computer-based grade book where you had the option to be able to print missing assignment reports for each student.  I tried to do this each week and send it home in their Friday Folders.  Then, their parent would have to sign it and return the paper, so they would at least know that their child was missing an assignment.  This method was very helpful for some of my students who just forgot or didn't want to finish their assignments.


The only problem with this method is that sometimes I wasn't able to update grades in the computer each week...then it was like 2 weeks before they got the missing assignment report.  Another teacher in our building would look through all of the papers right after they were turned in and then just enter "missing" into the computer so that she could make sure she had her reports up to date each week.  Then she would go back and enter grades at a later date.


I feel confident this year that I will be able to keep up with my grading each week because of the grading plan that I've set up for myself.  Also by using the Paper Drop system, everything will be so much more organized!


Missing Assignment Alerts
This year, because I'm using the Paper Drop system in my classroom, after an assignment is turned in, I will simply be able to look at the back of the envelope and see which students are missing assignments.  I will then call them up and have them take one of my MISSING ASSIGNMENT ALERT notes and have them write their name on my Missing Assignment Alert Clipboard.  They will have to fill in the applicable parts and then take it home to their parents.  Their parents will read it and sign it and the student will return it the next day.  This slip is just a reminder for the student to turn it in by the next day, and it is also a notice to the parents that their child has not turned in an assignment.  That way, the parents know THE DAY the assignment didn't get turned in, and it gives the student an opportunity to finish the assignment and turn it in.


I have them sign my clipboard because the next day I will ask them if they have the slip to give to me.  If they do not have the slip, then I will personally call or email their parents to see if they read the slip and know that their child has a missing assignment.  Please know that this piece of the system is IMPERATIVE.  If you don't receive the slip, you MUST call their parents.  Otherwise students will not take your system seriously and think you are making idle threats about doing things.  It will also help them to not want to have missing assignments and thus makes your job easier! :)


I am also excited about using this system because then I won't have to spend time each Thursday night preparing Missing Assignment Reports!

You can snag a copy of the a PDF of the Missing Assignment Alert and Clipboard List, as well as an EDTABLE plain text Word version of the Missing assignment alert on Teachers Pay Teachers for only $1.50!

Cary on bravely,

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P.S.  Did you know that I started my own company, Camp Partridge?  

⛺️ Camp Partridge offers online camps for children and teens ages 10-16 who want to be digital creators and authors! 

⛺️ Camp Partridge offers online courses for parents struggling with remote learning. 

⛺️ Camp Partridge offers resources for your classroom!

I would be honored if you would share Camp Partridge with people you know who need or would enjoy our camps and courses! 🧡

Setting Up Grading Expectations

Welp, it's Monday! Only 1 more day till the 4th and 6 more days till my 30th  birthday!!  Ah... but I digress...

Today I want to tell you about something I came up with for my students this year.  Grading has (for me) always been one of those illusive things... I've never really had a good system for myself for grading and I was tired of my students not really knowing how they were being graded.

So this year I was determined to make this something to focus on.  I feel like I have a pretty good system figured out for both me and the students.  I've already explained My Grading System to keep me organized and today I would like to tell you my plan to help my students understand where their grades are coming from.


How Am I Graded In...
I believe that setting up expectations FIRST is the key to success in anything you do.  This is especially true in your classroom.

For my students this year, I've created rubrics for each subject and also a description page that tells my students the type of assignment they will be graded on, then how many points they will receive for a completed, correct assignment.  I am going to print one out for each student (for each subject) and have them glue those papers into the front of their notebooks for that subject.

For example, here is my How Am I Graded in Reading? sheet.  I will have my students glue this page into their notebooks.

How Am I Graded In Reading? Sheet

This way they will always have that page in front of them.  They will be able to check how much each type of assignment is worth.  Now, it won't be an "out of sight, out of mind" kind of thing with their grades.  If they choose not to do an assignment, they will automatically know how many points they will be losing.


Goal Setting & Tracking 
I've always wanted to do Goal Setting and Tracking with my students, but never found a great system for it.  As I was browsing Laura Candler's website the other day, I found this awesome-looking packet (already created!) on Goal Setting & Tracking.  She offers several of the documents for free, but the main e-booklet is only $6.95.  I am totally planning on ordering it!  Check out her website HERE to find the Goal Setting & Tracking E-Booklet.  On the right-hand side of the page you will see her FREEBIES and it will give you a better idea of what's in the e-book.  I can't wait to try this with my students...I am hoping it will make a difference for all of my students...especially those who are not as motivated.


How do you set up grading expectations in your classroom?  Do you use goal setting with your kiddos?  If so, what does that look like & has it worked?



Take care now, bye bye then,

ps... brownie points to the first person who can name the movie that my sign-off line today!   :)

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P.S.  Did you know that I started my own company, Camp Partridge?  

⛺️ Camp Partridge offers online camps for children and teens ages 10-16 who want to be digital creators and authors! 

⛺️ Camp Partridge offers online courses for parents struggling with remote learning. 

⛺️ Camp Partridge offers resources for your classroom!

I would be honored if you would share Camp Partridge with people you know who need or would enjoy our camps and courses! 🧡

The Paper Drop System

Good afternoon! :)

Today's post also has to do with grading.  When I taught Middle School specials classes, I just used the tray system.  I didn't have many papers to grade and that worked well for me.  So, I thought I would try the same system out with my 4th graders.  ....Let's just say it didn't work out as I had planned!   Here is what my trays looked like:

Looks decently organized, right?  Yeah... this was on a good day.  I labeled each tray with the name of the subject (using a Sharpie and some masking tape).  The problem with this system was, if students turned in more than one assignment to the tray before I collected it, then I had to sort through several assignments work of papers and divide them into their individual assignment piles before I could even grade them!  This took so much longer... and then sometimes you would find a rogue paper that got turned in later in another assignment pile.

Part of my problem was that I did not have a grading system.  Yesterday's post talked about my plan for this year and grading. Check it out HERE if you missed it.  So the last couple of months I've been searching for a different system that would work better and keep me and the students more organized.

The solution?  Laura Candler's Paper Drop System!   I cannot sing the praises of Laura Candler enough!  She is amazing!  You totally have to check out her website.  Seriously.  Don't wait.  Just do it!  She has so many great ideas and freebies for teachers.  She has also written a number of books and has other things for sale at the TPT website.


Basically, you use 9x12 brown clasp envelopes.  She has a free printable page you will glue on the front and back of the envelopes.  Then you laminate the entire envelope.  You will need to create quite a few envelopes.  (I plan on creating enough envelopes to hold an entire week's worth of assignments for each subject.)


When you collect an assignment, you put all the papers in one envelope, (with a wet-erase marker) write the assignment's name on the front and check off any students who haven't turned in their work on the back of the folder.  Close the envelope with the clasp and keep in a place for grading at a later time. This way ALL of the papers from one assignment are in ONE place.  You will know who turned stuff in late, and who is missing each assignment at a quick glance.  How awesome is that?!? I can't wait to use the Paper Drop System in my classroom!  I know it will help me out so much with my grading and organization.  


The best thing about the Paper Drop System is that it is totally FREE! Woot Woot!  I loves me some free stuff!   Click HERE for a free download of her Paper Drop System.


I also found a really cool idea on Pinterest the other day:

but it is actually from the Better Homes and Gardens Website.

Here's another version of the same thing: http://pinterest.com/pin/167829523584004285/


My Idea:
I am planning on creating one of these to organize my Paper Drop Envelopes.  This way, all of the envelopes will be in one place and will be organized! I think it will work awesome!

How about you?  How do you collect student's papers?  What have you tried that's worked?


For Strength & honor,

My Grading Plan

Grading has always been one of those things that I wish I could get rid of.... the word "grade" is like a nasty 4-letter word to me.   I don't like grading because I don't feel that it always accurately displays what a student knows about a subject or topic.  I feel that informal assessments such as observations & records and sometimes quizzes are a much more accurate gauge of what a student knows on a topic.  (Just my opinion...)

However, we teachers are required to grade student's work.  We just are.  For the first 5 years I taught specials classes that didn't have a lot of work to grade.  It was SO freakin nice!  Then, I moved to 4th grade.  It was a HUGE difference in the amount of grading I had to do!   I had a system for students to turn in their assignments, however, I didn't have a grading system for myself.  You may not think that's a big deal, but believe me, it is!

Last year, I would simply take a stack of papers out of one of my subject's trays, then grade them and input them into the computer.  It seemed like I could never keep up with everything I needed to keep up with.  So for this year, I came up with a plan.

Note:  For you new teachers reading this, know that you do NOT take a grade everything you assign.  Some things, like homework, is meant to be a further practice of the skills and strategies you've taught them in school.  Last year I took grades on homework, but this year I'm not sure if I will.  Even if I don't take a grade on it, we will still grade it in class, and I will also keep a record of who has completed their homework and who hasn't.  Also, I will be giving a 10 question quiz each Friday in Reading, Writing and Math over what we learned that week.  I will be grading it- but only to see which strategy group I should put them in for the next week- not to just take a grade on it.

My Grading Plan
I will be using the Paper Drop system created by Laura Candler to collect my assignments.  I will talk about this in tomorrow's post.

Using my "Grading Planning Page,"  I will decide to grade 2 assignments each day.  This way I won't get overwhelmed with a billion papers to grade in one night and I will keep up with grading and posting grades online.

I've also taken it a step further.  I am going to grade the same types of things on the same day each week.  I will give the list to my parents at the beginning of the year in my Welcome Packet.  This way they will know what days to look for certain grades online.

Here's my schedule:

(all grades, except the weekly quizzes and math participation grades, are from the previous week's assignments- I am just grading them and recording them.  I do it this way because pretty much everything is due on Friday.  I don't want to grade over the weekend, so I grade during the next week.)

Mondays: 

Math Calendar (Go over and grade in class.  I will record scores in class) 

Input Book Club Rubric Sheet Grades into the computer.

Tuesdays:

Writing Independent Practice Activities

Revision Activities

Wednesdays:

Social Studies Centers Rubric Sheets

Thursdays:

Science Centers Rubric Sheets

Fridays: 

All Weekly Quizzes FROM THIS WEEK (Reading, Writing and Math)  --Note that the computer grades them, I just record them.

Math Homework sheet from this week (Go over and Grade in Class.  I will record Monday).

Record THIS WEEK'S Math Participation Grades from Math Participation Grades Sheet.

Notes: 

**Use the Book Club Rubric Sheet at each book club meeting.  After the meeting, have students leave their meeting checklist sheet and/or notebooks if necessary for me to grade.  Record grades on the Book Club Rubric Sheet.**

**Use the Math Participation Small Group Rubric Sheet at each small group meeting during Math.  After the meeting, record their participation grade for the day.  Use that sheet for grades on Friday.**

Does this make sense?  Basically, choose 2 things to grade each day Monday-Friday and you shouldn't have to grade over the weekend.  It will also keep you on track for grading your assignments in a timely manner and getting the grades on the internet for parents and students to see. 

Below I am going to attach my Book Club Rubric Sheet and my Math Small Group Rubric Sheet.  I will discuss in a later post how I do book club and math small groups- however, if you already do either of these you can just snag the rubric sheets below.  

NOTE: The rubric on each sheet is on the second page of both the Math and Book Club Rubric Sheets.  (copy these double-sided)

Book Club Rubric Sheet

Math Participation Small Group Rubric Sheet

Weekly Grading Planner

Carpe diem,

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P.S.  Did you know that I started my own company, Camp Partridge?  

⛺️ Camp Partridge offers online camps for children and teens ages 10-16 who want to be digital creators and authors! 

⛺️ Camp Partridge offers online courses for parents struggling with remote learning. 

⛺️ Camp Partridge offers resources for your classroom!

I would be honored if you would share Camp Partridge with people you know who need or would enjoy our camps and courses! 🧡