Conferences |
Provide a grade for the reading and writing conferences that happen in class. It can be based on progress rather than actual reading and writing levels. |
Essays |
A summative in-class essay (controlled environment) at the end of the unit is one useful way to evaluate student learning, but take home essays (uncontrolled environment) are also pertinent. A mix of both is ideal. |
Exit Slips |
A brief quiz or question before students end the lesson and move toward a break. It gives the teacher an idea about whether the students have understood the main idea/concept or not. You can count them based on effort for a small portion of the overall grade. |
Homework |
There is a whole lot of debate around homework. However, my experience has shown that a bit of homework is good for students, especially for ESL learners. I suggest giving marks for homework being complete rather than "correct" homework. This will actually encourage students to do the homework. Add in a stamp (e.g. I had a cat stamp pad to stamp on the page) or stickers and students get even more excited. |
Group Work |
You can assign small in-class group work or projects that require time. This is useful for teaching students how to work in teams. What does this look like exactly? In reading, you can assign students to answer questions together or come up with a response to a question in teams. In science, students can build a volcano together. These are just some examples to get started. |
Journals |
Students can maintain a writing journal that the teacher can check from time to time. The journal entries can focus on a question or can be homework students finish up from the writing lesson that day. A math journal is also another way to maintain a journal. Each day, students can be provided a question or two to go back home and reflect upon. |
Participation |
No, this is not about how much a student has confidence in raising his or her hand. Instead, it is all about (1) effort and (2) meaningful answers. |
Presentations |
In conjunction with other speaking and listening strategies, teachers can integrate other content areas around a presentation. Imagine students learning about Important Women in History. Individually or in groups, students can work on a presentation of one important woman (e.g. Hillary Clinton or Princess Diana). The teacher should provide a framework of what is expected from students (e.g. what to present, how to stand in front, the time limit, and so on). |
Projects |
Find a way to add in projects around the theme or unit of study. For example, if students are reading To Kill A Mockingbird they can work on a submitting a Bristol Board project at the end of the unit. You can make them write a summary of the novel, provide a character analysis, and all sorts of other ideas. |
Quizzes |
A brief quiz (whether it is a pop quiz or an informed one) can provide the teacher with a snapshot with what the students are getting and not. Keep it short and use them for content areas where there is a lot of information like math and science. You can also create a system whereby you take the best out of a specific amount (e.g. count the 5 highest out of the 10 quizzes towards the final grade). |