Marking Hacks

When I was little, and used to play ‘school’ with my sister, I used to LOVE marking and would tick tick tick away with my red pen, happy as Larry. Little did I know. Little. Did. I. know. ?

On a serious note though, marking is a vital part of our role and it is lovely to read through student responses and see their progress. The volume of marking can sometimes be overwhelming though, so it’s good to have some marking hacks up our sleeves to support with that feeling so we feel able to get through the books with a smile on our face ?

Is it just me, or when faced with a pile of 34 books to mark do you spend more time counting how many you’ve got left than actually marking ?. We’ve all had a serious case of marking procrastination in our time, I’m sure, carrying out tasks at home that we’ve put off FOREVER instead of marking those last 20 exam papers. Sort the weeds out in your back garden? Sure thing. Rearrange all the kitchen cupboards and organise your spices in alphabetical order? No problem at all. Get on with that bag of marking in the boot of your car? ?? I can’t, sorry, I’m busy chipping the ice out of the freezer.

What can we do to ease the struggle we sometimes feel?
✨Only focus on marking 5 at a time
✨Mark with a colleague
✨Have a pile next to the sofa and every time a break comes on the TV mark a book
✨Chip away at them in the morning before school starts
✨Moderate so you feel confident when marking so it becomes a quicker process
✨ Attach a marking sheet (PLC style maybe) to support with the marking process
✨Use stickers and stamps
✨Offer class feedback – read through and pick up on class misconceptions and note these down to address in class
✨Mark in the presence of someone who will motivate you – my nan is great at this!

You’ve got this. Just remember the satisfying feeling of a beautifully marked set of books and the faces of the grateful students for your expert feedback ?