Drowning in a sea of paperwork? If your students don't all have individual numbers, assign them today. Simply look at your gradebook and give each student a number based on your alphabetical list. Next, ask your students to start putting these numbers on their papers in a specific location, such as the top right hand corner. Assigning student numbers is a simple step that will help you stay organized and be a more effective teacher.
Missing Work and Grades
Using student numbers makes it really easy to see who hasn't turned in their work. You may want to add "class secretary" to your list of classroom jobs because you'll need someone in charge of putting the papers in order at the end of the day. When the papers are in numerical order, you can just flip through the list and see which numbers are missing instead of having to check them off individually. It also means you can mention to the class which papers are missing without singling children out and calling them by name. Simply say, "I'm still waiting on math homework from 3, 7, and 12." The papers are already in alphabetical order when you grade them, so recording them is a cinch, reducing the chance you'll make a mistake and put the grade in the wrong box.
Textbook Inventory
When you use this system, label all your textbooks and workbooks at the beginning of the year accordingly and give students books that correspond with their numbers. This helps even the youngest children make sure they are using the book that's assigned to them and makes collecting materials at the end of the year a breeze.
Permission Slips and Forms
Student numbers can be used for more than just tests, quizzes, and other assignments. Ask students to put their numbers on their permission slips as well. This will help you see in a matter of minutes which children haven't returned their permission slips for the upcoming field trip. This system is especially handy at the beginning of the year when children are required to take home and bring back a number of forms for the front office. Having the numbers on top of the forms makes it easy to figure out who's missing what.
Class Management
Some teachers use student numbers for other purposes as well. For example, if they need to split the class in half, they might ask the kids to break up into "odd" and "even" groups. Elementary school teachers sometimes ask students to line up in numerical order (instead of being able to stand by their friends) when the children need to improve their behavior. Teachers may also use student numbers during games and lessons, putting all of the numbers into a hat and drawing them as needed.
Assigning student numbers works best in a self-contained classroom, but this strategy can certainly be adapted for other educational settings. This is an extremely simple tip that can help teachers be a bit more efficient and get out from under that sea of paperwork.
Jan Zeiger - Having always wanted to teach, I obtained my BA and MA in elementary education at the University of Florida and sought my first job as a ...
