grade 2 grades

Home

Chat

Blogs

Collection

Directory

Home : 2001 : August : 22

grade 2 grades
By Carolyn

I have taught grade 2. In answer to your questions:

#1. You may want to check with your school's or district's policy about number of grades. My principal told us that we have to have a minimum of two grades per week
for math and reading, and one grade per week for the other subject areas. This is actually stated in our handbook. Of course, you may want to follow this as a guideline if your school or district doesn't have a policy. I think that the more grades you collect, the more likely you are to support your report card grades, and the more likely you are to determine if a child needs to be referred

for child study or to be retained. It would be hard to argue with 18 reading grades and 18 math grades as a basis for retention or referral.

#2. I kept an incentive chart with the kids' names on it. When they turned in their homework, I noted it on the chart with a sticker. They had a concrete model to look at to check their progress. Also, I made sure they had a homework folder to keep their assignments in. It was an orange folder and stayed on the desk at all times as a reminder of where papers went that had to go home that night.

As for classwork, I kept a checklist. I still do, even with fifth graders. They take their work seriously when they see who is marking down what wasn't finished. I told all the children that if classwork wasn't finished, they had to complete it at recess. This helps get them to finish in the proper amount of time. Some will dawdle, but if they are in for recess to finish unfinished work, they will finish it quickly.

#3. I took up everything. The main reason I did this was that it was easier than having the kids get up and throw away some classwork they had done. I didn't let them know that I was throwing away anything. I just did. By collecting everything, I also had them believe that everything they did was to be taken seriously, and it could very well end up in their weekly take-home folder to parents. I basically knew what I wanted to grade. I graded quizzes and tests. I also graded writings. I tend to give homework a grade of E, S, or N. I don't give it a percentage grade.

#4. I would have them make up the work during their free time--their break--especially if they seem to be wasting time. Set a timer to let them know that you are giving them a reasonable amount of time to complete a task, and give them the consequences for not completing the task on time. Even in second grade--especially in second grade--they need to develop good habits which will follow them through their school years. If they start to get into the habit of not finishing work, they will continue to no finish work. I know, I received a group of kids last year in fifth grade who never seemed to want to start or finish anything.