Well Counselor

Counselor educators: How do you feel about grading assignments? Do you love teaching but feel less fond of your grading responsibilities? Most educators would probably agree that grading assignments isn’t their favorite part of the job.

As an educator, I love creating assignments that encourage my students to learn and grow. I even enjoy reading their assignments because I get to know them better. But setting aside time to grade- not so much. Grading can be time-consuming, and often gets pushed to the bottom of the to-do list. If you’re like me, you may sometimes procrastinate, putting off grading until your (digital) pile of papers to grade becomes even more overwhelming. 

In this blog I will share some strategies that have improved my relationship with grading. I hope they help you as much as they have helped me. It is possible to reframe your approach to grading so that you are more efficient and don’t dread it quite so much. 

Create rubrics

Create and share rubrics with your students. By creating a rubric, you clarify your own expectations for an assignment and then you can share these expectations with students. Consider including the following in your rubric: a brief description of the assignment, any specific components you want included in it, your expectations about page length, and any writing style guidelines. Having a rubric fosters more transparency about your grading process with students and makes it easier for you to remain fair and objective as you grade. You should assign point values to specific components of assignments according to level of importance. I’ve noticed that sharing rubrics with students cuts down on the number of questions or general confusion about an assignment. Clearly communicating expectations makes it more likely that students will do well on the assignment, which makes grading that much easier. Each year, you can and should update the rubric for clarity if you perceive any sources of confusion or areas for improvement.

Time block and set a timer

Sometimes we may put off grading because of the time commitment, but then it just piles up and becomes even more overwhelming. Time blocking can be a great way to break the grading into smaller pieces that are more manageable. Try blocking off amounts of time based on your typical attention span. For example, grade as many papers as you can in an hour and then take a break. You can even spread the grading out over several days if that is a better approach for you. I recently started setting a timer for myself while I grade papers and it has been eye-opening and really helpful. I start by estimating how much time it should take for me to read one paper, and then set the timer accordingly. I set a realistic timer and don’t force myself to speed-read or stop reading the paper when the timer goes off. I’ve realized that I am more focused when the timer is set and am also more aware when my mind begins to wander. If I notice that I am reading slower because my mind is wandering, then I know it’s time for a short break. Setting a timer and blocking off time has help me mentally reframe the grading process as much more manageable and I am more likely to take time throughout my day to grade a few papers, even if I don’t have time to review all of them at once. 

Remember you are in control of your time

As you design your course, remember that you are in control and that you are allowed to have a life outside of your teaching responsibilities. For example, you can schedule deadlines for assignments and lectures based on what works well with your own schedule. I am currently an adjunct instructor so I have a separate full time job, as well as my own personal responsibilities and social calendar. No matter if you are full-time faculty or teach on the side, you likely have some control over your course and should be kind to yourself as you set your schedule. If you teach multiple courses, avoid having all your students submit assignments in the same week. Instead, stagger assignment deadlines so that grading is more manageable. During the weeks where your focus is on grading assignments, recycle a relevant presentation so that you don’t have to create new lecture content that week especially if teaching a course for the first time. You could also schedule a guest lecturer to take some of the planning responsibility from you during a particularly busy week. Even with guidelines set by your program or university, you should still have some autonomy to plan a course that fits within your schedule, so keep that in mind.

I hope these strategies help you as your begin the fall semester. Grading can be a manageable part of your workload. Keep in mind that the assignments we have students complete are crucial in their learning and growth as counselors-in-training. Take this time at the beginning of the semester to create rubrics (if you haven’t already) and begin blocking off time in your schedule to grade during the weeks you have set deadlines. It’s never too late to improve how you approach the grading process. Best wishes for a fun and productive fall semester!

This blog was written by Dr. Olivia Bentley, PhD, LPCC-S, Founder of Well Counselor.