This is my first year teaching and I've been hired as a middle school teacher. Although the district uses an online gradebook, I'd like to purchase a paper gradebook as well. I'm having trouble finding many choices online and making sense of what gradebook/record books are best. I'd appreciate any help!
One option might be to use Excel to design one that suites your needs. You can get ideas here: http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C...&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=653
You could also just print out an excel spreadsheet/template, which would be free. I thought I'd want a paper gradebook in addition to my digital one at first, but then never used it. If I needed to check homework (before I had my iPad), I would use a spreadsheet grid, and enter that data into the computer later, instead of keeping an entire gradebook on actual paper.
Mopar- Unfortunately the local teacher stores don't carry more than 1 or 2 options that are geared more towards elementary teachers. Ron- While student teaching I received a laptop at the high in the same district and was able to easily, and frequently, enter and check grades. It was great! However, at the middle school we have a classroom desktop computer and accessibility is an issue. Printing out a spreadsheet is definitely an option. Does the Ipad have many useful applications for teachers? I’ve been contemplating splurging on one
Whaley three lined gradebook!!!!! best gradebook there is, in my opinion. It has three lines per student, so you can use the top for attendance, the middle for points for the day (via, dailies, quizzes, or tests) and the bottom for points accumulated thus far. This way you can see a students grade in a matter of seconds, just look at the points accumulated thus far and divide it by the total points possible (which would be on the top of the page)! You can buy them online at the whaley website, 11 bucks per book.
I use my iPad ALL the time, but it's because our district has WiFi setup. Thus, I connect the iPad to my computer to control it, and can access my attendance and gradebook from the iPad while walking around the room. I have fallen in love with that feature. I also use it to control my PowerPoint presentations (great because I can see the slides, and the next ones, on my own screen too). Is your school wireless?
Fonz- Thanks for the suggestion, that is the best option I've seen thus far, especially for keeping track of multiple grades. Ron- Yes, the school is wireless. It would be incredibly useful for attendance as we are required to post it at the beginning of each period via the online database.
I used to keep a paper gradebook, but gave it up last year. For attendance, I just print a blank assignment pages from the online gradebook and use this to mark absence dates, since we have an excessive absence policy. It keeps it all on one page.
I keep both grades and attendance on paper, then enter them into the computer at the end of the day. I just print out a "blank checklist roster" from our program for each class for grades and use the printable two-week roster for attendance.
I make my own on Word. That way I can customize it as I want it. Of course, I also picked up one of the Target ones for $1. Not bad for a basic gradebook.
Are you sure, they will not be giving out physical grade books. The reason that I ask is because my district provides access to Infinite Campus (the electronic gradebook) and a physical grade book because the physical grade book is considered a legal document by the district that needs to be kept for a while if a parent/guardian have questions about their children's grades. I would ask other teachers in your school about how they prepare their grades. They maybe able to give tips on what and how to record. We are required to enter grades in Infinite Campus and to have the minimum of six-week final grades in the physical grade book. Infinite Campus is nice because I can add assignments with the total points and enter each student's grade. Then, it calculates the grade based on the weighted distribution given for homework, classwork, lab work, and etc. I record assignment grades in Infinite Campus, print out the grades with the assignment details, and staple in the physical gradebook at the end of every six-week period. Also, Infinite campus is used for attendance. Excel is a great way to have a grade book. But you would need to set it up to do your calculations. This link provides a template offered through Microsoft http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/teacher-s-grade-sheet-TC010370182.aspx Here's another link if you want to create your own Excel gradebook: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel-help/create-an-electronic-gradebook-HA010069070.aspx
Grade em and enter into the computer. You're only making more work for yourself by writing them down.
I much prefer having a paper backup where I can write notes to myself in addition to the actual grade. We also have to turn in hard copies every semester, though I print those from the online grades.
We use IC at my school. The new update has eliminated the Lesson Planner ... have you explored it at all? I'm going in for some training on Tuesday so I can help train the remainder of the staff the following week during InService ... I just wondered what you thought of the upgrade?
We use the PowerSchool online gradebook, but our school still gives us paper gradebooks, as well. These are the ones we always get: https://store.schoolspecialtyonline.net/OA_HTML/ibeCCtpItmDspRte.jsp?minisite=10206&item=464101 I used the Whaley 3-line gradebook for a couple of years as well as ones made by ELAN Publishing Company. I would recommend both of those, too.
I am not liking it because the Gradebook option is completely gone from its normal place. I did not use Lesson Planner at all. Also, I can't look up kids as a class anymore. I don't know if these are kinks or part of the program (which things have moved around). These issues will be address this week.
I keep both and Its not much more work. I use the written one everyday then just upload the grades online every Sunday. Uploading isn't difficult, I just go down the line and enter grades in a matter or minutes. It's best to have hard copies of te gradebook for legal reasons and as a backup in case technology fails.
Evidently, there are quite a few teachers here who like to have their own hard copy as well as the electronic grade book....it's not 'making more work' if a teacher chooses to keep records this way for his or her own personal and professional reasons.
Our school has an electronic gradebook that we're all required to use. However, we're also required to keep an updated printout of our gradebooks (because we had a crash several years ago and a whole quarter worth of grades disappeared). What most teachers do is just print a copy of the online gradebook with some extra spaces and add grades to it. That way, it's very easy to update the computer, but we can also "enter" grades without being at the desktop.
I love the idea of this, but in looking at them I have some questions. How do you work this for the classes that have more than 20 students? All of mine will -- I will have 6 classes and am told to expect them to be nearly full (around 30). Is there enough room for 6 classes of 30 for 4 9-week quarters? Some of the 3-line books say they have enough room for that, but still only show 20 students per page, so I am curious about that.
The tops of the pages in the 3-line gradebooks are perforated. If you have to go onto a 2nd page for a class, you just tear off the top of the new page so you don't have to rewrite all of the assignments. Almost all of my classes have more than 20 students, and I don't ever remember even coming close to running out of pages. One other tip that I learned my first year teaching is to get the adhesive tab dividers for your gradebook. Put one on the first page of each class so you can flip between them easily. Also, I color-code all of my grades so I know what type each one is just by quickly looking at it. Homework is in black, classwork is in blue, quizzes are in green, and tests/projects are in red.
Excellent! As I said, I love this idea... and I think you might have just sold me on it! Thanks for the information.
I teach middle school as well and this one is my favorite. It lists up to 35 students (I had 36 in one class last year!!) http://www.amazon.com/-GLANCE-Recyc...IB5J/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312840639&sr=8-1
Yep. My 11th grade class is always over 20 and you just tear the top off. Works perfectly. I also use the tabs.
