what color pen to use?

I

irisheyes

Rookie
What is the best ink color to use for grading? I've used red for tests to put in the grade book and green for student tests. But it's not easy to find green pens. Any suggestions?
 
I found green pens at quill and they were VERY reasonable. Most office supply stores have them.

I love purple but they are hard to distinguish from blue ink.

And I confess, I also use red. Who knows how many children I have damaged.
 
I use a vibrant purple....when we exchange papers to grade in class (yes, it's still allowed in our district) the students use red so I use purple for my grades.
 
I use red and proudly. If everyone starts using purple then purple will have "damaging" effects eventually. And then eveyone will use green and all of a sudden red will be a soothing color. It doesn't matter the pen, the message is the same, the only thing that matters is if you can easily distinguish it from the student's writing.
 
AngelHead said:
I use red and proudly. If everyone starts using purple then purple will have "damaging" effects eventually. And then eveyone will use green and all of a sudden red will be a soothing color. It doesn't matter the pen, the message is the same, the only thing that matters is if you can easily distinguish it from the student's writing.
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:) :) :) :)
 
I use whatever I pick up...lol sometimes if I am interupted the paper will be half corrected in purple and the other half in black.

Though I am careful not to criticize in any sort of nagging way, I really do think we are raising a bunch of self-centered wimpy children who cannot be told they are wrong when they are wrong. Next, the word "no", "homework", "fail" will be considered damaging as well...

I do like to use fun color correcting pens for the fun of it though ;)
 
I grade in whatever I grab, usually a super fine sharpie of some fun color. I put grades in my gradebook in pencil, though.
 
Does anyone use flair pens anymore? I want to get some but I wonder if they make that rubbing, squeaky noise of markers....drives me nuts!

side note in response to paperhearts post above....
My new principal says she expects to see students' papers with meaningful remarks! She says she doesn't want to see generic comments. She goes on to say that students know when we are holding back to spare their feelings and they become resentful because we don't push them to do their best.
 
Ann2006 said:
Does anyone use flair pens anymore?
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I use flair, but they are a little too stiff. I have to break in the tips. I have a bunch of rollerball pens in lots of colors so I use whichever color I pick up.

Paperheart said:
Though I am careful not to criticize in any sort of nagging way, I really do think we are raising a bunch of self-centered wimpy children who cannot be told they are wrong when they are wrong. Next, the word "no", "homework", "fail" will be considered damaging as well...
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I totally agree with this. Makes me a little sad.
 
AngelHead said:
I use red and proudly. If everyone starts using purple then purple will have "damaging" effects eventually. And then eveyone will use green and all of a sudden red will be a soothing color. It doesn't matter the pen, the message is the same, the only thing that matters is if you can easily distinguish it from the student's writing.
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Methinks I like you, Angelhead!
 
I have a bunch of gel pens and just grab one. Some of them are RED (what a rebel I am.) My kids loved the cool colors and would start asking me to use certin colors and at Christams, I got tons of gel pens!!
 
Whoever inventer gel pens is a genius!!! Seriously!!! Who DOESN"T love them? (and I'm a lefty but I don't smear them because I hold my hand in a position that doesn't rub against my writing).
 
Whatever I can find at the time...although when I was student teaching in my hometown, we used the felt tip pens. Where I live now, our schools don't order them so I buy them myself when I can find them :).
 
AngelHead said:
I use red and proudly. If everyone starts using purple then purple will have "damaging" effects eventually. And then eveyone will use green and all of a sudden red will be a soothing color. It doesn't matter the pen, the message is the same, the only thing that matters is if you can easily distinguish it from the student's writing.
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Angel- I've felt this way ever since the red pen debate started!! I actually grab any color marker that's handy (except black...):cool:
 
I mostly use purple because that's my favorite color and all my students know that. However, when I can't find a purple pen, I use whatever's handy (except black.) I do use Sharpie's sometime, too.
 
I use purple, hot pink, and green. The best pens in these colors that are cheap (yet good) are PENTEL RSVP. They have a clear outer plastic with the color of the pen on certain parts of the pen. I usually buy a pack of each color in purple, hot pink, and green. They work well and are cheap. Have fun!
 
i grade in whatever i grab first (usually purple) but then highlight the grade in yellow. it doesnt photocopy, the students can easily find their grade, and i have a yellow car!
i would grade in yellow pen if it would show!
i have started only marking their correct answers, and having them redo the incorrect ones for homework...then marking those correct. we'll see what this year brings
 
I too use red, but I also use different colors like green, aqua, and orange. I have alot of different pens, but my favorites are the Pentel RSVPS and my uni-balls.
 
When I taught, I like a lot of you, grab whatever's handy for everyday sort of work. My kids LOVED it when I used my rainbow pencil...it's a colored pencil with all the colors in 1 lead. Of course I taught 1st!!! I would use some sort of pen or marker to correct the spelling tests.
 
I also use a rainbow colored pencil and to make it stand out I just circle the grade (sometimes the pencil gets lost in the student writing!) Yes, we still do give grades (although it does not really matter what color you might write a "D" in, it's still a D)!
 
Rosieo said:
I use what ever I happen to pick up, red, blue, green, purple, pink, orange...you name it.
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Me too! I love variety. I only make sure not to use red when proofing their writing. I hated getting my writing back with so much red ink it looked like someone had cut their fingers.
 
This year I'm using purple. I found a ton of packets of purple pens on clearance and so that made my decision for me. We use on-line grade books so putting into the grade book is not an issue. However, when we did use grade books, I found that highlighting the grades made it easier for me to see if it was a text, homework, etc.
 
As a first year teacher, I am not using red pens. The district doesn't like it I guess. But I love to use green, hot pink, blue, light blue. I use pencil for the gradebook.
 
I use whatever color I happen to pick up however, I have started marking papers with a highlighter and my parents love it because they can see exactly why their child got the question incorrect (I highlight the part that gives the clue for the question). I have used all colors of highlighters also.
 
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