TLC Timely Tips:
Get Ready for Grading

Hello SOLS Instructors!

Before the semester starts, make any revisions to your grading system to ensure clarity for students and any TAs you may have been assigned. This may include changing the point values for assignments, writing explanations in answer keys, and reviewing your grading expectations with your TAs.

Make or check rubrics for assignments

Creating rubrics is an effective way to reduce your grading load and clearly communicate expectations to students. As you prepare your upcoming course, make sure to include rubrics that are easy to understand for both students and TAs.

• Start by creating rubrics in your Canvas course.
  • You can also use this Rubrics Guide to manage or edit already existing rubrics in Canvas.
• Visit the ASU Rubric Overview for more information on what a rubric should look like.
• Need inspiration? Here are several rubric examples.

Meet with your Teaching Assistants

Teaching assistants bring a wealth of knowledge to the classroom and are a valuable asset for managing course grading. If you are assigned TAs for your course, be sure to articulate and establish clear goals for them.

• To begin discussion with your TAs, use the TA - Instructor Compact as a guide.
• It’s important to remember that TAs are contracted for 20 hours per week and anything beyond that 20 hours becomes the responsibility of the instructor.
• It’s also important to meet regularly with your teaching assistants to keep everyone up-to-date. Make sure to set a regular schedule of meetings at the beginning of the course.
• Lastly, it can be helpful to share tips with your TAs on the best practices for providing meaningful feedback.

Sincerely,
The Teaching and Learning Center team