Homework and other various assignments are an important way for teachers to connect with their students.  It is important for teachers to get to know their students, and grading their assignments is one way to do this.

Through the process of grading a student’s work, teachers observe students’ strengths and weaknesses. Such observations gives them a greater understanding of their students on an individual basis.

If teachers were to grade anonymously, they would not have the opportunity to efficiently help their students.

“I think it’s really important for teachers to know whose work that they are grading, because it helps them to establish an idea of what concepts they are struggling with,” said junior Abby Harari.   “This helps them to find ways to alter their curriculum to better expain the material.

If teachers graded anonymously it would make it much more difficult to monitor their students’ progress.

When teachers are familiar with the quality of their student’s work, they notice if the quality of a student’s work rapidly decreases.  The ability to notice such quality changes helps teachers provide students with support or direct them to someone who would be able to help them.

“When teachers grade work with students’ names in mind than they develop an understanding of the student’s abilities and be able to detect unusual lapses in performance and address them quickly,” said junior Nick Marinelli.

The process of grading also allows teachers to notice and acknowledge students who are making immense strides.

Teachers can look back on a student’s previous work to see their progress.

Teachers are often asked to write recommendations for college, and reflect on their students’ achievements. If they were not able to look back on the student’s previous work, this already sometimes difficult task would become much more challenging.

Teachers can use graded assignments to demonstrate the progress that a student has made.

Teachers can also use graded assignments to prevent and deal with academic dishonesty.

If they are aware of the quality of work that their students typically produce, they will quickly notice any discrepancies.

The process of grading assignments allows teachers to appreciate their students’ individuality and creativity.  Through their assignments, students can express themselves in a way that they might not be able to, or feel comfortable with in class.

Teachers able to know whose paper they are grading can more easily determine the best ways to explain information to a student, and also can help them connect with their students on a personal level.