It is very slow to have each student go and look for their own folder in a single file row.
I am often asked about how to make the paperwork of Rocket Math go efficiently and not take up too much time. When I do live training sessions and tell participants about ways to be more efficient I usually get a lot of push back and a lot of “Do I have to..?” So I’m going to offer some ideas, but you may want to do things in a different way. If you can do things another way, just as efficiently, then don’t do things my way.
Here’s 13 ideas that can help.
1) Put a packet of six copies of the practice pages in the folder at a time. Then you don’t have to handle the folders of students until they pass or use up the six sheets.
2) Immediately after the test, collect only the folders of student who say they’ve passed, and have them stick the papers out so you can tell they passed.
3) You don’t have to check every paper–only the ones who have passed by doing enough problems to meet their goal.
4) You don’t have to check every problem–the first error disqualifies them for passing so once you’ve found one, put it back.
5) If students can’t keep their folders in their desks, store them by row or pod of desks, and then have the paper passer for that row distribute folders.
6) Make answer key packets A-Z for each operation (on colored paper) which go into student folders for daily use. No need to be getting new answer sheets this way.
7) Students from 3rd grade on can go get their packet of new sheets, or you can stick them into the folders as you are correcting.
8) Teach students how to sit in their desks, and if necessary move to sit close to their partners. Practice the routine of getting into partners until the class can do it quickly.
9) Set up partners ahead of time, so students don’t wander the room looking for someone to work with.
10) Set up A and B partners and then post on the board who goes first, so there’s no delay there.
11) Monitor closely so everyone stays on task.
12) Teach the routine and then just tell the students to go without a lot of discussion from you. The whole process shouldn’t take more than ten minutes once you have the routine established. Time the class and post your best time. Minimum of two minutes practice for each partner–but send me your best time and I’ll share it with everyone!
13) Use a volunteer or helper to keep the filing crate full of packets of pages. Looking for another Set G is the biggest time waster imaginable.