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If you’re a teacher—especially a business teacher with a million preps—you know the struggle: The endless, non-stop grading. The mountain of papers that never gets smaller, only relocated—from your classroom, to your living room floor, back to your classroom, and sometimes, regrettably, right back home again. I’ve been there, living a never-ending loop of tote bags bursting with assignments, wondering if this is just what teaching is supposed to be.
Let’s be real, that routine wore me out long before I was even close to burnout. Wrangling lesson plans for seven different preps while raising three daughters (cheer, girl scouts, basketball…the works) meant something had to give. For years, that “something” was my own peace of mind. Then, one day, in the middle of shuffling yet another untouched batch of accounting simulations, I had my pivotal moment—a sort of teacher epiphany.
It sounds bold, right? But hear me out. I realized I was wasting time and energy trying to grade outside the classroom, when my students—and my opportunity to impact them—were right there in front of me. That’s how my journey into “over-the-shoulder” grading began.
Here’s the gist. I picked Fridays (but honestly, any day that fits your groove will do). Fridays in my class became sacred “independent work” days—no new concepts, just hands-on application of the week’s lessons. The routine was simple: students got out their completed work (on paper or pulled up on their screens), I’d walk around the room, clipboard and (sometimes) Smarties™ in hand, and grade their assignments right there. No rubrics unless it was a big project, just three basic mental checkboxes: was it done, was it thoughtful, and was it correct?
Some might say, “Doesn’t everyone just get an A?” Nope! Even with me hovering, there were students who didn’t have things done, or done well, or done at all. But over time, just the knowledge that I’d be coming around made accountability soar. Nobody wants a teacher standing at their desk reminding them (in front of classmates) that things are missing—a little gentle reputation management goes a long way, trust me!
I can’t emphasize enough how much time this method saves. I leave on Fridays with a clear gradebook and a clear mind, not a stack of homework for myself. But beyond personal sanity, there are three big wins for students:
My favorite part, though? Over-the-shoulder grading is meaningful. I can quietly check in with kids who’ve missed time for heartbreaking reasons, encourage the ones who are working hard, and celebrate wins with little rewards (hello, Michael Bublé music and Smarties™!). It brings a vibe of care and accountability that’s honestly hard to replicate with a faceless pile of paperwork at home.
So, if you’re overwhelmed by grading, try it. Use your classroom time. Lean into connection. Save your evenings for yourself—you’ve earned them! Sometimes the best grading system is the one that gives YOU your life back!
To learn more, listen to Episode 18: Make Your Teacher Life More Manageable by Grading Over the Shoulder! of my podcast ‘The Art of Teaching Business’. You can stream my podcast straight from my website. My podcast is also available on all the major stream platforms including Apple Podcast and Spotify.
