When I think about classrooms this time of year, I’m thinking of the workflow. This time of year is jam-packed with activities, final checks, and state testing. We don’t have time to waste. That’s why it’s important to reclaim your time.
If you want to survive May with your sanity intact, here are three features you should be leaning on:
1. Rubrics in Google Classroom (The “State Test” Hack)
Many teachers don’t realize they can import or build rubrics directly into their Google Classroom assignments.
- The Pro Move: Take the actual writing rubrics from our state testing and build them into your final writing assignments.
- The Benefit: When you grade, you just click the level (1, 2, 3, or 4), and Google does the math for you. More importantly, the students see exactly where they stand against the state standard before the test starts.
2. Google Forms as the “Automated Exit Ticket”
Stop collecting 30 slips of paper at the door. A simple 2-question Google Form can be your diagnostic “Biopsy” for the next day’s lesson.
- The Pro Move: Use “Quiz Mode” with answer keys for multiple-choice questions.
- The Benefit: You get a pie chart of student understanding before the kids even leave the room. If 70% of the class missed the question on fractions, you know exactly what your MathRep warm-up needs to be tomorrow.
3. The “Schedule” Button (Mental Health Move)
The Feature: Instead of hitting “Post” on an assignment, click the arrow next to it and select “Schedule.”
Why it helps: You can batch-plan your entire next week on Sunday night (or during a prep period) and have assignments drop exactly when class starts. No more fumbling with the “Create” button while 30 kids are waiting.
Bonus May Helper
Version History in Docs/Slides
- The Feature: File > Version History > See version history.
- Why it helps: In May, students sometimes “accidentally” delete their entire project or claim they “worked on it for hours” when they didn’t. Version History shows you exactly who wrote what and when. No more “he-said, she-said” during grading, just pure data.
Nowa Techie 