Checking answers can sometimes be seen as boring and time-consuming. However, it is very important for students to know what the correct answer is or they may say to themselves, “I still don’t know the answers so it can’t have been important. Why have I just done this task?”
When all answers are correct
If you have noticed that all of the students seem to be coping well with the task and all of their answers are correct, once the task is finished you can tell students you’ve looked at all their work, everyone is correct and you can move on. It is important to do this so students feel secure. If you just move on without saying anything your students could be left wondering whether they have mistakes in their work or not.
Different ways of going over answers
- Give each student one answer that they are responsible for and that they have to be able to explain to the other students.
- Give the students the answer key (or put it up on the wall or the board) for students to check their own answers. If they have questions, they can ask you.
- One student has the answer and pretends to be the teacher (works well with very strong students in class and allows you to take a step back).
- Have students write the answers on the board (works well with early finishers in class).
- Rather than you nominating the students, the students nominate each other.
- Monitor the students while they are on task and focus the feedback on the answers that most students were struggling with.
- Put all students’ names on pieces of paper and into a hat or a bag, then draw the names to nominate them.