Update on No Name Papers

Previously, I wrote about a classroom project I made...my “No Name” board.  I thought this would simplify the process of figuring out who completed the papers.  It would put more of the responsibility on the students.  This was not necessarily the case.  Instead, it basically served as a place to store “No Name” papers.  Very rarely would a student actually go check the board to see if they had a paper pinned to it.  And the board was full!  It was pretty frustrating and sad to me, to see so many papers/students not get a grade for all their hard work solely because they did not claim their work.

For the first half of this school year, when handing out work or when students began working on an assignment, I would always remind them to put their name on their paper.  A few times I would even sing the name song: “The first thing on your paper is your name.  The first thing on your paper is your name.  Ms. Korth wants to know who did the work, so the first thing on your paper is your name.” (To the tune of the “Farmer in the Dell.”)  Yes, middle school students did not find this particularly amusing, but I do think I got a few more students to put their name on their paper because of my serenade.

In addition to reminding them to put names on papers when they started working, I would also remind them upon turning in their assignments.  I would say things like, “Before you turn your paper into the tray, remember to put your name on it,” and, “Please make sure your name is on your paper.  Then, have the person with the longest hair in your group turn in your paper.”  

Even with all of these reminders,, there would always be 1-3 papers without names from each section I taught. These papers would go up on the no name board.

During the last four months of school, I started implementing a new procedure.  When it was time for the class to turn assignments in I said, “Please put your name on your paper.  Then, circle, star, or highlight your name.”    Not only did I remind them to put their names on their papers, but I also had them do one extra thing.  And the results...no more no name papers!  I am not kidding!  Very rarely was there a no name paper.  Many of the times that there was a no name paper, I had forgotten to tell the students to highlight, circle, or star their names.  This was a game changer people!  I’m not sure why it worked, but it did, and I will definitely implement this again next year. Hopefully by doing so, I will not have to use my no name board.