Today I'm sharing a really useful grade book tool: ERASABLE HIGHLIGHTERS  If you haven't discovered these yet, you are missing out.  The kind I use are Pilot FriXion Light Pastel Collection Erasable Highlighters and you can find them on Amazon.  I tried not keeping a paper grade book, but it's really difficult for me to reconcile absences with assignments without one.


From the product description: FriXion lets you highlight but leaves room for error. Unique Thermo-Sensitive formula disappears with erasing friction. That means no eraser crumbs, no holes in your paper, and best of all, no more mistakes! Here's what makes this so awesome for grade books- you can highlight zeros, but then erase them if a student turns in the assignment later.

I also highlight unauthorized absences (when students skip) because they aren't allowed to make up work from those days. Being erasable makes that able to be changed if the absence code gets changed in the system later on (a parent calls in).

The highlighters are not quite as bright as traditional highlighters, but definitely bright enough to do the job! My grade book is definitely more efficient with the use of color coding, and being able to make changes and edits keeps it neat and organized. You should definitely try them if you keep a paper grade book!