Tests, quizzes, and projects fall into the category of summative assessments. These are formally graded assignments and are the main way teachers evaluate student learning. Formative assessments, such as homework, are the tools teachers use to develop required skills and knowledge. Since they're opportunities to learn from mistakes, avoid formally grading homework assignments.  Give credit for completing homework assignments, but don't count wrong answers against their grade. Factor their overall homework score into their final grade. For instance,  they completed 38 of 40 assignments, and homework is 20% of their final grade, they get 19 out of 20 points. and projects without reading students’ names. Grading anonymously helps eliminate conscious and subconscious biases. It’s tough to grade handwritten assignments blindly, but you should still do your best to stick to anonymous grading. Blind grading techniques include covering students’ names, having them write their names on the backs of assignments, and having them write assigned ID numbers instead of their names. Start by sampling about a quarter of essay tests or research papers. If you’ve collected 25 essays, skim 5 or 10. This will help you get a feel for the quality range of the assignment you’re grading. For essay tests, read and grade the first essay on all the tests, then grade the second essay. For other test formats, grade each section 1 at a time. Grading item-by-item will help you keep each section’s criteria fresh in mind.

Summary: Use graded assignments to assess and ungraded work to develop skills. Grade tests Read a few assignments before you grade if the rubric is subjective. Grade tests 1 essay or section of problems at a time.


Getting your insurance license takes time, hard work, and money, so you will want to make sure that your efforts will pay off. Make sure that there are lots of good opportunities in your area. You may even consider applying to insurance companies that offer financial support to pursue your insurance license. If you are not working for an insurance company, it will be very difficult to obtain the additional training and resources that you will need to work as an insurance broker. As an added bonus, having a job with an insurance company will help take the guesswork out of the type of insurance license you should pursue. You can simply ask your employer what type of license you will need. Most licensed brokers recommend that aspiring brokers have certain skills and industry knowledge before embarking on a career in the industry:  Interpersonal skills: Brokers must be patient and considerate with clients, many of whom are overwhelmed by the process of selecting insurance coverage. Brokers also must project confidence when negotiating policies with insurance companies.   Strong Personality: Successful agents will appear excited, eager and positive at all times when working with clients. Agents must also be able to handle rejection. You will hear “No” on a daily basis. Successful agents see each “No” as another step on the way to “Yes.”  Business education: Although only a high-school diploma is required, college-level instruction in business classes can be very useful to new brokers and may lead to higher pay. Successful brokers must understand the tax and legal aspects of the products they sell and how those products fit into a client’s overall financial situation. Classes in tax law, accounting, business administration and investment planning can provide a solid foundation for a new broker. All aspiring brokers must take required coursework and a licensing exam in the area of specialization they choose. Specialties in California include:   Life insurance brokers sell products providing coverage on human lives, including life insurance (protects against the risk of early death), annuities (guaranteed income that protects against outliving one’s financial resources), and funeral and burial insurance, which provides for the cost of funeral and burial expenses.   Accident and health insurance brokers sell mostly health insurance, which pays the medical expenses incurred by the policyholder as a result of accidental injury or illness; and disability insurance, which covers lost income.   Property insurance brokers provide coverage for the loss or damage of property of any kind, including insurance for business property, crop insurance, livestock insurance, earthquake insurance, equipment breakdown insurance, flood insurance, homeowners or dwelling insurance, and inland marine insurance (covers movable property like jewelry or unusual risks).   Casualty insurance brokers, often called liability insurance brokers, provide coverage against legal liability, including that for death, injury, disability, or damage to real or personal property. The most common form is automobile insurance, but there are many other lines.   Personal lines brokers provide insurance specifically for individuals, as opposed to companies, and can includes the following policy types: automobile insurance, residential property insurance, including earthquake and flood insurance, personal watercraft insurance and umbrella or excess liability insurance.   Limited-lines auto brokers sell, solicit or negotiate automobile insurance for private use, liability coverage, physical damage coverage and collision coverage.   Bail agents issue bail bonds on the behalf of insurers. A bail bond is an insurance product that guarantees the appearance of a defendant in court. There is no better way to get a feel for the type of specialty that suits you than to talk with a practicing insurance broker. He or she can give you details on the nature of the work, pay, hours and more.

Summary: Identify opportunities. Consider your skill set before pursuing a license as a California insurance broker. Decide what kind of insurance you want to specialize in. Speak with an insurance broker.


Whether you’re planning a wedding, a family reunion or a simple barbecue, you’ll want your lanterns to fit with a theme. White lanterns work well for weddings, while bright colors will brighten up a summer party. Search online for the perfect kind to fit your theme.  Pick a holiday-specific color scheme. Christmas events generally feature red and green, while Easter parties use pastel colors like light pink, light purple and light yellow. Look for event-specific lanterns. Some paper lanterns have printed patterns specifically for holidays, like Menorahs for Hanukkah, hearts for Valentines day, or pumpkins for Halloween. If you're having a party to celebrate a game day, use colors from the sports team your group favors. Parties can be held in a variety of different venues: tents, picnic shelters, even boats. You’ll need to find fasteners that work for your situation, and most importantly, they’ll have to be easy to remove. Think about using adhesive hooks, or try tying your lanterns directly to rafters or tent supports. Decide the placement of the lanterns and the heights at which they’ll hang. Look online for ideas to match the setup that you are planning for. Sites like Pinterest have many example photos to help your creativity along. Consider hanging them high up above your guests’ heads where they won’t be in anyone’s way.  Tie lanterns across beams or supports. If your event setting has a shelter or tent, hang lanterns across the supports to create a large canopy of lights. Tie lanterns in bunches. Bunched lanterns hanging at different heights create great focal points at your party. Choose a point on a beam or support and tie five to ten lanterns in the same area, all at different heights. Try mixing the sizes of the lanterns to make your bunch even more eclectic feeling. Light a path with lanterns. Hang the paper lanterns low to the ground on short poles to create a cool effect. Use poles made for hanging potted plants, or make your own small poles with hooks. Then place the poles along a path or sidewalk to light the way to your party. Once you’ve decided how high you want your lanterns to hang, it’s time to tie them up using twine or fishing line to create an “invisible” floating effect. Tie a sturdy loop at one end of the twine, then slip it over the lantern’s hanging device. Then, tie the other end directly to a beam or loop it over a hook.
Summary: Decide on a theme. Choose hooks that work for your surroundings. Choose a configuration. Tie strings for your lanterns.