TeacherTalk Blog | Six Surprising Benefits of Using Teacher Stamps for Marking

Six surprising benefits of using teacher stamps for marking

With the beginning of a new school term, we are all getting ready or what is likely going to be a busy period of assessing student’s work. The main challenge faced by teachers and parents alike is not only how to make marking as time-efficient and cost-effective as possible, but also how to choose the most appropriate marking tools for the job.

In this article we explore six surprising benefits of using teacher stamps for marking, as well as different types of stamps you can incorporate into your classroom.

Stamps are an excellent way for to bring a bit of fun into learning, as well as engage students more effectively. We wouldn’t suggest using stamps to completely replace verbal or written feedback that you give. However, that feedback can become more succinct and to the point when used alongside or incorporated into a stamp. Here are a few reasons why marking stamps are worth considering:

1. Consistency

Stamps are a simple and very effective way to introduce a clear, consistent system for providing feedback that is also in-line with teaching standards or school policies. For example, a feedback stamp with a star to reward sets out a positive message, whilst a red exclamation point easily draws attention to things that need to be worked on. This system can be used by one or more teachers across more than one subject or classroom, making marking familiar and consistent across the board.

2. Familiar expectations

Stamps are a very visual and consistent way of providing feedback that not only serves teachers but also reinforces children’s understanding on what are the standards they are being assessed on and the goals they should meet, depending on their age group. As the children get familiar with the different marking stamps, they also get more comfortable with the expectations of the lesson, and as a result, they can make quicker progress and feel more successful in their learning.

3. Reduced marking time

One of the main benefits of marking stamps is that they are a huge time-saver. Rather than writing out all the feedback by hand, you can choose one stamp that incorporates a whole pre-made list of criteria like key words, objectives or reasons, with a tick box next to each one. While saving 30 seconds of writing per book doesn’t seem like a huge amount of time, it quickly builds up when multiplied by each student, class and subject. If you assume that a teacher has 30 books to mark with six different classes a day, this time quickly adds up to 15 minutes per class and 1.5 hours a day. Marking stamps are therefore a valuable resource not only to students but also teachers alike.

4. Positive motivation

Stamps with positive messages such as a smiling face or a star are a great way to reinforce good performance, encourage positive behaviour and motivate students to improve. Even when it comes to stamps with a sad face or ‘improvement needed’ messages, when used creatively, they can also help students feel emotionally positive about receiving feedback and respond to it in a more constructive way.

5. Cost-effective

Apart from being a great time-saver, stamps can be re-used many times, making them very cost effective. Both self-inking and pre-inked stamps last 10,000 impressions on average before re-inking is required. Being able to refill them with ink rather than having to order a new stamp also considerably saves on the cost long-term.

6. Versatile

Let’s not forget their versatility. Marking stamps can be incorporated not only in the classroom but also for teacher organisation, office filing and administration purposes. Personalised stamps with a choice of image, text and colour, can be used in so many creative ways outside of the classroom like art classes, craft projects and home schooling. The possibilities for fun and learning applications are endless!

Now that we’ve explored the many benefits of marking stamps, let’s dive into the different types of stamps.

Self-inking and pre-inked stamps

These stamps are the ultimate time and cost saver; they come in a range of designs and can be used up to 10,000 times. Self-inking stamps are also re-inkable, which extends the life of the stamp approx. 20 times, whilst pre-inked stamps come with a replaceable ink pad, making them both a cost effective choice.

Click here to see the self-inking & pre-inked stamps

Stamp stacks (Stakz)

Stamp Stacks offer the ultimate multi-tasking, space-saving solution for busy teachers. These stacks are fully customisable and multi-layered solution that offers fantastic value for money.

You can easily personalise each stamp layer with most common marking messages and save time finding the right stamp, as they're all at hand.

The stamp stacks are also super durable – they are re-inkable and you can also add extra stamp layers as and when you need them (max recommended stack size is 5).

Build your own unique stamp set here

Personalised stamps

These stamps take the marking game to the next level because teachers can customise them entirely to their needs, making them also fun and completely unique.

With personalised stamps there is a broad range of choices, from shape, size and subject type, as well as own choice of image, message and up to 14 different ink colours to meet your school marking strategy or preference.

Browse our custom range for fully personalised stamps

Large marking stamps

These large format stamps are perfect for checklist marking, making them the most time-saving and versatile solution. They are also ideal for use outside of the classroom like data entry, grid designs and tables in an office, finance or administration environment.

Available in different sizes, they can also be personalised with a choice of colour, images, words/grids and orientation (landscape or portrait).

Large stamps selection

Box sets

Great value solution for teachers who want to have all their stamps in one place for quick and easy marking. Available in a set of 6 or 8, each stamp can be hand-picked or customised to your school’s marking strategy with colour, image and text to save valuable time writing your most used marking stamp messages.

The best part? They all come in a fun, practical box you can display on your desk or in the classroom and always have your most-used stamps at hand.

Build your own stamp box set

There are so many ways stamps can be used in the classroom to support your student’s learning and provide a valuable solution when marking. Read this article to discover all the different types of school stamps and their practical applications.

As stamps experts we are very experienced and always on hand to advise on the most cost-effective and time-saving solutions - we know that our online selection can be overwhelming so we encourage you to email or call us if you have any questions.