How to Create a Rubric: A Step-by-Step Guide for Teachers

OK, confession time…

As a new teacher in the early 2000s, I avoided rubrics like the proverbial plague. I had my reasons!  Rubrics always felt generic and vague.  I wasn’t even sure how to create one, and when I did try, it took forever to make.

What did I do before using a rubric, you ask?

Here’s the confession part: After collecting student work, I’d write a score and a brief comment.  It would look something like this:

No categories. No criteria. No real feedback. Not exactly best practice. What I needed was a rubric.

Fast forward many years, and I’m here to tell you that rubrics are your friend.

Not only can rubrics make grading faster and more consistent, but they also give students a clear understanding of how their work will be assessed.  For students, rubrics promote self-reflection and growth.  For teachers, they offer much-needed sanity when grading subjective tasks like writing, presentations, and projects.

If you’re new to rubrics, don’t worry.  Here’s a simple three-step process to get you started.  Once you have these components, you can use a rubric generator or start with one of ours and tweak it as needed.

How to Create a Rubric: A Step-by-Step Guide for Teachers

For example, the grading criteria for a presentation, might be the following:

1. Content of slides

2. Knowledge of the subject

3. Preparation and delivery 

4. Speaking conventions (eye contact, volume, etc.)

For an essay, your grading criteria could be:

1. Thesis development

2. Organization

3. Analysis/Evidence

4. Mechanics

Remember: Keep it simple!  Stick to no more than four criteria.  Rubrics with too many criteria become cumbersome to grade and overwhelming for students.

Download three FREE ready-to-use rubrics!

You have a few options for your grading scale. Choose one that feels intuitive and manageable for the assignment.

• Descriptive Terms: “Exceeds Expectations,” “Meets Expectations,” “Developing,” “Needs Improvement.”

• Numbers: 4, 3, 2, 1

• Letters: A, B, C, D, F

Once you’ve chosen your categories, think about what distinguishes excellent work from adequate or developing work. This is where the magic happens—you’re building the guide that will help you grade consistently.

Example: In the Preparation and Delivery category, your criteria might look like this:

• Exceeds Expectations: Well-rehearsed; speaks clearly and confidently; maintains consistent eye contact.

• Meets Expectations: Somewhat rehearsed; speaks clearly most of the time; occasional eye contact.

• Needs Improvement: Appears unrehearsed; inconsistent volume and clarity; minimal eye contact.

I think this is the most important step. I once used a writing rubric with an analysis category that was too vague—nearly every student received “exceeds expectations,” even though the quality of work varied significantly. I had to rework the criteria to make it more specific so students could clearly understand how to improve.

Two more tips for using rubrics…

Tip #1:  You’ll need to translate the rubric scores into an actual grade.

Now that you’ve marked the rubric, it’s time to convert those scores into a grade. Here’s an easy way to do it:

1. Decide the total point value for the assignment (e.g., 50 points).

2. Assign point values to each category (e.g., 20 points for content, 20 for preparation, and 10 for speaking conventions).

3. Determine how each level translates into points (e.g., 20 points for “Exceeds Expectations,” 16 for “Meets Expectations,” 14 for “Developing,” 10 for “Needs Improvement”).

4. Add up the points for the final score.

Note: Stick to one point value per level. If you introduce ranges (e.g., 16-18 points for “Meets Expectations”), it can get confusing and time-consuming.

Tip #2:  Practice with a Few Samples Before Grading

Rubrics are fantastic for adding consistency to subjective tasks—but only if you’re familiar with how they apply to real student work.

Before jumping into a full class set, practice with 3 to 5 student samples. Mark the rubric for each piece, and compare your scores. Are your criteria clear? Are you seeing patterns? This process will help you grade more accurately and efficiently.

When I first started using rubrics, I would focus on one category and sort student work into piles based on their scores. After grouping 4–5 pieces together, I’d reread them to check if the scores accurately reflected the quality of work. If not, I recalibrated before moving on. It took extra time at first but saved me hours of grading in the long run.

Rubric Challenge: Try It Out!

Building a rubric might seem like an extra step, but it will save you so much time in the long run. This year, choose one or two assignments—presentations or group projects are great places to start—and give it a shot. It may feel clunky at first, but once you get into the groove, you’ll wonder how you ever graded without one.

My biggest hesitation was that rubrics might feel impersonal. But with a well-written rubric and a brief comment when needed, I found that students actually read the feedback and reviewed the rubric. It seemed more formal and structured, which encouraged them to engage more than they did with my longer, handwritten comments.

Final Thoughts…

Rubrics aren’t just a tool for grading—they’re a way to set clear expectations and support student growth. With a little practice, they’ll become an essential part of your teaching toolkit. Give it a try, and see how it changes your grading!

Rubrics aren’t just a tool for grading—they’re a way to set clear expectations and support student growth. With a little practice, they’ll become an essential part of your teaching toolkit. Give it a try, and see how it changes your grading!

Amanda Melsby has been a professional educator for 20 years.  She taught English before working as an assistant principal and later as a high school principal.  Amanda holds an Ed.D. in Educational Practice and Leadership and is currently a dean of teaching and learning.