If you’ve ever told a student to show their work and been met with blank stares, scribbled-down numbers, or complete avoidance, you’re not alone. The truth is, many students don’t actually know what show your work means—or why it matters. To them, it sounds like just another rule, a hoop to jump through. But what if we reframed it?
The key is helping students see that showing their work isn’t about writing things down just because we said so—IT’S ABOUT MAKING THEIR THINKING VISIBLE! It’s about leaving a trail so they can check their reasoning, catch mistakes, and explain their process. And sometimes, the phrase show your work just doesn’t connect.
So, let’s rethink the way we ask students to document their thinking. Here are 30 different ways to say ‘show your work’ that might resonate more with your students:
Continue reading 30 Ways to Say “Show Your Work” (Without Saying “Show Your Work”)