Grading Essays

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Middle School Teachers Chatboard

Grading Essays

by Mrs. H

Jul 29, 2014

Quick question:

What's the most efficient way to grade essays?

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(2)

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Ms. Prudenti On 7/29/14, Mrs. H wrote: > Quick question: > > What's the most efficient way to grade essays?

Mrs. H,

I find that if you preplan by creating a rubric of how you are allocating points; you will find grading to be easier and less subjective. In fact, I further recommend you provide the students with said rubric for their u...See More

Jul 29, 2014

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Sue On 7/29/14, Mrs. H wrote: > Quick question: > > What's the most efficient way to grade essays?

I'm torn over essays - should efficiency take precedence over everything else? Unfortunately I guess it has to though in the ideal world what would take precedence is grading/evaluating papers in a way that produces the most learning for...See MoreOn 7/29/14, Mrs. H wrote: > Quick question: > > What's the most efficient way to grade essays?

I'm torn over essays - should efficiency take precedence over everything else? Unfortunately I guess it has to though in the ideal world what would take precedence is grading/evaluating papers in a way that produces the most learning for students, the most motivation to correct and continue to develop their writing.

But we get reduced to trying to do it efficiently. I want to give a thorough evaluation to all student writing. If writing is as important as we make it out to be, then more than any other task it deserves my professional attention. I know rubrics are used and I use them too but not gobs of them. I give the kids a list of things necessary in good writing and usually I give each paper two grades - one for content and one for writing mechanics. I see papers with excellent ideas and insightful points and I think that should be noted and rewarded as it encourages them to continue to develop their writing mechanics. I see papers that are perfect in syntax, punctuation etc but have shallow content and to develop those students as writers I'll give their mechanics an A but writing is Much More than mechanics. A perfectly punctuated sentence can still be dull as dust.

I give fewer papers so I have time to invest in the papers I do assign. I never give another writing assignment until I have the prior one back and I tell both the kids and their parents back and explain why and it's always well- received. "I want to give the papers the benefit of a thorough evaluation."

And I don't want to just give grades - I want to have made a few comments. Not too many because the kids stop reading but three chosen comments in their papers for things to focus on.

And I allow rewrites. If a student wants to rewrite their paper a hundred times, wonderful. I will count the highest grade they achieve through their rewrites.

Is it efficient? I don't know but it lets me sleep with a clear conscience at night - I teach at a charter school where some families wake up at 4 to drive miles and miles to bring their kids to school.

Jul 29, 2014

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