|
Responding to Student Writing
Students retain more of what you say in written comments than in lecture! |
 |
| Five years from now, they may not remember the precise circumstances surrounding the revolution in the Dominican Republic, but they will remember either "you have a knack for analytical nuance" or "you lack focus and depth." The student considers your comments a personal communication and thus s/he takes the time to interpret them. Your comments should create an argument for the grade you give, which is the thesis of your assessment. |
It is crucial to extensively comment on student drafts and allow ample time for revision. Present opportunities in conferences or written forms for students to dialogue with your written comments. It is also crucial to think of your response to student writing as writing itself, writing that models the respectful voice and proper response that students should use with one another in class discussions and peer editing sessions.
Consider fewer margin comments on initial drafts and more comprehensive end comments (you can refer to specific places in the text with numerical reference). Think of how reviewers of your own work give you the dignity of response and criticism by writing you a substantial response and giving you ideas for restructuring your argument and refining your prose, rather than jotting "unclear" or "awkward" in your margins!
The gritty details
of responding to and grading student writing follow. They all share one
goal: student learning! But your time management shares synergy
with this primary goal. Consider our guidelines to ensure that students
learn the most that they can from the writing assignments and comments
that you painstakingly make. Student learning is often not correlated
with the amount of time you put into class preparation! When it comes
to teaching writing, a carefully orchestrated activity teaches more than
a well-researched lecture or lesson plan.
 |
Introduction
| Faculty | Student
| Research | Livewire
| Chat Room | Message
Board
Discipline-specific Writing | Writing
Instruction | Writing Process | Site
Map
Department of English
| Rutgers University-Camden
| Rutgers University
Department
of English
Armitage Hall, Fourth Floor
Rutgers University,Camden, NJ 08102
Tel: (856) 225-6121, Fax: (856) 225-6602
