Teacher Tip

 

Our newsletter will regularly share tips contributed by attendees of the 2001 Conference in Mitchell.  See [this link] for what you should do to share one of your tips for classroom success.

 

Grading of Writing Assignments 

 

Grade Level: Any

  1. Have students create the rubric for scoring the assignment--3 to 5 criteria.

  2. Divide your class into groups of three, giving each group three essays (or other writing assignment), not
    their own.

  3. Each person in the group reads all three papers and uses the rubric to evaluate them independently, without conferring with the others in the group.

  4. Then members of each group confer and must reach consensus on a score for each paper.  Members of the group must explain their scoring to the writer of the paper.

  5. The paper goes back to its writer, who may protest the score if s/he wishes, explaining why.

Students learn a lot about rubrics and writing assessment through participating in this grading activity. Also, the scoring is accurate!  Teacher needs only to quick-read the papers and that's it!!  Teacher also assesses the protests. 

Contributed by Sharon Olbertson, Beresford High School