Assessing Student Writing (4/11)

This week we read selections from Gallagher and Christiansen along with an article by Patricia Dunn. All readings focused on a theme of instead of correcting everything students do wrong it's more effective to show them what they're doing correctly. There was a chapter in Teaching for Joy and Justice in which Christiansen mentions she doesn't even grade papers! Our classroom discussion today focused on these issues with everyone sharing great points of view on how they feel about grading.

Gallagher wrote about his Ten Tenets of Teaching Editing Skills. One Tenet that I focused on for a quickwrite question was the tenth- Repeat After Me: "I Am Not Superman. I Am Not Superman. I Am Not..." This stuck with me because it is a good practice for a teacher to be in. Learning from what people shared in class today, teachers have a lot on their plates at all times. It is good to remind yourself that you can't do everything all the time.

Christensen wrote about how she also focuses on giving students constructive feedback. She does this by not grading her students' papers. They either pass the assignment or have to rewrite. I believe this is a very effective way of getting students to complete their work with more creativity. They are less held down to the idea of receiving a grade allowing them to work more extensively. Without a grade holding them down they can write how they truly feel.

The article that compared teaching new drivers to new writers included many similarities. You can not force good driving or good writing down anyone's throat. While some people should be told how to drive with immediate instruction, "Stop now!" "Speed up!" most writers don't function this way. All of these readings helped me understand that there are multiple ways for students to improve their writing.