Need Essay Feedback? Hit 'Print.'
Grading writing should not be exhausting.
Respect your own time by transforming predictable mistakes to predictable feedback.
Context. Previously I argued why typed feedback paired with spoken feedback works best. Today I will show an example passage with possible comments. Future posts will feature themed comments—summarizing, introducing quotations, writing about literature, writing dialogue, and so on.
Review. Time and mental energy are finite. If you write it more than once, create templates. Habitual recreation spells habitual exhaustion. Instead, grade with a notebook and draft essay comments. Pair spoken feedback with typed feedback, creating individual task sheets.
Questions. Consider the 80-20 Rule: Where do you spend most of your time? Mental energy saved means mental energy refocused. Shift the starting point forward. Consider the following:
1. What was the focus for this particular task?
2. Where did they struggle before the task?
3. What comments will you write the most?
4. What minimal feedback corrects these mistakes?
5. How does the task itself need revised?
Sample Passage. I wrote the following to demonstrate paired feedback. This prompt, a simple process or how to essay, scripts an everyday activity with three steps as the body. The terms first, second, and third were required.
For brevity, I included the body only and will assume the comments are self-explanatory.
For fun, I featured the “infinite regression” mistake. Want to make a simple PB&J? Try getting a job first rather than start with materials!
How to Make a PBJ
First, u should get a job and work until you have the money.
Two, go too the store. You’re parents will need to drive you. Find bread peanut butter and jelly and you will need to go home. At home grab the right utinsuls and a plate.
Last you will take the bread on a plate and remove the lids. then you will add the peanut butter to one slice and a scope of jelly to the other. onecc that is done you will combine them. How do you like yours cut.
In practice. Meet with students individually, discuss their essay, and circle what needs revised.
Sample Comments. As we discuss the response, I would explain how it missed the prompt. (Why not add learning to read?) Circling comments creates an individual task list for revisions. My lists are not exhaustive, but the feedback prevents my exhaustion. My focus shifts from writing to student conferences instead.
Proofread your paper. This essay contained frequent errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
Avoid homophone errors. This essay contained homophone errors, or words which sound the same but are spelled differently. Double check to/too/two, there/their/they’re, your/you’re, then/than, etc.
Follow capitalization rules. Do not randomly capitalize words. Capitalize both the first word of each sentence as well as proper nouns.
Start with ingredients. Your essay lists gathering ingredients as an entire step and crowds your actual steps later on. Include a sentence at the end of your introduction which states what materials are needed.
Add more supporting details. Supporting details explain topic sentences. This essay contained underdeveloped paragraphs. Bolster weak paragraphs by adding more specific or concrete examples.
Use consistent transitions. This essay contained inconsistent transitions words. Numbers, for instance, should read “first, second, third” rather than “firstly, twice, three.” Make your structure clear.
Punctuate rhetorical questions. Rhetorical questions should end with question marks.
Effort and Loss. If students toss handwritten feedback, created after hours of work, it dances on a nerve. Your loss. If students toss typed feedback instead, you just hit Print. Their loss.
Update! Check out other posts in the series:
