Assessment

FAQ: How do you "grade" poems and short stories from writers who have such divergent ability levels?

My response: First of all, I try very hard to steer my class mentality away from a reliance on the almighty and ever-powerful GRADE. In the adult world, we are not given As and Bs and Cs; our motivation to do our jobs well must come from within. Similarly, a young person's desire to grow in his/her writing and be an engaged member of a creative writing class should not (cannot?) come merely from a "good grade." Soo, are you ready for a very controversial statement? Here it comes...

I do not "grade" my students' work.

There. I said it. Now, before you start to jump to a million crazy conclusions about me and my abilities as an educator, please allow me to explain.

When students hand in final drafts, I write a copious amount of comments and suggestions on their work. I give them positive feedback, but also, provide a critical response: how can they bring the reader closer, are they using effective diction, have they titled their work, is their work rich in imagery and detail, etc. Students never find an "A" or a "D" on their writing, but they do find a wealth of input. This, to me, is much more meaningful for all parties involved.

Obviously, I keep track of who is handing in what: if Joan has not handed in the last two assignments, my gradebook clearly reflects this fact. Similarly, if Tom has handed in the last five final drafts, typed, and neatly organized, that is recorded also.

Prior to progress reports (about three weeks into each marking period), I have each student in my class complete a self-assessment. The actual format I use for Creative Writing is as follows:

Completion of in-class work ______/100

Completion of homework (journals, rough drafts, add’l assignments) ______/100

Final drafts handed in (on time) /quality of final drafts (typed, neatly organized) ______/100

On-task/appropriate classroom behavior ______/100

Respectful attitude to peers and teacher ______/100

Productivity in a pair/group ______/100

Overall participation (reading, discussion, peer review, etc.) ______/100

Effort and accountability ______/100

Overall quality of classroom performance______/100

Willingness to grow ______/100

Your total points ______/1000

(I also include a section for students to offer additional comments or input relevant to their classroom performance.)

Students assess themselves on the above criteria, which speak not only to the work they hand in, but their presence in a writing environment: are they being productive in a group setting? Are they being respectful of their peers? Are they participating in a variety of ways?

Nine times out of ten, students are *incredibly* honest and accurate in their evaluations. Ultimately, I have the final say regarding the averages, but I rarely come up with figures that differ greatly from their own thoughts on the subject.

Before marking period averages are due, I go back into my computer gradebook and make any necessary changes and updates.

So far, this system has worked very well and, I believe, has encouraged my students to focus more on their entire classroom presence and their intrinsic motivation to do well.

How do you assess your students' work? I am interested in your feedback!

Stay tuned for my next topic: Which students take Creative Writing?