Tips for Responding to Student Writing

Tip 1: Low-stakes writing activities do not require much feedback.
Low-stakes writing activities do not require much feedback; in fact, it's usually best to respond to them minimally. Much of the writing done in writing-intensive courses is low stakes. Although these types of assignments (e.g., freewrites, journal entries, and informal letters) should be responded to in some manner, they don't require extensive feedback or time on your part. <more>

Tip 2: Use peer review for drafts of medium- and high-stakes writing.
Having students work together in small groups to review drafts of their high-stakes writing is another means of responding to student writing. It's best to give students a photocopied list of issues that they should be focusing on in their groups. While the groups are working together, you can go around the room and make sure that each student has brought a draft and any necessary copies for his or her group members. <more>

Tip 3: Use a grading guide when responding to drafts and final drafts of medium-and high-stakes writing.
Grading guides take a little time and effort to put together but wind up being major timesavers when it comes to responding to student writing. You can just circle or otherwise mark the areas that students need to work on without having to keep writing the same remarks over and over again. <more>

Tip 4: Do not become the editor of your students' writing or comment on all their problem areas.
You will be helping yourself and your students if you don't become their editor, that is to say, if you avoid correcting or commenting on all their problem areas. Many teachers find themselves editing their students' writing. That is, they start fixing or pointing out all the mistakes or problem areas. Doing this takes a lot of time and is not, ultimately, useful for the students. <more>

Tip 5: Make a list of phrases that you can use when responding to writing.
Make a list of standard phrases that you can use when responding to writing: saving some of your comments and making a list of phrases that you can choose from in the future will save you time when commenting on student papers. <more>

Tip 6: Give students samples of good and bad writing.
It can be very helpful to your students to give them samples of good and bad writing. Many times students struggle because they do not have a clear sense of what teachers want to see in their writing. Even when professors use grading guides, students find it helpful to actually see an essay or paragraph that's considered especially strong or weak. <more>

For more information about the WID program at LaGuardia, contact:
Marian Arkin, 718-482-5680, mcarkin@aol.com, English Department, LaGuardia Community College (CUNY)
31-10 Thomson Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11235