Reminding students of reliable exam-writing strategies will allow them to demonstrate their knowledge of the course work rather than on writing the exam answers. Essays Evaluating writing can be very time consuming. Writing to promote learning does not have to be graded, but when writing does require evaluation, graders may wish to respond primarily as informed readers. Holistic grading statements and checklists help graders maintain consistency. Teaching assistants will be better able to maintain uniform standards if they participate in designing the assignment and if they norm themselves before grading.
Teaching assistants prove to be valuable colleagues in large classes.
Their unique perspectives toward their fields and your courses help them to provide exceptional feedback to you and your students. Discussing assignment goals and expectations, as well as evaluation techniques with teaching assistants can help to make writing in large classes more time-efficient and effective. This page was originally constructed by the Writing Consulting Program at the University of Kansas. It is currently maintained by the Center for Teaching Excellence.