Increase Students’ Writing Skills by Increasing Their Awareness
By: Brenda Mahler
Tags: Teaching, Writing, Writing Tip, Feedback, Assessment

Note

Rubrics aren’t too hard to create because there are many templates on the internet, and often you can find a ready made one by typing keywords.

Teach the expectations

I assess only what the students have been taught and focus on the skills that the lessons focused upon. For instance, when this rubric was implemented for assessment, I had been teaching lessons on how to use showing versus telling and sensory imagery in writing.

I tell students on day one and repeatedly thereafter that any skill they were taught in lower grades is assessable. It is expected that they apply skills from prior curriculum: capitalization, spelling, basic punctuation, etc. Thus skills are included in the conventions row on the rubric.

Teach how to build a rubric

Early in my career, I caught myself assuming students understood. When I learned not to assume anything, I built a lesson that teachings students how to use a rubric.

To be totally honest I heard about this at a conference eons ago, but this is how I presented the idea. I provided groups of students an empty rubric similar to what you see below, on a full sheet of paper so that they have room to collect and record data.

Rubric created by author, Brenda Mahler

Then I asked volunteers to bring in cookies. I’ve never had a problem getting positive responses when students know they get to eat them in class. When students volunteered, I explain what kind of cookies I needed. Each student was asked to bring in a different kind.

Purchased Chips Ahoy! Cookies from Dollar Store or similar. These should be small, dry, and if possible day old. Typical cookies from a simple recipe or the kind available in the refrigeration aisle of the grocery store, baked. I they are overcooked this would be ok. Grandma’s secret recipe. Cookies with extra ingredients, large chunks of chocolate, moist, and warm if possible.

When all the items are assembled, I usually brought some back up just in case, students were divided into groups and asked to create a rubric for chocolate chip cookies. They have cookie samples in front of them to spark ideas.

Remember to put some sanitary procedure in place but students love the activity and produce excellent rubrics. After this activity, there is a much clearer understanding of how a rubric works.

Teach how to apply a rubric

The next step requires students to read several examples of descriptive essays. I typically shared examples on the screen using a projector and computer. After I read an essay out loud, students discussed where they think it would fall on the descriptive writing essay rubric from earlier. We read and discussed several essays, then I provide the correct answer to demonstrate how I would assess the writing.

After this discussion students were given a copy of the rubric and the assignment to write an essay describing their favorite place. The expectation is that as they write, the expectations clearly guide them through the process.

Before they turn the papers in for a final grade, several peers read their paper and assessed it using the criteria on the rubric. Then time is allotted for revision.

Empowering writers to use feedback

When the student writers received the rubrics, either from a peer or the teacher, areas of strength were circled. Areas that needed revision were underlined. It then became the writer’s responsibility to improve the piece, thus their strengths were accentuated and their weaknesses were highlighted so they could revise or improve on the next assignment.

I have several other tricks that I use to prompt students to take ownership but those are for a later article. Stay tuned.

Readers are always invited to gather more ideas from my blog, I AM My Best! If you are a teacher check out the “writing” tab for lesson ideas.