Fall 2022 Post 04: My Grading Process

Many students find my grading process confusing, so I'll explain both how and why I grade academic essays as I do (this is my thesis, which identifies in one sentence my reader, my topic, and my purpose for writing. That's highly efficient and works really well for blog posts, which are usually short.). Moreover, if I explain myself, then more of you will make better grades (this sentence identifies the response I want from my reader). That makes me look good. Win-win.

And by the way, despite the cute image at the top of this post, I don't grade papers with a red pen. I don't grade papers, at all. I grade electronic documents. I gave up printed papers a decade ago.

First, I'll explain how I grade.

• I scan your academic essay online for the basics: correct handling of the assignment, proper MLA formatting, standard academic English, and a clear thesis that addresses the assignment.
• If I find issues with the basics, then I stop grading your document until you fix the basics. I make one comment about each issue that I see, and I return the document to you with a grade of 2 out of 100 on a grading rubric. 
• Note that I make only one comment per issue. I do NOT identify every instance of a comma problem, for instance, or a faulty subject/verb agreement. Rather, I point out that your essay has at least one instance of each kind of issue. It's up to you to find and fix the rest of the errors. I you can't do that by yourself, then you must seek help. However, I do not edit your document. I cannot both edit and grade your document, as I would be grading my own work.
• Often, I will suggest a rewrite to the text if I'm fairly clear about what your essay is trying to communicate. To accept the suggested rewrite (you usually should unless I've misunderstood what you were trying to say), then click the blue checkmark in the comment box in the right-hand margin.
• I will almost always leave an explanation of each issue in a comment box. You should read and understand the explanation before you resolve it. If you don't understand my comment, then ask me. Don't ignore it. Comments take time, and I don't make them frivolously.
• When I have finished making comments, I will share a grading rubric with you with a brief explanation in different categories about your document and with a grade. You can view this rubric, but you cannot edit it.
• At this point of dealing with basic issues, I will usually tell you to visit the Writing Center (WC) or the Student Support Center (SSC) online for help. You'll find the Writing Center here. You can schedule an appointment in the SSC here. This is NOT optional. If I advise you to visit the WC or SSC, then I will not regrade your document until I receive a notice that you have visited. I'm stubborn about this, and I reason this way: you've just demonstrated to me that you can't manage the basics of the essay by yourself; therefore, you need help with editing your essay. I cannot edit your essay and grade it, too. However, I will always answer your questions about specific issues in your essays. So ask.
• If I find few or no issues with MLA or academic language, or if you have visited the WC or SSC and resolved your basic issues, then I continue grading your document. I review your document according to several categories listed in my grading rubric:
  
  
  
• The Assignment: I check to see if your document meets the requirements of the assignment, including length, format, assigned topic, reader, and so forth. This is an initial show stopper. If your document does not address the assignment, then I stop grading until you fix it, usually with outside help such as the Writing Center or Student Support Center.
• The Reader: I check to see if your document clearly identifies or implies a reader, identifies the response expected of the reader, and provides resources and arguments that encourage the reader to respond appropriately.
• The Writer: I check if your document clearly identifies or implies your purpose for writing and uses an authoritative voice appropriate to the reader, your purpose, and the context.
• The Thesis: I check if your document has a clear thesis, usually in the first paragraph or two, that is appropriate to the assignment. This is also a show-stopper. If I don't find an appropriate thesis, I stop grading until you fix it, usually with outside help.
• The Information: I check if your document provides sufficient, relevant, authoritative information to support your thesis. I also note if you support your claims with solid sources.
• The Arrangement: I check if your information is arranged clearly so that a reasonable, intelligent, and diligent reader can follow your argument and arrive at your conclusion, even if they are not convinced by it.
• The Academic Language: I check if your document uses standard, academic English. This is a show stopper. If I find enough language issues that I have trouble understanding what you are trying to communicate, then I quit grading until you fix the issues, usually with outside help such as the Writing Center.
• MLA Formatting: I check if your document uses MLA formatting and style. This is a show stopper. If I find enough MLA issues, then I quit grading until you fix the issues, usually with outside help such as the Writing Center.
• Each time I grade your document, I share a grading rubric that lists the points earned in each category with each iteration. Sometimes I will add quick suggestions for improving or compliments for doing particularly well.
• You may continue to rewrite your document until the last day of classes or until you are either tired of rewriting it or happy with your grade. I will regrade your document each time you send me a Gmail asking me to regrade it. Do not assume that I will regrade your document just because you've made some changes. You must notify me through Gmail.
• Your grade will only go up, never down, and you get the new grade, not some average of all past scores. It is definitely to your advantage to rewrite as often as you can, as soon as you can.

So why do I grade like this? Because you learn more and better if I do. Nothing clarifies your learning objectives like a failing grade.

First, grading is a process — just like writing. I don't believe in one and done, which is what many of you are most likely used to. The way I grade can be a long process, and most teachers don't want to go through it, but I believe it's the best way to learn how to write. Grading is a dance, sometimes a long dance, as you and I seek a happy meeting ground. I'm looking for a near perfect paper, and you are looking for a near perfect grade. This will likely mean that we will have several grading sessions for each document. This means that most of you are nowhere near done with Doc1.

Second, I have high expectations. I have to read your essays, so I want good essays. I'm old and I don't have enough time left to waste on poor writing. You must rise to my standards; I won't fall to yours.

Third, I don't want to overwhelm you with feedback. Too much feedback at one time can be demoralizing. So I deal first with the simple aspects of writing: the parameters of the assignment, MLA and standard academic English, and a clear thesis. The rules are fairly clear and consistent, so you either do them correctly or you don't. If you do them, we move forward. If you don't, we stop and fix them, right now.

I don't start with MLA and standard English because they are the most important parts of writing. They are not. Rather, they are the necessary grounds of good academic writing. Most of you like texting because it's so free and loose — or so you believe — but texting has its rules, too, and if you violate them, then you don't communicate well. Let's say that, because I'm free to text however I like, I send you the following text message:

browac4amd. wfm.

Of course, this text message likely makes no sense to you until I interpret: "Be right over with a check for a million dollars. Wait for me." My incomprehensible text message illustrates that even texting requires rules and organization if we are to communicate through it. Academic writing requires certain kinds of rules and organization appropriate to the academic context, just as texting does. Following those rules and structures gains you entrance to the conversation. Think of appropriate format and language as appropriate dress for a job interview. Probably, you don't normally wear a tie, but you might wear one to your job interview, not because the tie makes you smarter or a more capable employee, but because it gets you in the door. Appropriate language and MLA formatting are like dressing appropriately for the occasion. If you want to be a nurse, eventually you will have to learn to dress like a nurse and quit dressing like your high school buddies. Similarly, you'll have to learn to communicate like a nurse and quit communicating like your high school text buddies. The first hospital administrator that you text WTF? to will have you in front of the human resources disciplinary board before you leave work that day. If you want to converse with professional people, then you must learn to converse in professional language — not your high school textese. There is nothing wrong with text language, unless you are using it for an academic audience.

Finally, I use grades — mostly bad ones — to spur you to rewrite your document. For instance, if I just take a few points off for your MLA, or even drop you a letter grade, then many of you will just accept the lower grade, figuring a slightly higher grade is not worth the effort. So I give you a grade you can't accept, a 2. You really do have to fix it or fail the class. I demand that you show up and do the work. I won't accept less.

I could go on, but I suspect many of you have already stopped reading. If you have questions, ask below. If you have no questions, just tell me that you understand. If you have complaints, definitely leave those below. If I don't have a good answer, then I'll probably change my grading process.