Insights Into The Commenting Process
- Read all the papers through once without marking at all to get a sense of how everyone did on the assignment.
- Slap sticky notes on each paper after you read it for the first time indicating your gut feelings on the grade and why you'd give it that grade (B--good focus, unity, coherence; some problems in development, but not major. D--serious problems in focus, unity, coherence, etc.)
- Plan your schedule so you read and final grade no more than 5-6 in a row.
- Read each essay through another time without marking--have a sheet handy with Strengths/Weaknesses columns.
- Write end notes based on strengths/weaknesses, then go back and indicate in margins parts that are strong and parts that are weak.
- Grade a handful, take one or two graded essays and bury them in the huge pile of not-yet-graded as a delightful surprise/reward for later.