TM4T Using Your System 3.2.4.3 - Marking the Marking

It's extremely inefficient to keep writing the same old comment on one particular student's work; not to say demotivating for the student and demoralising for you. Here's one idea to use Short-Form Marking to improve the situation:

Cool, huh? Oh, you want some explanation? OK.

V stands for 'verbal feedback', though when you make this mark on a student's work, they are likely to say that they've 'got verbals'. This, like all short-forms, is something you need to explain to your students early, and before that you need to decide on the rules, some of which are optional. Here's the approach I found worked best, but I'm sure you can see ways to modify it.

1. From the student's perspective, the good news is that it means they are excused the next lot of homework. As a result, Verbals should be greeted and treated with enthusiasm by your students. Obviously, this aspect is optional, and it is also flexible. I find it best if the first V in a half-term involves a let-off, but repeated Vs involve extra work for the student.

2. Instead of homework, they need to write a paragraph (at least 8 lines or 40 words or whatever) on their personal writing target and why it is important in their own words.

3. As I'm sure you've guessed, their 'personal writing target' or 'personal learning target' or whatever, must be based on verbal feedback from you, which you give either in class or at the end of the lesson. The student needs to paraphrase your feedback after, not during your verbal feedback. The student can ask you questions, or refer to your previous comments, but they must express it in their own words. Your students should know that if they get a V at the end of their writing, they can expect prompt, personal, verbal explanation of what they have to do to improve and why. It works best if you explain what the student has to do, and leave it for them to ask 'why?'. Obviously, for many students, they will need to be prompted.

4. Next time round, you simply mark-the-marking: in other words, you mark the student's attempt at echoing your previous verbal marking. You can clarify any misunderstandings, offer praise and encouragement, or simply give them another V if they still haven't got it. The one thing you won't have to do is continue to write the same old set of comments again and again. Fans of short form marking will notice the efficiency of the V mark: three strokes of the pen is much quicker than 'please read previous comments'.

I'm sure the intention here is obvious: many students simply don't read teachers comments (too busy, miss) and consequently the whole business of learning devolves onto the teacher instead of the student. This technique ensures that the student actually understands and acknoweldges what they have to do. The final, trivial detail (getting them to actually do it) is, unfortunately, still down to you.

(If you don't know what short-form marking is, click here)