How to Grade an Essay Quickly

Grading papers doesn’t have to be something that makes your skin crawl. Follow along as I share 3 things that you can do right now that will completely change the grading game for you. You’ll be able to grade an essay in 5 minutes max while still giving your students incredible feedback that will allow them to grow as writers.
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[@michaeldedonato-hd2je]

I am 65 and kept all my graded papers with feed back as it made me a better writer (now published) and every once in a while I go back and read them to remind myself of the qualities for outstanding writing. Provide the written feed back and meet with those who could use help. Many will be grateful for your help. I went on to earn an MBA and a law degree driven by the input and all feedback from teachers like yourself. 😊

[@EBAcademics]

Wow! What an amazing story! Thanks for sharing it with us.

[@rachael1072]

As a teacher moving to middle school ELA after teaching elementary for years, this is so helpful!

[@EBAcademics]

Yay! I'm so glad you love it. Be sure to let us know how it goes.

[@davidorton5152]

Still, if I take only 5 minutes per essay, and I have 150 of them to grade, that means it will take me 12.5 hours to grade them all. There's no way around it--grading essays is an arduous, time-consuming process. Also, I give feedback to my students because I give them the opportunity to revise their essays and resubmit them for an increased score. I give students time in class to read my comments and I have them summarize my comments as an exit ticket. I spend a ton of time grading essays, so I make sure my students actually read my comments!

[@EBAcademics]

Great suggestions, David!

[@samettamthompson]

Meet with them to discuss revisions instead of writing it on paper. It's faster and effective.

[@vitogulla]

If students don’t read the feedback left on papers, why is the solution to give up? Why not hold students accountable for reading their feedback? Rubrics help us rationalize why students get a specific grade, but I don’t know if it actually helps them improve their writing.

[@glemmstengal]

Sometimes you can't "just do something" .. ever heard the old saying about horses and water?

[@vitogulla]

@@glemmstengal holding students accountable for reading their feedback is not a problem of leading a horse to water. If you grade reading and responding to feedback, you have held them accountable.

[@RenoDeez]

This teacher basically created another form of feedback that isn't as overwhelming for kids. The way a lot of teachers give feedback is overwhelming and often unclear.

[@tmbrwn]

@@RenoDeezWhen I got these rubrics back, both in HS and undergrad, I didn't know what to do to improve my essays. All I got was the vague advice on the rubric. When teachers/profs gave me real feedback, I read it and improved my essays. What a difference.

[@RenoDeez]

College is a different, you're an adult at that point

[@stryker94]

Thank you

[@EBAcademics]

You're welcome

[@ahmedmaghrabi7999]

Hi, forgive me for my ignorance but how does the ruberic in the introduction add up to 8, wouldn’t it be 4 since that’s where you circled?

[@Brokenladder]

The left bracket had (x2), so 4x2=8. If you go to 4:29, you can see all of the brackets more clearly. It helped me when I was confused. I had to go back and check.

[@nickprezioso8897]

What rubric are you using? Is there a link to it in your TpT?

[@pammasters341]

Yes I would like to see it to.

[@pammasters341]

Too

[@hafsaasadkhan2020]

Hey, great advice. Do you give this rubric to them for all the composition tasks?

[@EBAcademics]

Yes we do!

[@user-ti9xu6wj7n]

Is there a way to do this digitally? My goal is to make shared digital data folders for each of my students that include their larger written assignments and corresponding feedback so that they can see areas of strength/weakness in their writing.

[@EBAcademics]

Hey there! You can comment and grade directly on the Google doc.

[@fatimafarheen2374]

Can you please upload the reflection sheet?

[@EBAcademics]

Hi! It is available within our writing program. Here's the link for more info. www.ebwritingprogram.com/

[@user-qq3rx3no7d]

I'm new to teaching middle school this year (taught high school for 4 years). Do you general assign 3-paragraph essays instead of 5?

[@EBAcademics]

Hey there! Our EB Writing Program framework is built around a 5 paragraph essay. However, that can always be modified to meet the needs of your students.

[@bethhall8657]

Do you give feedback on the rough draft or the final draft or both ?

[@EBAcademics]

Both!

[@user-wi1df1qp8k]

How can I get your Response Literature Rubric?

[@EBAcademics]

Hi! This is available inside our EBWP. If you'd like to learn more, you can check it out here. www.ebteacher.com/eb-writing-program-waitlist

[@rsaathoff]

My school we have to supply all my own paper, and I am not about to print a rubric or paper for 160+ students.

[@EBAcademics]

We don't blame you. You may want to try using a digital rubric instead.