Many students know what teachers are looking for. Case and point: a sophomore student in my intervention class (study hall) told me of her frustration at a collaborative assignment between her English and History teacher. She liked the assignment, she said, but it she did not know how to write for both teachers (my words). The History teacher told her to "cut the fat" and the English teacher told her that she liked her explanation of her reasoning. She was used to being able to gauge the teacher and write you that audience. What came from this discussion was the idea that she should write that paper as she saw fit. What was the best format for her paper? The discussion was interesting though because it did revolve around what teacher's expect and what students know teacher's expect.
An addendum: Just as many students know what teachers are looking for, some do not. What are some ways to guide/scaffold these students?
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Provide a demonstrative document. Show them what you want.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, modeling is beneficial in the high school environment as the elementary. In fact, modeling is very helpful for some of us! I am always asking for examples. Have a good night.
ReplyDeleteWow--what a deliciously complicated point.
ReplyDeleteYes, since teachers are urged to work collaboratively, students can certainly get "mixed messages" about what the expectations are for good writing!
Did the assignment have a rubric?
If not, one strategy I encourage my students to employ is establishing a professional dialogue with the teacher/professor: Can you define what you mean by "meaningful content"? Can I write using first person for this paper? Would you look at a draft? Do you have older examples?
This is so hard at the elementary level. Students still view teachers as an extension of mom and dad and don't realize that expectations may differ. A gentle hand to guide them and clear path (modeling) to show them the way!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Cher, model!!
ReplyDeleteI know that the line some students then cross is copying.
I agree with Deb on the rubric. Rubrics seem to add clarity. That would be another acceptable collaboration with you and the history teacher.
ReplyDeleteSome of the teachers in my building will also decide who is grading what. They divide the responsibility and share the expectations. For example, the history teacher may grade for certain elements or information to be in the content, and the English teacher may focus more on presentation and/or form.