Teacher Feedback Helps Prepare Students for College Writing
The grading process of high school history papers relies on clearly defined requirements and rubrics that address both the content and clarity of the research paper.
Grading high school history research papers can be a formidable undertaking. Different schools of thought champion a variety of grading techniques but ultimately the decision rests with the rubric used to create the assignment. To what extent does the history teacher take into account the clarity of writing of an essaywriter, including grammatical errors? How important is proper sourcing? Should guidelines include a specific number of footnotes per page? Proper grading occurs when students are given all of the grading criteria and paper requirements when the assessment is first assigned.
Content versus Clarity in History Term Papers
Some teachers and students believe that a history paper is exactly that: a well researched essay that discusses a history topic. It is not an English paper! In many ways that statement is true. History papers are very straightforward. There is no implied thesis and it is expected to be written in third person. History papers use the “Chicago” format in sourcing while English papers thrive on MLA.
It is also true, however, that clarity in writing must be a part of any formal, expository paper, whether in history, science, or some other discipline of study. Sentences must have a subject and a verb and all the rules of grammar apply. How significant clarity is judged in terms of the paper grade should be made clear when the paper is assigned. In high school classes, even upper level courses, teachers cannot assume that students understand this as a “given.”
Does this mean that the teacher must highlight or circle every grammatical offense? Some teachers choose only to “mark up” the first few pages of a paper in order to let the student know that perhaps a better proofing might have caught careless writing errors. Other teachers only note the most egregious errors. Other more meticulous teachers go to great lengths to correct all visible errors, prompting the familiar student response, “the red pen bled all over the paper!”
Correcting grammatical mistakes prepares students for college paper writing not asking to write my essay, where professors also make notations on papers. One comment on a graduate student paper, highlighted in bold strokes, said, “Do Not Split Infinitives!” A chief complaint in many colleges is that freshmen seldom know how to write effective papers. The process must begin in high school.
Organization and Sourcing in High School History Papers
The two most difficult challenges facing high school students attempting to write a paper are the thesis and the conclusion. Teachers might find it beneficial to cover these two concerns during a class immediately following the assigning of the paper. The same can be said of footnoting.
Should footnotes appear on the bottom of each page or should they be expressed as “end notes” after the conclusion? This appears to be a matter of style. Students thrive on explicit instructions. That is, students want to know, as a formula, what it takes to get an “A” on the paper. Teachers that shackle themselves to highly stringent formulas, such as “three footnotes per page, minimum,” may be hard pressed to justify grades lower than an “A” if the precise formula has been met. A well organized paper does not always include good analysis or content coverage.
It would appear to make far more sense in assigning a brief paper of 5-7 pages in which students can better demonstrate research and sourcing than a much longer paper that, by its very nature, opens the door to unclear and rambling writing that is seldom connected. Smaller papers allow for easier grading.
Finally, comments are very important. Teachers should list both paper strengths and paper weaknesses. The essay writers want to know what the teacher liked and didn’t like. This becomes the barometer for future papers, assuming students read and incorporate the comments. Poor or inconsistent feedback does more to damage the grading process than anything else. Comments should be direct and focused. Teachers should remember that positive feedback is as important as negative. Compliments are incentives.