How can I handle responding to drafts?

If you give WID assignments, you'll want to provide students with feedback on organization, methodology, etc., and you can easily do this by drawing on what you know as readers, researchers, and writers in your field. If you are uncomfortable commenting on proofreading and editing or stylistic concerns, then get in touch with the Writing Center or Director of Composition for other resources you can direct students to or take advantage of yourselves. But editing should not be your major concern as you introduce students to the discourse of your academic community. Please see "Do I have to be an expert in grammar to assign writing?" for some tips on not marking mechanical matters.

For commenting on writing-to-learn tasks, please see "Alternatives for Evaluating WTL Assignments."

Perhaps most important, we encourage all teachers to focus their commenting energies and to consider using a grading sheet designed to match the criteria outlined on your assignment sheet.

In this section, we discuss strategies and resources that can help you handle writing assignments.