Course Documents Course Links Quick Links |
Dr. Bordelon's American Lit II On Campus | |||||||||
Grading GuidelinesWhile these descriptions mention essays, the same applies for all out of class writing for this course.
The above is adapted from Holt's handbook. NOTE: Essays will be returned in a week to ten days. I will only bring them into class once. If you miss that class, you must come to my office to pick up your essay. It is your responsibility to remember to do so. Breakdown of letter grades: A=4; A-=3.8; B+=3.5; B=3; B-=2.8; C+=2.5; C=2; C-=1.8; D+=1.5; D=1 General Comments on Grading The biggest surprise most students have with the difference between college and high school is the difference in the way their work is evaluated. Back in the early Jurassic period, when I was in high school, if you handed something in, you received a B for effort: if it was typed (remember, I used a stone typewriter), you received an A for going that extra mile. The problem with this attitude is that in real life, effort doesn't count -- results do. If you submit a poorly researched and worded report on the market for water widgets in Mongolia to the division supervisor of WasteYourMoneyOnPlasticThingAMajigsThatYouDon'tReallyNeed™ Inc. and tell her "I spent, like, fifteen hours on this, so it's like, perfect," she will show you the door. This is her way of saying "I evaluate your ideas and their communication to others -- not your effort." Similarly, in a college class (or at least the ones that make you fire off some neurons in your gray matter), the professor respects your intellect instead of your mental sweat. Instead of saying, with a trace of condescension, "Here, take this B and leave me alone -- since you can't learn the material anyway, I don't want to be bothered," an honest professor sets a standard, and helps you reach it. I am an honest professor. To make it as clear as possible -- effort does not count. Of course without effort, your prose will not convey its meaning and you will fail in your endeavor: to communicate your ideas to another person in writing. It may help you to understand how I read your work. I treat any piece of writing that's placed in front of me as just that: a piece of writing. If it guides me through the author's argument/vision, it works. If it doesn't, well . . . it doesn't and I will a) make suggestions about how to improve the work (if it's a rough draft), or 2) grade according to how well the words in front of me explain or prove the writer's point (if it's a final draft). While I realize that self-esteem is the latest buzz word among educators, I must admit that the author fades away when I read, and it's the words on the page that engage me. Granted, it is a shock to some students to finally be judged by their words instead of their effort/personality ("but I got "A"s in my AP/previous class!"). . . . yet it is a shock that they must overcome if they want to improve as writers. And that is my goal: to improve your writing. If you have any questions about my comments or your grade remember that I am here to help: make an appointment and bring in your essay so we can discuss them. While your Aunt Bertha or Uncle Hermie may be considered an "expert" in English (and may even be that rare species, an "English Major" or "English Teacher" ), it's difficult to get honest criticism from family members. Also, unless they've recently taken a college level English class, their standards are probably different (and lower) than mine (this goes for many high school English teachers as well). The best place to get help is -- surprise, surprise -- me. Check my office hours and sign up for an appointment (see sign-in sheet on my door). The next stop is the college's writing tutor (see below). Finally, look around the classroom: your classmates can be your best source of criticism. They are familiar with the material, are familiar with my standards, and are familiar with you. Study groups? Peer review groups? Sounds like a good idea to me. Be sure to study the comments I make throughout your paragraphs/essay very closely. Before beginning a new essay, look back over these comments, and be sure to continue doing what worked, and to focus on and improve what didn't. Remember that one of the best ways to improve your writing is to sit with me both before and after your essay is graded. This gives us a chance to see your writing "in action," and either address the rough spots in your prose or organization, or discuss ways to avoid future problems. If you know already that proofreading problems plague your prose, be sure to set up regular appointments with the college's writing tutor. If you notice after your first or second essay that you're having problems with proofreading, set up regular appointments with one of the college's writing tutor. By now you're probably wondering "Okay, where DO I find this tutor?" Check in R144, The Writing Center, and sign up. © 2008 David Bordelon
|