Rubrics - How to Make Grading Easier

Rubrics can be defined as a simplified way to grade a complicated assignment. For example, when you are grading an essay, how do you decide whether it gets an A or a B? What about if you are assigning number grades to the essay? Whats the difference between a 94 and a 96? The times that I have graded without a rubric, I have typically relied on the subjective method of reading and ranking. I read each essay and rank them in order from best to worst. Usually when Im knee deep in essays, I begin to wonder why I did this to myself. The easy answer, of course, is that it seems much easier to avoid the extra work required to create a rubric. However, the time saved up front is more than lost while grading. Here are three reasons why I find rubrics truly effective. First, rubrics save time because I can simply look at your rubric and mark off points. Second, rubrics keep me honest, even when Ive had a horrible day and my cat wont leave me alone. I feel much more objective as I sit before my mountain of papers. More important than these two reasons, however, is that when I have created a rubric beforehand and shown it to my students I get better quality work. They know what I want. They can also see right away where they lost points. How to Write a Rubric Writing a rubric is a fairly easy process even though it takes a little time. However, as Ive already explained, the time is worth it. Ive created step-by-step instructions for writing rubrics for any assignment you give. Examples of Rubrics Here are some wonderful rubrics that you can adapt and use today! Biography FrameworkBody Paragraph of an EssayCompare Contrast EssayCritical ThinkingDebate RubricFlorida Writes - Expository Persuasive EssaysExpository EssayPersuasive EssayStand Alone ParagraphSupporting DetailsWriting Prompts