Clearing the Way

While reading the Grading portion, in chapter 8 of Clearing the Way, I found that Romano's approach is by far the most fair approach I've seen. According to Romano, the first thing the students look at upon receiving their papers is their letter grade, then his comments. He gives a grade and comment in a way that the students will want to keep writing. He doesn't look at the grammatical correctness of it, nor the length (at first draft at least), he looks at the story the student has to tell and how well they do that.

While reading papers, Romano says " I'm looking for surprises of language and vision. I'm looking for vivid images. I'm looking for rhythms of language and voice. I'm looking for an adept employment of some naturally evolved form that might even prompt me to utter aloud my appreciation as I sit alone reading" (114). In this, I feel that it is the most fair approach to grading writing assignments. Let's take creative writing for example. While grading a personal story there isn't much you can grade on. I have always wondered how teachers determine they would grade something that someone wrote off their memory.

In Romano's perspective, it isn't the grade that matters. It's the story. he is striving for his students to become better writers and he does so by giving them a chance. He understands there will be error, but the point is that the story is being told in such a way that you want to keep on reading. In some cases the grading scale would have to be implemented. There are certain criteria that some papers require, and if the criteria is not met, then that student deserves a lesser grade regardless of how eel the story is told.

All in all, I feel Romano's approaches and ideas are some that I believe and share along with him. It is hard as an English teacher to implement an actual grading scale. But with Romano's approach, we are able to see alternative means to the grading system. There is a need to still have one to be able to determine how kids are doing in class, but not as harsh or strict as a math class scale would be. This is why I think Romano has the right idea, he understands that.

Tips on how to "grade" creative writing.
http://jasonrenshaw.typepad.com/jason_renshaws_web_log/2010/04/how-do-we-grade-creative-writing.html