I agree with all the posts in this discussion! I also heard once that when providing constructive criticism, you should be careful to talk about ways that the PAPER has fallen short, not the student. So, rather than writing, "You don't use proper grammar here," I write, "This paper could be a bit stronger as far as grammar is concerned. For example..." I think the student feels much less "attacked" this way, and may be more inclined to see the paper as an artifact that we are both working on together, vs. trying to make the student "good enough" for my course.
Erin,
This is exactly what the rubric criteria should do. It not the person, it is the product that is lacking. Thanks.
