Judith J. Katz
Objective: To create a sense of accomplishment and pride in each student for the writing they have completed and their ability to critique other's writing constructively.
Why it works:
Learning to stand up in front of your peers and take responsibility for the creative work you have completed is both scary and fulfilling. Being able to discuss a peers work intelligently, gently, constructively and with words that you both understand clearly is a life skill and an art skill. It just plain feels good to sew up all the loose ends and feel complete.
Strategies Part 1: Reading Like a Writer
Each student should be prepared to:
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• Walk to the front of the room with their Haiku and say:
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• Hello, my name is__________and I'll be reading a form of Haiku
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• They should take a breath in and out
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• And read their Haiku
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• They should take another breath in and out
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• And read it again
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• They should take another breath in and out
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• And say: Thank you
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• They should return to their seat where they can ask to hear feedback, or wait until they get their annotated grade from their teacher
I am requiring two readings of the same Haiku because the they are short and it's easy to miss something the first time through.
In addition, I think a limited time frame that must be shared by all equally can be a great motivator for students to focus. It's important to have the student say their name before they read their poem so that the reader and listener have a moment to get their focus in order without losing the first line of the Haiku.
Strategies Part II & II: Listening Like a Writer, Grading Like a Teacher.
Students will have the opportunity to grade each other while they're listening. They can use the form below. They may give a reader up to the full 25% for each element of the common vocabulary listed. They may choose to give someone 15% on painting a picture if they feel that the picture was not as clear as it could have been.
They can use the time that the reader is walking back to their seat to fill out the form.
I will use the same format to grade the student's assignments at the end of the unit. I will grade each Haiku separately and then average to reach a final grade for the unit.
The Grading Form
(figure available in print form)
