Sometimes English teachers spend more time commenting on and correcting student work than our students did when they worked on the assignment themselves. In this presentation I offer practical and positive strategies to encourage students to take more responsibility for their success as writers.

1. S
Easing the Paperwork
Load
Empowering Students, Liberating
Instructors
By Jean Reynolds, Ph.D.

2. Who should do the work of
learning?

3. In many classrooms…
…instructors are busy
making corrections
to student work that
is incomplete or
incorrect.

4. Meanwhile…
...some students submit
incomplete or incorrect
work, confident the
instructor will find and
fix the problems.

5. The results…

6. …are disastrous.
Instructors:
S Overwork
S Exhaustion
S Frustration
S Victimization
S Burnout
Students:
S Passivity
S Helplessness
S Dependence
S Minimal effort
S Low motivation

7. S
How can we give
responsibility back to
students?
Through a different
approach…

8. …based on accountability.
S Instructors create structure and put standards in
writing
S Students practice and master skills before tackling an
assignment
S Students work together to ensure that they’ve followed
directions
S Instructors accept only students’ best efforts

9. 1. Instructors create structure and
guidelines for students.
S Instructors provide detailed requirements for
assignments and class activities
S They structure assignments clearly
S They break complex tasks into small, checkable steps

10. 2. Students practice and master skills
before tackling an assignment
S During class, students practice the steps in a complex
task
S Students who have mastered a skill work with other
students who need help
S Groups provide help and feedback

11. Remember: The person who’s doing the
talking is the person who’s doing the
learning!

12. 3. Students work together to ensure
that they’ve followed directions
S Instructors provide detailed checklists for students to
review and submit with each assignment
S Students highlight important components (such as the
thesis and topic sentences in an essay) before
submitting their work
S Student groups follow established guidelines to review
one another’s work

13. 4. Instructors accept only the work that
represents students’ best efforts
S Instructors spot-check work as soon as it is submitted
S Work that doesn’t meet requirements is returned
immediately, with a grade deduction
S Students must correct and resubmit below-par work

14. The result:

15. Students experience success because
they:
S Work cooperatively with
their instructor and with
one another
S Tackle problems
proactively
S Hold themselves
accountable for their
success

16. and…
S Keep track of
assignments and
requirements
S Check work carefully
before handing it in
S Produce quality work

17. Instructors experience satisfaction
because they:
S Accept only high-quality
work
S Can’t be manipulated into
doing students’ work for
them
S Have fewer error-ridden
papers to grade

18. The Old
Paradigm
S Overworked
instructors at risk for
burnout
S Students who are too
passive and
dependent to produce
quality work

19. The New
Paradigm
S Shared effort
S A briefcase full of
quality work

20. To learn more:
Download “The Paperwork Revolution” by Jean
Reynolds free at www.Smashwords.com.
S Learn how to empower
students and enhance
their learning process
S Discover practical ways
to reduce unnecessary
instructor paperwork

21. Go to www.Amazon.com for a free preview of
What Your English Teacher Didn’t Tell You
by Jean Reynolds, Ph.D.
S A comprehensive and
practical guide to better
writing
S Written for both student
and adult writers
S Ideal for writing tasks in
school, college, the
workplace…anywhere.

22. Find more free resources at
www.WritewithJean.com.

23. Dr. Jean Reynolds holds a
doctorate in English from
the University of South
Florida.
The author of eleven
books and numerous
articles, she is Professor
Emerita of English at Polk
State College in Winter
Haven, Florida.
Dr. Reynolds is an
internationally recognized
Shaw scholar and a
member of the editorial
board for the Shaw
Journal.