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Easing the Paperwork Load

Empowering Students, Liberating Instructors

By Jean Reynolds, Ph.D.

Who should do the work of learning?

In many classrooms…

…instructors are busy making corrections to student work that is incomplete or incorrect.

Meanwhile…

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

The results…

…are disastrous.

Instructors: Overwork

Exhaustion

Frustration

Victimization

Burnout

Students: Passivity

Helplessness

Dependence

Minimal effort

Low motivation

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How can we give responsibility back to

students?

Through a different approach…

…based on accountability.

Instructors create structure and put standards in writing

Students practice and master skills before tackling an assignment

Students work together to ensure that they’ve followed directions

Instructors accept only students’ best efforts

1. Instructors create structure and guidelines for students.

Instructors provide detailed requirements for assignments and class activities

They structure assignments clearly

They break complex tasks into small, checkable steps

2. Students practice and master skills before tackling an

assignment

During class, students practice the steps in a complex task

Students who have mastered a skill work with other students who need help

Groups provide help and feedback

Remember: The person who’s doing the talking is the person who’s doing

the learning!

3. Students work together to ensure that they’ve followed

directions

Instructors provide detailed checklists for students to review and submit with each assignment

Students highlight important components (such as the thesis and topic sentences in an essay) before submitting their work

Student groups follow established guidelines to review one another’s work

4. Instructors accept only the work that represents students’ best

efforts

Instructors spot-check work as soon as it is submitted

Work that doesn’t meet requirements is returned immediately, with a grade deduction

Students must correct and resubmit below-par work

The result:

Students experience success because they:

Work cooperatively with their instructor and with one another

Tackle problems proactively

Hold themselves accountable for their success

and…

Keep track of assignments and requirements

Check work carefully before handing it in

Produce quality work

Instructors experience satisfaction because they:

Accept only high-quality work

Can’t be manipulated into doing students’ work for them

Have fewer error-ridden papers to grade

The Old Paradigm Overworked

instructors at risk for burnout

Students who are too passive and dependent to produce quality work

The New Paradigm Shared effort

A briefcase full of quality work

To learn more:Download “The Paperwork Revolution” by Jean Reynolds free at www.Smashwords.com.

Learn how to empower students and enhance their learning process

Discover practical ways to reduce unnecessary instructor paperwork

Go to www.Amazon.com for a free preview of What Your English Teacher Didn’t Tell You by Jean Reynolds, Ph.D.

A comprehensive and practical guide to better writing

Written for both student and adult writers

Ideal for writing tasks in school, college, the workplace…anywhere.

Find more free resources at www.WritewithJean.com.

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.