Key to Josh's Comments on the Listing Assignments

• When you get your listing assignment back from me, you'll find a grade up at the top of the page, in red, with a plus sign in front of it and a circle around it. The grade is out of a possible five points.

• Ideally, you'll see a red checkmark to the left of each of your numbered items, indicating that you've done the assignment and received full credit for that item. Each checkmark is worth half a point, so 10 checkmarks means you've earned the full five points, while seven checkmarks would be worth three and a half points, and so on. (If it looks like I've given you too much credit, it's probably because one or more of your items earned you partial credit. If it looks like I've given you too little credit, you should show me the assignment outside of class time. I don't want you to walk away with less credit than you deserved!)

• For every item which hasn't been checked off there should be either a handwritten explanation of why not or a numerical code. The code will either be a number (1, 2, or 3) inside a circle, or else a number (1-9) preceded by the # sign.

• 1 inside a circle: You haven't made it clear that this item fits the third word of the assignment name. For example, the first listing assignment is titled "My Communication Problems." The third word of that title is "Problems." If you see a 1 in a circle next to one of your items, that's me telling you that it isn't clear to me that what you've written is in fact a problem. If you wrote "I don't know how to speak Portuguese," for example, you'll see a 1 in a circle. Not knowing how to speak Portuguese isn't a problem — not unless you really want to know how to speak Portuguese and can't find anyone to teach you! Now, that's a problem!

• 2 inside a circle: You haven't made it clear that this item has anything to do with communication. Remember, "My shoes are too tight" is a problem, but not a communication problem — at least, not as written.

• 3 inside a circle: You haven't made it clear that this item is yours. Remember, "My father nevers listens to me" is a problem, and is even a communication problem — but it's your father's problem, not yours.

• #x: This means that the current item is just another way of phrasing a previous item. On the "Problems" assignment, for example, if you see "#4" next to your seventh item, what I'm telling you is that your #7 is the same thing as your #4. Remember, your job is to make sure that each of your items is different from each of the others.

• If you can't understand my comments — or if you disagree with me — please feel not only allowed to but encouraged to talk with me outside of class time. If you're not clear about why you got the grade you got on L1, for example, how are you supposed to do better on L2?! Remember, conversations about your own individual grading should take place outside of class time, not during class. And know that, if you want to discuss a grade, it's probably best to do that face-to-face, rather than over the phone or by email, so that we can actually see the assignment and talk together about what's really on the page.

Return to Handouts.

Return to SPCH 1000 or SPCH 1100 or SPCH 1150.

Return to Teaching.

Return to Home.