| It's funny how nothing really changes however far | | | | provide useful essay feedback. |
| we get in life . . . | | | | Therefore, even where you progress to the latter |
| I am now very well into my late twenties looking to | | | | stages of high school and on to college and |
| help students like you for the best part of the last | | | | university, I would advise you to still look to your |
| seven years studying internationally in institutions | | | | family and friends for views on your work because, |
| around the world, but even after all this time I can | | | | regardless of the subject matter of your essay, they |
| still remember the first time I was properly asked to | | | | can still offer you views on the quality of the work |
| write an essay. | | | | that you produce and really useful essay feedback as |
| Now, of course, when you are in primary (or what | | | | a result. |
| many of you may call elementary) school you will | | | | Still not convinced? |
| have partaken in all manner of writing tasks but | | | | If you want to make this a worthwhile exercise, and |
| when I was a boy I cannot remember ever being | | | | the person whose opinion you are seeking - aside |
| told that any of these tasks were essays. As a | | | | from your teacher, of course, who will have their |
| result, the first time that I can specifically remember | | | | own criteria for assessing your work - is willing to do |
| being asked to write an essay was the first year of | | | | so, then you may ask them to look to check your |
| high school in English at the age of about twelve. The | | | | work according to the following points for really |
| teacher said to us that we were to have homework | | | | useful essay feedback - |
| (this was also a relatively new thing as I was at | | | | (a) First, ask them to consider whether your work's |
| primary school at a time when homework was a rare | | | | spelling and grammar is appropriate (even after you |
| thing) and that were to have week to write an | | | | have checked this on your computer there may still |
| essay on four sides of A4 paper on what we had | | | | be mistakes that can be picked up so BE AWARE!!). |
| done during our summer holidays by hand (yes, we | | | | (b) Then ask them to consider whether your work |
| were not always able to use computers) and as to | | | | answers the question (you should have checked this |
| whether and why we enjoyed it. | | | | too but you may have what I call 'essay eyes' - you |
| Interestingly, however, we were also told to look to | | | | believe your work is so good that you cannot |
| get 'essay feedback' from home. | | | | effectively distance yourself from it to critique it) |
| The teacher said that we should write our work | | | | (c) At the same time you also want them to |
| carefully and, if we did not feel confident about what | | | | consider your structure - Are the ideas you have |
| we were saying first time around, to draft it first and | | | | grouped together effectively in your essay? Are |
| or write it in stages. Then, when we were satisfied | | | | different ideas linked together? Is there an effective |
| we had finished, we were to seek out a parent, | | | | flow between paragraphs in your essay? |
| grandparent, older brother or sister, aunt, uncle or | | | | (d) Is there a clear introduction and a conclusion to |
| whomever else we had available at home to help us | | | | your work? |
| to read our work and then to make a comment with | | | | These points that you are asking the person who is |
| regards to what was good about AND how they | | | | reading your work to consider may appear quite |
| though it could be improved and then write what | | | | basic to you when they are taken at face value, but |
| they thought on the work and bring it in to class to | | | | they can really help you to avoid some of the most |
| be marked by the teacher. | | | | basic errors of essay writing. In effect, by taking this |
| Now you may be pondering as to the reason why I | | | | approach you will then only be left with the subject |
| said at the start of this article that nothing changes, | | | | related content to worry about and this is where, if |
| well the reason is this. | | | | you are lucky, you may be able to get really useful |
| What my English teacher was seeking to do, as he | | | | essay feedback from your teacher. |
| explained sometime later after having marked the | | | | Now, of course, you cannot expect your teacher to |
| work, was to show us that we could get valuable | | | | give you detailed essay feedback where they are |
| essay feedback from all sorts of different sources as | | | | then going to mark your work later. However, there |
| the comments that we got from home were largely | | | | are an ever-increasing number of teachers who are |
| similar to those made by our teacher. In effect, he | | | | now willing to look at your work before it is marked |
| was trying to show us that all opinions counted and | | | | to provide you with essay feedback for you to act |
| that you did not have to be teacher by trade to be | | | | upon for the simple reason that it also effects as to |
| able to offer support and advice in practice on as to | | | | how they will be 'marked' - your teacher will achieve |
| how to effectively tackle an issue in a piece of | | | | more (very often higher pay!) if their classes do well |
| writing with good essay feedback. He said that if you | | | | as that is a mark of their ability. Therefore, I would |
| can read and you are aware of events around you | | | | advise you to be grateful for any assistance that |
| then you can offer an opinion on any subject put | | | | your teacher is willing to give you by way of essay |
| before you because your understanding of the | | | | feedback - even if they will not read your essay, |
| written word and the way an should be structured | | | | they may comment on a plan of your work or even |
| has developed as a result so that anyone can | | | | just have a discussion with you about your ideas. |