Grading Written Work: An Integral Part of Writing Workshop Practice

This article chronicles how the process of reviewing and grading student written work became an integral part of a middle school teacher’s writing workshop practice. In addition to discussing how reading student work can bring educators back to the heart of the profession (including the belief that spending time with drafts can reap more rewards than concentrating on final products), she explains her belief that it is central to quality teaching, lesson planning, and student growth.