Last week as we concluded our discussion of the syllogistic method in my masterclass, a fellow teacher made an excellent point. She admitted that she used to see heuristics as a contrived and formulaic approach to instruct writing that stifles voice and authenticity, but now all of that had changed.

She pointed out that through these heuristics, students could now tell her how they learn best.

And that’s a huge problem in the English classroom – students don’t know what they need in order to grow and mature as writers.

With the heuristics I teach in my masterclass, the teacher and student share a common language.

So this past week this teacher tried her own alternative to traditional grading practices, and she called it “Choose Your Own Adventure.”

Each student told their teacher three things they wanted her to focus on in the grading process.

So now instead of having to grade each student essay like it’s the Magna Carta, the teacher can hone in on specific skill sets.

Not only can you fly through a stack of papers with ease, but it’s also 100% more efficacious to the student. They are telling you what they need to improve as writers.

How cool is that!

Within the coming weeks, I’m going to host another masterclass. If you’d like more information or further details, please contact me.