Use a Grading Rubric

You’ll find that evaluating writing assignments with some sort of grading guide is useful. Your allocation of grades or points will be more evenhanded, especially if you’re reading into the early morning hours! Grading rubrics usually describe features that will constitute A-range work, B-range work, C-range work, and so on (or the points equivalent). They take the objective of the assignment into account as well as its execution. You can sketch your own set of grade expectations for a particular assignment or develop one collaboratively with the faculty instructor and/or with other TAs. Working with a grading rubric can also curb grade inflation because you’re holding yourself to thoughtfully articulated grading standards. (See this section’s Summary for UCLA Catalog grade descriptions.)

You can create a rubric for all the course’s writing work, but it’s best to craft one for each assignment.