Is Creating a Rubric or Checklist Really Worth the Time?
Teachers often wonder whether being explicit and public about criteria and expectations means investing a lot of time to create something that they will use only when grading or documenting student achievement. This concern surfaces most directly in discussions about the design and use of rubrics, but it’s expressed in other conversations, too. When I begin sessions about explicit criteria by inviting participants to voice their questions, some version of “Where will we find the time to develop rubrics and checklists for everything?” is always in the top five responses. Once we get into the program, it becomes quickly apparent that there is no one-size-fits-all answer to sharing criteria. The way criteria and expectations are shared, whether orally or in a checklist, rubric, or some other way, is in large part determined by what is being measured and why. A year after being in my class, one of my students was questioned rather sharply by an upper-grade-level teacher who challenged him
