The correction policy gives directions to teachers for correcting students' work and giving constructive feedback. It provides positive suggestions to enhance students’ skills.

Purpose:

A critical issue for any teacher is when and how to correct students. There are several types of corrections (oral and written work) that teachers are expected to make during any given class. The way the teacher does corrections, plays a very important role in making the students either more confident or inhibited in their approach.

Scope:

The policy is for reference and consultation for SEL consultancy schools. Schools shall frame their own policy on correction in concurrence with the given guidelines.

Best Practices:

1. Bettering Your Best

Let your students know that you care, and you want to assist them to reflect on their work and skills. Use encouraging comments as given in the list at the end of the Policy as annexures

2. Keep it Positive

Always motivate the child with encouraging remarks. A correction conveyed harshly can lead to low self-esteem, whereas a remark or word of appreciation, enables a child to positively handle the genuine or specific feedback.

3. Correct the work, not the child

Keep in mind that correcting a student's work or behavior is not you are correcting the student. It is important that your student understands, you are correcting his/ her work, and not who he is/ she is.

4. Differential Correction

The teacher must practice ‘differential correction’ as an approach as this enables the appreciation of the individual differences in the learning pattern of children.

5. Be Honest and Accurate

Overlooking mistakes gives the wrong communication to children as they lose trust in the teacher. Teachers must make sure there is accuracy in correction as it reflects the thoroughness of the teacher and her knowledge of content.

6. Three-way Handshake

Frequent and repetitive mistakes must be discussed during PTM as this would bring parental support to help the child get better

7. Color Influences Learning

Avoid using a red pen to mark corrections.
Avoid using a sketch pen.
Keep to fine tipped pen of black color.
Avoid underlining repeated mistakes, as it lowers the morale of a student. Instead, get the mistake noticed by a student in a sensitive manner i.e. have a one-on-one session with the student and explain the appropriate way.
ACCORS / Vice Principals shall use green pen for notebook inspection.

8. Correcting Oral Mistakes

It is extremely essential to correct oral mistakes in the elementary classes, as the children follow the phonetic approach during the initial years and thereby write the same way as they speak.
Allow the child to complete the sentence and then help him/her either re-pronounce the word or re-phrase the sentence. Correcting students when they are in the middle of saying something may produce anxiety and fear of public speaking. You can make a note of the errors that students make and go through them at the end of the discussion/lesson.
Commonly made mistakes can also be addressed as a group in class too.
Grammatical error both in English and Hindi must be dealt with either individually or as a group, keeping in mind the class level expectations.
Grammatical errors in spoken English should be dealt with individually. In a group, it should be emphasized that Mother Tongue could bring variations in Grammar and pronunciation. Hence, gently focus on correct usage.

9. Appreciate in Public, Correct in Private

Correct mistakes anonymously. This shall be done by making note of students' mistakes as you monitor them and giving them a reinforcement sheet. This shall give the students the opportunity to correct them. A private/personal interaction would be beneficial without affecting the self-esteem of a child.

11. Fore-warned is Fore-armed

It is always a good idea to forewarn the class. The teacher could mention, or write on the board, the frequently noticed errors (without mentioning student names.

12. Correction / Deterrence and praise

All corrections must be up to date.
Make detailed corrections.
Preferably correction must be done within 3 days.
Teachers must complete corrections of all written work a week before any cycle/ unit test and 15 days before the term exams to help students reflect on the mistakes and revise before the test.
Suggestions for improvement and comments on the work shall be written by the teacher whenever required.

Follow Up Work

1. Correction done by teacher

Major errors to be scored out and the student is to be asked to re-attempt the work meticulously.
Reinforcement sheets should be provided to students for the common errors.
Do write down the correct spelling/ formation.
In case the same mistake has been repeated several times, do not underline it every time, as doing so lowers the morale of a child. Instead get it to the notice of the child in a sensitive manner.
Follow up on the work done after each exercise must be done meticulously.
For incomplete work, the teacher should make a note and follow up to ensure that it has been corrected. In case of repeated incomplete work, a talk with the parents during PTA would be appropriated.
Do not overwrite. If an answer is incorrect and you wish to provide the right answer, please indicate it in the margin or above the word or sentence.
Be specific while correcting written work.
In case a teacher has left school or has been on long leave his/ her work will be checked by the teacher taking over.

Examples: Good – Please indicate what is good about the work.

Fair/ excellent/ very good/please qualify - It only serves to increase the student’s doubt and is in no way helpful. As these are very bland phrases and rather than using them, look at giving descriptive comments and feedback.

Continuously underlined sentences/ paragraphs have no meaning– Indicate the type of error - Is it a missing word?

Is it incorrect construction?
Is it ambiguous?

Wonderful- must mention the quality of work and be specific.

Good boy/girl - praise the quality of the work not the individual. Avoid sarcasm. Indicate what is lacking.

Notebooks shall be called in for inspection by the Principal / Headmaster/ Headmistress/concerned Supervisor / every term.

2. Late Submission

Work submitted late, i.e. a few days after the deadline, is to be checked, but a mention must be made.
Students must not be allowed to submit work late on a regular basis.
Late submission on a regular basis brought to parents’ knowledge & may be given a lower grade at the time of the internal assessment.

3. Long Absence of a student

If a student has missed out on large amounts of written work due to a long absence, phase out the written work over a period. In cases where it is possible, (after discussion with the HOS) allow the student to photocopy the material.
Teachers must sign and write the date after the assignment is corrected on the index page and in the margin at the end of the assignment.
Parents to support students in completing the work.

4. Best Practices for teachers

Allocate some time either at the end of the class or during mat time/ circle time, when commonly ma errors can be addressed as a group.
Move around the class as the children are doing their work.
Encourage children to raise their hand on completion of work and partner correction between the two teachers in class as applicable.
Kindergarten and Primary Teachers are encouraged to give stickers, stars, smiley faces, ice cream, flower, fruit etc. as rewards to motivate students. Be generous with using encouraging remarks, they go a long way in building confidence and self-esteem of a child.

5. Appreciation and Reward

Have a reward system in class to encourage better work and behaviour of children

6. Follow up

Follow up of incomplete work/ correction work should be pursued within a week’s time.
In the elementary grades, as one teacher occupies a set of children with a task or any outdoor/indoor activity, the other can spend time with those children who require extra attention with academics.

7. Techniques that can make corrections more effective

Address student with the first name in the notebook.
While writing any comment in the notebook, teacher shall address the student with his/ her name.
Deferring correction to the end of an activity.
Teachers must take notes on typical mistakes made by many students.
Correcting only one type of error at a time.
Giving students clues to the type of error they are making.
Motivate students to reflect and edit their work.
Helping students become peer tutors. Initiate and encourage peer learning, keeping in mind the class level maturity and understanding of students.

7. Encouraging words and phrases for Children

Teachers shall use encouraging words with the children as much as possible. Focusing on the positive things they do (or have recently done), even when they make a mistake, encourages them to improve as you are reinforcing with praise.

Annexures:

Module 9: ICT Policy for school staff