10/15: Why I grade the way I grade?

I grade very leniently. Often, I have been told that my grading shows ESL traits, and is not fit for mainstream First Year Composition. My personal comments on my grading style are that I try to see the student’s effort in the writing. Sometimes it is evident that the student is just writing to fulfill the assignment requirements and the quality of work reflects the lack of interest on the student’s part. Writings produced by such students are usually full of mechanical errors, and lack in critical thinking and response to the topic at hand. Due to the arider writer system here, graders are not in touch with the students, and this judgment becomes difficult. Students also display the above traits when they don’t understand the assignment, or are at a writer’s block and need help wit writing. Teaching writing should be an individual activity instead of a classroom situation. However, due to lack resources and time, and the huge number of FYC students this system cannot become a reality.
Coming back to grading, I have adjusted my grading style to suit the impersonal nature of the Raider Writer system. I usually look for coherence and connectivity in the student’s writing. I try to identify patterns of grammatical errors and let the student know. Unless, it is a final draft, I do not count off points for grammatical and mechanical errors. I also tell students to rephrase a few sentences to add clarity to the writing. But I am careful about doing this as I do not want to influence the student’s writing style. Unless I see a clear lack of writing ability or technique, I try to guide my students to develop their own style in the operating framework.