Written work

Encourage independent thought and help students overcome their fear by assigning non-graded writing (e.g., journals, short paragraphs about the reading).

Provide clear written instructions for writing assignments.

Assign several short papers instead of a single long term paper.

Assign short in-class writing exercises (summaries of lecture, answers to a question, description of a process, etc.)

Give mini-lectures on writing essays or term papers, using the library, and preparing for exams.

Get assistance from the Library Instruction Program, the University Writing Program and from Writing in the Disciplines.

When possible, give students the opportunity to rewrite a paper, thereby learning to do it better.

Even when TAs grade assignments, read a few so that you have a sense of the level of students' writing and can provide better guidance for the TAs' grading decisions.

Return written assignments promptly so that students can benefit from your feedback.

Craft your assignments so as to reduce the opportunity for plagiarism.

Assign group writing projects. See Group Work and Collaborative Writing.