Checking Your Grades on Blackboard
What to Do with Your Teacher's Feedback?
Your teacher has probably told you to check "My Grades" on Blackboard. Or you submitted a homework assignment, and your teacher gave it to you on paper or in Google Docs. Of course, you want to see whether you did well on an assignment, but is there more beyond the Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory grade or the 75% score?
In "My Grades" on Blackboard, you may see a little blue speech bubble (like from a comic book). If your teacher gave you feedback that way, click on it and read it carefully. Or, if your teacher has added comments to your Google Docs or Blackboard assignment (reading or listening log, Blackboard discussion practice, in-class presentation, even your pre-test), please read them! They are more important than your overall score!
Your teacher gives you invaluable, personal feedback, telling you exactly what you need to do next time to improve. You should have included more details, or you should check your grammar.
When you receive written feedback from your teacher, take note: Can you see anything that repeats? Do you notice that your instructor marks a particular grammar issue over and over?
It is important that you address anything that repeats. If you have, for example, subject-verb agreement mistakes in many sentences, it is time to practice that grammar feature. How? The best way is to talk to your instructor—they can direct you to online resources or extra practice in your textbooks. Or if your teacher corrects your pronunciation of a specific sound in English, it is time to find ways to practice that—and again, if you don't know where to start, your class materials, Blackboard links, and your teacher are the best start.
Remember, your teacher can help you best if you ask a specific question about a specific issue in English.
Tutorium instructors put a lot of time and effort into their feedback to you—it is one of the most valuable aspects of your coursework. So, use it to improve your English as fast and effectively as possible!