I had spent a lot of time in lessons asking my students to do peer assessment. This year, I examined that process closely in order to consider how I might make more of the process. I'd read about other teachers asking students to take books home but before I even moved towards that point I considered why I was asking the students to assess one another's work anyway.

Everything we do as teachers should be questioned and reflected upon but the most significant question to ask about a process or activity is 'why?' If it has no benefit to the learning then it shouldn't be happening. Let me admit something- I used to think that because. I was told something was good practice, I should do it. I knew that the benefits of peer assessment are that students understand more about how to achieve well in their subject but I'd never really maximised that benefit. I though that because the activity was happening, that they'd reap the benefits via osmosis. Like if they were writing, they were learning. This was a mistake but since when weren't teachers learners too? Mistakes are allowed- as long as we realise them at some point!

I started the academic year by sharing the how with my students- I decided how I wanted their peer assessment to look- essentially, in the end, as good as my assessment. Otherwise peer assessment won't do its job. I wanted to ensure they were taught how to do this as much as they were taught how to do anything else in the classroom.

I started the academic year by sharing the how with my students- I decided how I wanted their peer assessment to look- essentially, in the end, as good as my assessment. Otherwise peer assessment won't do its job. I wanted to ensure they were taught how to do this as much as they were taught how to do anything else in the classroom.

I started the academic year by sharing the how with my students- I decided how I wanted their peer assessment to look- essentially, in the end, as good as my assessment. Otherwise peer assessment won't do its job. I wanted to ensure they were taught how to do this as much as they were taught how to do anything else in the classroom.

I often used to rush through peer assessment- just to rush it through. Now, we spend time ensuring it's done and sometimes, the majority of a lesson could be peer assessment- with students reading, reviewing and learning from one another's work. I can set the elements they work through. In the images that follow, we passed work around the room until it had been looked at by everyone, including me. Everyone had to add new comments and interact with the comments there already- considering whether they were correct or not. Once the students got their essays back, they had to pick out the three main themes of improvements and rewrite their work accordingly.

I have used some aids to support the process and train them in the best peer assessment. Role cards have been the best addition. These give students a role each and they apply that to a range of their peers' work. I have also shared key marking methods with them so there was a little bit of initial guidance about the possibilities available to them in making it effective. They most prefer giving and receiving as much information as possible and although I read a lot about the benefits of little and specific feedback, I'm going with what they prefer as it seems to be working in helping them to improve- which is really the point.

I have used some aids to support the process and train them in the best peer assessment. Role cards have been the best addition. These give students a role each and they apply that to a range of their peers' work. I have also shared key marking methods with them so there was a little bit of initial guidance about the possibilities available to them in making it effective. They most prefer giving and receiving as much information as possible and although I read a lot about the benefits of little and specific feedback, I'm going with what they prefer as it seems to be working in helping them to improve- which is really the point.

In addition to displaying great work, I've put emphasis on the peer assessment being just as great so I display and share that too on our Google+ class community. If the students are able to accurately appraise a peer's work then it should follow that they're able to achieve the right things in their own work too.

Students have been placed in trios for the next 6 weeks. By the end of that time, each of them. Use have produced a timed essay for each of the areas of our subject at an A/B grade. They will write it under timed conditions, a peer will take it home, they will get it back and they will then hand it to me so that I can confirm the grade and feedback given. The student can then rewrite to learn from it and then have another go with a different question- all under timed conditions.
They've even been given marking packs- with all the relevant mark schemes, sticky notes, highlighter, coloured pen and all important stickers (to be used sparingly!)

Students have been placed in trios for the next 6 weeks. By the end of that time, each of them. Use have produced a timed essay for each of the areas of our subject at an A/B grade. They will write it under timed conditions, a peer will take it home, they will get it back and they will then hand it to me so that I can confirm the grade and feedback given. The student can then rewrite to learn from it and then have another go with a different question- all under timed conditions.
They've even been given marking packs- with all the relevant mark schemes, sticky notes, highlighter, coloured pen and all important stickers (to be used sparingly!)