This blog aims to explore why presentation of students’ work is important and how to have a consistent approach to the manner in which students present their work.
Why is presentation of work important?
Why when there are so many competing priorities in a classroom is it important to give thought to the presentation of students’ work? I believe it is important for a number of reasons.
- It sends a strong message that we have high expectations of students and that they should have them of themselves.
- It helps them have pride in all they do and feel a sense of self-worth. Tom Sherrington in a blog on presentation, notes that having high standards of presentation shows that ‘you are bothered and that your ideas have value so people need to be able to read them’.
- If students have corrected their answers following feedback, it is beneficial if they then rewrite their answers so that they are succinct and clear rather than having lots of crossing out and corrections, as this will be much easier for them to use at a later date.
- Also having high standards of presentation continue beyond school, in preparing them for real life it is important they present themselves well in applications, interviews and in their jobs.
How to have a consistent approach to student presentation
Once students understand why presentation is important, we then need to focus on the how. How do we drive students’ presentation standards and maintain them?
- As teachers we need to be explicit with our students on our expectations. Be explicit in your instructions on what high standards of presentation in your subject or school look like. In the science department at Durrington High we show students a presentation with photos exemplifying what presentation looks like in our subject. This presentation is shown to students at various points during the year to reemphasise expectations.
- Decide what your non-negotiables are, for example title and date underlined, writing in blue or black in, drawings in pencil. For me a big one is no doodles in their books.
- Have necessary equipment is to hand- make sure rulers and glue sticks are available and that students are in the habit of using them.
- By live marking answers teachers can also check for presentation, then students know this will be checked regularly.
What are the high frequency errors that teachers may make with regards to the presentation of students’ work?
- Teachers not regularly looking that the standard of students work, so standards slip or never rise to meet expectations.
- Where presentation standards are poor, students are not picked up on it.
- Opportunities for students to flick through their books and reflect on the standards of their work are not given. This is key, I will often ask students to flick back through their work and decide if their standards have slipped, been maintained or increased since the beginning of the year or the beginning of their book.
- Teachers accepting lower standards of work from some students than from others due to the profile or characteristics of the pupil.
Class Teaching 