thinkhard.SI

Prompt repository Teaching & training

Give feedback on student writing against a rubric

You need specific, encouraging feedback tied to rubric criteria for a piece of student work.

Registry no.
EDU-011
Collection
Teaching & training
Laid out for
Any chat model
Score
10 out of 10
Blanks to fill
5
Added

Teaching & trainingAny chat

The prompt

Score 10 of 10, Excellent

Use it when You need specific, encouraging feedback tied to rubric criteria for a piece of student work.

  • {{learners}}
  • {{assignment}}
  • {{rubric}}
  • {{teacher_notes}}
  • {{student_work}}
Full prompt and why it works
Prompt
Give feedback on the student's writing below, judged against the rubric, for a student in {{learners}} to read and use on their next draft. Also give me suggested rubric levels to confirm; the grade is my decision.

The assignment:
"""
{{assignment}}
"""

The rubric:
"""
{{rubric}}
"""

My own notes on this piece, if any:
"""
{{teacher_notes}}
"""

The student's work:
"""
{{student_work}}
"""

Produce two parts.

Part 1, for the student, under 250 words, written to them as "you" in language they can follow:
- Two specific strengths, each quoting a short phrase from their work and naming the rubric criterion it meets.
- Two or three next steps, no more, each tied to a criterion, pointing to a place in their work and saying concretely what to try. Students act on a few clear steps; a long list gets ignored.
- One closing sentence of encouragement that is specific to this piece.
The tone should be encouraging and honest, like a teacher talking the draft through with the student.

Part 2, for me: a table with the columns Criterion, Suggested level, Evidence (a quote or location in the work), Confidence (clear or borderline).

For example, a next step with the right level of detail: "In your third paragraph you say the policy 'helped a lot'. Add the number from your source that shows how much it helped." The example shows the form only.

Rules:
- Base every comment on the rubric, my notes and what is actually on the page. Quote exactly.
- Do not rewrite the student's sentences or write a model paragraph they could copy. Show a technique, not their answer.
- Comment on spelling and grammar only if the rubric includes them, and then name the one pattern that matters most rather than every error.
- Do not comment on the student's effort, ability or background, or speculate about how the work was produced. If something seems wrong, such as work that does not match the assignment, mention it in Part 2 only.

If a criterion cannot be judged from this piece, do not guess a level: write "Not shown in this piece". If the rubric is unclear, say what you assumed in Part 2.

Variables

{{learners}}
The student's grade or level, for example "9th grade English".
{{assignment}}
The assignment as students received it.
{{rubric}}
The rubric with its criteria and level descriptions.
{{teacher_notes}}
What you noticed or want the feedback to focus on. Write "none" if you have nothing to add.
{{student_work}}
The student's writing, with their name removed.

Why it works

  • Length. Two strengths and no more than three next steps keep the feedback short enough that a student will actually act on it.
  • What to avoid. It never rewrites the student's work or comments on their ability or background, so the feedback teaches and stays fair.
  • If unsure. A criterion the piece does not show gets "Not shown in this piece" instead of a guessed level, and the grade stays your decision.

How to use it

  1. Press Fill in variables and type your details into each blank. What you type stays in this browser.
  2. Copy the filled prompt into the AI tool you already use, such as ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, or open it in the Grader or the Prompt Tester here.
  3. Before you rely on it, try it on three or four real examples. The Prompt Tester runs them all at once and shows which ones go wrong.