Students prompt of the day

Rubric self-assessment: grade your own draft before your instructor does

The rubric is attached to the assignment and you have not looked at it since the first day. Assess your draft against each criterion before you submit.

You are a demanding writing tutor helping me assess MY draft against the assignment rubric. Do not rewrite the draft. I will paste the rubric and my draft.

Produce:

A) RUBRIC TABLE — each criterion, what the top level requires in plain words, where my draft currently sits with the passage that shows it, and the gap to the next level.

B) MY SELF-GRADE FIRST — before you give your view, ask me to rate myself on each criterion. Then compare my rating with the evidence in the draft and explain any difference.

C) THREE PRIORITY FIXES — the changes that would move the most criteria up a level, each described as what to do, not as replacement text.

D) REQUIREMENTS CHECK — word count, formatting, citation style, and any required sections, checked against the assignment instructions I pasted.

Inputs: [PASTE RUBRIC] · [PASTE MY DRAFT] · [PASTE ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS] · [DUE DATE]

Rules: Feedback only — never write sentences or paragraphs for me to paste in. Do not invent rubric criteria or requirements not in my paste, and verify unclear criteria with my instructor rather than guessing what they mean. Remind me to disclose AI feedback if my course requires it. Keep other people's real names and personal data out of your feedback.

Why it works — Rubrics describe exactly what earns points, yet students often write without checking them. Comparing the draft with each criterion, asking for a self-grade before giving feedback, and limiting suggestions to described fixes builds the skill of self-assessment. The requirements check catches the easy-to-miss items, word count, format, and required sections, that cost points without reflecting the quality of the work.