Teachers can't just say, "Do your best," or "I want to see neat work." They have to show students what they expect. Teachers should give a detailed explanation at the beginning of the year. For example, list requirements on the board or display them on a poster in the room. You should keep the list brief. Write statements like: "Write on every other line when composing essays," or "Do not write over the margins of the paper." Intervention Central advises teachers to create a quality rubric with their requirements and require that students evaluate themselves and their peers' work, make suggested changes and not turn their work in until it meets the criteria.
It's important to tell your students at the beginning of the year that the quality of their work counts. If you teach middle and high school children, you can emphasize this by announcing that twenty-five percent of their average will be based on neatness, quality and presentation. This can also apply in math classes. Some credit should be given to students who neatly write each step in a problem even if the final answer is incorrect. If you are an elementary teacher, motivate your students by displaying a chart with each child's name and placing a star or sticker when their classwork meets your expectations. Younger children can receive small prizes.
Seeing examples of acceptable and unacceptable work help children get a better understanding of what's expected from them. You shouldn't use work from current students. For example, if you teach social studies and require written summaries of each chapter, write two yourself, making sure one is written correctly. The other one should have words scratched out, messy erasures and unintelligible writing. You can lead a discussion about each one when you project them for the class to compare. Ask students to point out the errors and make suggestions for improvement.
Before assigning a lengthy project like a research paper, separate it until several parts so it won't overwhelm students. For example, devote one day to brainstorming topic ideas. Then spend several days writing note cards. The final two steps are writing the rough and final drafts. Designate specific times for classroom instruction, collaborative learning, and allow time for students to work on their assignments. Students need to be actively engaged. According to the Florida Education Association, the teacher's use of academic learning time is directly linked to high-quality student achievement.
Most students are motivated by praise and recognition. An article on the Scholastic educational site suggests displaying your students' work in the room and hallways so others can view it. Emphasize that only their best effort will be displayed. Since students progress at different rates, remember that one child's best work might not look like that of a peer. Hopefully, this will be an incentive for others to continue improving the quality of their assignments.