This site is a class blog space for new Career and Technical Specializations and Heathcare Science teachers enrolled in the New Teacher Institute (NTI) at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
GRADING......... My nightmare that I can't seem to wake up from!
As I gain more years of teaching experience under my belt, the more creative I become with lessons. My students, as well as the administrative staff, love them! And I in turn, love the fact that my students go crazy about them, and are able to learn necessary information on the content in the process. However, the issue I am finding is trying to keep up with grading it all! I value my "me time" which is during planning, on weekends, and all days we are off, so I find it difficult to grade during those times. I have created monsters in my students being that I normally deliver a same day grade turn around on any given assignment. So in the rare event when they don't see a grade in the grade book immediately, they go bananas. How can I appease the needs of my students wanting to know grades immediately, but also not put too much stress on myself, and still preserve my "me time?"
I understand your pain! I am a very quick grader and spend usually every planning period and 30 minutes before school grading. My students expect a quick turn around too. Have you tried having your students submit their assignments straight to you online? This will cut down on the actual paper work you have to do and hand back. Moodle and Quizlet are great resources too. These will cut down on your grading and are fun for the students. I love having my students submit work right to me online because there is no question as to when it was submitted because it is time stamped and there is no losing papers in the shuffle because it is all digital. It sounds like you are doing an awesome job! Maybe you can consider a couple of these things to get a bit of relief.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work!
Thanks Laura! We have adopted a new system called Engrade. The only tools we have access to thus far, is administering our CDA's or unit tests. There are, however, several other tools which mimic Moodle, and Quizlet that I am excited to be able to explore and use once available. The other issue I run into with asking students to submit assignments online is that not all students I teach have access to a computer, or laptop. We have laptop carts in which we have to sign up for and share with at least 4 other teachers, so it can sometimes be a struggle being able to use those. In the meantime, I have been asking my students to be patient. I also remind them of the amount of time it took them to complete an assignment or project, and double or triple that length or amount of time for me to grade them. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteJessica,
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting. I use warm ups and games for quick assessment grades, and also input grades during performances. Every time I get caught up, I conjure up another great assignment that becomes time consuming for both students to complete, and myself to grade.
I am completely against,and absolutely despise bringing work home with me, but I have had to go against my beliefs so many times this year already.
It seems as if my "me time" is becoming more and more like a distant fond memory rather than reality.
Heaven help us all!