Having retired from teaching last June, I've graded my last test, plowed through my last set of essays, read my last term paper. But does that mean effort counts for nothing? Get that A or B in less time than it takes to get that C or D grade. a trend has been emerging in the students that they are not interested in writing their college papers and assignments. January 9, 2013 . I know that some teachers actually enjoy grading. But with respect to one -- the drudgery and tedium associated with grading -- there are, of course, time-tested methods that teachers have been using for years. For many, it's the most stressful part of the job -- partly because it's so hard to be fair. There are many reasons that can make students hate writing their college assignments such as the lack of the interest and ability to write competent and perfect college assignments. Maybe that kid's right -- the one in the back row who says, "Why do we need to know any of this detail? Despite what many outsiders may think of teachers and their work lives, it's a demanding occupation. Write an Outline. I don't believe I ever worked harder or longer hours than I did in my first year of teaching high school -- and that includes my graduate school years and my first years of teaching at the college level. Alas, I don't know how to solve most of the core dilemmas outlined above. She wrote that it is "the hardest job" she's ever had -- also the most satisfying. But isn't the product of the work, not the effort itself, what the teacher must judge? Suggests that students can become motivated and engaged to improve their writing through guided interactions that target their affective, social, and cognitive capabilities. All Rights Reserved. Back then I loved school. Once you have a sizable stack of research notes, its time to start organizing your paper. How do my judgments about this essay or term paper -- or of this student over the course of a semester -- compare with the judgments one of my colleagues down the hall would make of the same work? John Tierney. ", Suggests that students can become motivated and engaged to improve their writing through guided interactions that target their affective, social, and cognitive capabilities. Concerns about comparability of our evaluations. 4. Who cares about Supreme Court cases from 200 years ago? Even if you normally feel confident writing a paper without one, use an outline when youre working on a research paper. Many pupils do not offer much focus to this type of writing. In any case, these are some of the worries that combine to make grading students' work a singularly unpleasant and stressful task -- for me, at least. It shouldn't be that way, but any honest teacher will admit it's true. Some people may find in this last point the basis for an argument in favor of statewide (or nationwide) standardized tests. An essay that earns a B+ at one moment might earn a B- the next day. This doesn't have anything to do with favoritism (a whole other problem), but with human error and weakness. They say they find it interesting to see what their students have learned and how they're doing. In fact, your frame of mind can change in moments for any number of reasons: Five weak essays in a row can put you in a foul mood; fatigue can set in; a too-hot or too-noisy room can set your nerves on edge. And it's certainly true that there is the positive feeling that comes from the occasional observation of student improvement, from either increased effort or better understanding of the material. Probably so. As teachers, we think we're clear about signaling to our students what we want them to pay special attention to -- what facts, concepts, frameworks they should focus on in their studying. It's the part of the job that, in my opinion, induces the greatest uncertainty, discomfort, and angst. Most any form of writing on a topic is technically an essay. Concerns about what to weigh in making judgments. Because college writing situations vary widely in terms of stylistic conventions, tone, audience, and purpose, the trick is deciphering the conventions of your writing context and determining how your purpose and audience affect the way you write. For one thing, this person is still in her first year of teaching, which is notoriously demanding. Link Copied. That same concern gets magnified, of course, when one broadens the field of vision to include whole school districts, states, or the nation as a whole. Why Teachers Secretly Hate Grading Papers. Concerns about whether our tests gauge what students know. I need to make a clear distinction between essay writing and academic essay writing. But none of us communicates perfectly. In any case, whatever else you do, lock away those steak knives. When we pose an essay question about, say, McCulloch v. Maryland, are we being unfair to the student who can't say anything meaningful about that case but can tell us everything worth knowing (and more) about the decision five years later in Gibbons v. Ogden? Concerns about whether we're testing what's worth knowing. But apart from that, I was never able to get myself into the frame of mind where I could find grading bearable, much less enjoy it. Creative writing is a fascinating field, and a lot of people enjoy writing articles, etc. Why not? Every teacher has had the experience of handing back to a student a piece of work that merited a lower grade than the student was expecting and getting the comment, freighted with frustration and disappointment, "But I worked so hard on this." I do not. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com. But as I thought about her and her new job, I found myself thinking more about what's hard about it. My wife and I received a Christmas card from a former colleague of hers, an accomplished woman who previously had a successful career in economic analysis of energy issues and who recently had become a high-school teacher. Maybe so. That is, there are even larger concerns about equity when the same student who earns a B from me would get a C in Ms. Smith's class or an A in Mr. Brown's. TheAtlantic.com Copyright (c) 2020 by The Atlantic Monthly Group. For a 1500-word essay, I usually write a plan of about three sides, and spend at least three hours making sure that before I put pen to paper, every kink in my argument is ironed out. Anyone who's taught for a number of years could add to this litany of woes. What Im talking about in this post is academic essay writing. (Here are a few to consider.) When you're two-thirds of the way through 35 essays on why the Supreme Court's decision in the case of McCulloch v. Maryland is important for an understanding of the development of American federalism, it takes a strong spirit not to want to poke your eyes out with a steak knife rather than read one more. And maybe get that the conflicts underpinning these cases continue today?" After that first or second year, the workload becomes more manageable, but the hardest -- and, to me, most stressful and distressing -- part of the job remains: grading students' work. I wish I could impart to colleagues still in the trenches some wisdom about how to make grading less agonizing. Multiple factors and worries contributed to the pain: The sheer drudgery and tedium. What Do Students Mean When They Say, "I Hate Writing? We want to hear what you think about this article. Just because I'm a teacher doesn't make me infallible as a sifter and sorter of "important" information. Writing a paper for school need not be a chore when you can pick up some hot tips right here on how to write a paper in less time. For many, it's the most stressful part of the job -- partly because it's so hard to be fair. How can any teacher be confident that his or her assessment of student work is always fair and accurate in the face of such vagaries? So could I. Maybe you're suddenly reminded that you have only 48 hours left to finish clearing out your deceased parent's apartment. I will show you how I was able to write 5 and 7 page papers in under 2 hours. I have lots of friends who are teachers and professors. I believe mandatory testing of that sort has been harmful to American education, but that's a topic I'll take up on another occasion. Im only comparing my feelings now for the ecstasy of my elementary days. I think so. Writing various essays is an important component of the educational process. Alcohol also helps, but exacerbates some of the concerns above. And what about a science teacher who agonizes about whether she should consider grammar and syntax when grading lab reports? Presents fictional case scenarios developed from first- and second-year college students' comments about their writing to help students assess their perspectives on writing, assess their interaction with writing instructors, and develop self-efficacy of the writing process. Jot down general observations, questions, and answers to those questions when you find them. I admire that attitude. Hate is a strong word, I dont hate school. Your temperament and disposition change over the hours or days you spend grading an assignment. Essays generally are taken into consideration the smallest college papers, compared to coursework as well as theses. Isn't it enough to understand the contemporary state of American federalism? They typically don't care concerning being original as well as the company of their make-ups. The rest of this handout is devoted to strategies for figuring out when to use I and personal experience. No matter how hard you try, you realize there's a good chance you're grading some students more harshly than they deserve, and giving others more credit than they deserve. This blog post is an essay; many vlogs are essays; even tweets can be essays. I didn't have difficulty understanding either part of her assessment. Their tweets and Facebook status updates when they're in the midst of grading provide glimpses into minds on the edge of the abyss -- and, in some cases, already deranged. (SG). Concerns about equity and fairness.
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