WELCOME BACK to the WINTER TERM!

On Grading exams over the holidays...TIPS for future grading.

AND THE WINTER TEACHING EVENT TOMORROW AT CARLETON FROM 10-4pm! BE THERE.

See you soon!

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• assistant
• Carleton
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• English
• Literature
• 1000
• Advice
• Writer's
• block

[spader118]

I'm genuinely amazed that you weren't responsible enough to read the material that your students read. Now I understand why you had so much trouble articulating how to help students with their essays. You didn't bother to take the time to read the material. If you're the TA for a course, it's your responsibility to read the material.

[MsDeeholmes]

.@spader118 I believe that TA's should have a background knowledge in the subject being taught. However, since it is a first year class it is not necessary to read all of the material. I have a full understanding of all the themes and overall contexts of the stories assigned. As well as the stuff discussed in class, such as character questions that do have determined, set answers. Therefore, the prof doesn't have the expectation for me to read everything.

[MsDeeholmes]

@MsDeeholmes Which is why I received answer keys and wasn't required to do a close reading of all the texts.

[MsDeeholmes]

For essays during the semester I only graded essays on the material I had read. Since my professor wanted me to grade half the exams, I read as much as I could plus his notes on all the material - for the stories/poems I was less familiar with - in order to have a better background on how to grade the answers appropriately, and what an A answer is expected to be. I don't really understand if you're nit picking or genuinely interested.

[spader118]

Did you really just explain that you didn't read the material that your students wrote about? Fail.

[MsDeeholmes]

@spader118 No I read them, but I was giving too high of a grade for what the answers were. It turned out that my Professor was giving too low a grade for the type of answers given, and it made logical sense to change them. I was grading too generously. Which was the first time we hadn't been grading with the same grading scheme in mind.

[spader118]

@MsDeeholmes I don't even know where to start.

[spader118]

"So, what I found helpful was to ask the professor for notes...or to type up answer sheets for you because sometimes we as T.A.s don't get a chance to read all the material. So, even though we do a pretty good job of reading most of it, some stuff skips out..."

I was referring to that.