The grading sessionbegins amidst crumbles of
delicious muffin madness.
The top project has so many errors,
that I want to just shred it rather
than mark it. Yet this is my job.
This is wrong, squire.
This, too, is wrong.
You've done this in a format
incompatible with the English-
speaking readership.
These stats are made up,
I'd bet my spleen.
I am almost out of red ink,
and this is a new pen.
The second paper fares better.
I find that when I write not at all,
the grade is always high.
The project works;
my pen hand is limp.
When done, I write "SPLENDID"
on the first page, but I suspect
that won't even be read.
Or the student will wonder what
"splendid" means. Splendid
is one of Yaro's words.
I save it for the right occasion.
So, "SPLENDID," and "BRAVO!"
I write, with the exclamation point.
Maybe I just right "100" or "A."
"A+" Is that too much?
I go back to the first paper.
At the end of my voluminous comments
about the inanity of the project,
I write: "A TERRIFIC MESS."
He'll think "terrific" means good.
That way we both win.
Muffins? Are there any left?
There are projects left, of course. A stack.
But a muffin!
It would be splendid.
I'm just sitting down to my Sunday grading, and alas, there are no muffins.
ReplyDeleteI love Richard.
ReplyDeleteI have the exact problem with GREAT papers, projects, and so on. I don't know what to write, what to say. Giving the A is not enough, I don't think.
We need some kind of celebratory noise or honk we could make when someone actually does the right thing!
I'm kind of a fan of engaging with student ideas in comments. Even on the sucky papers. One of the things I don't like about TAs is that they grade solely on composition and presentations. So honing in on an idea or two in addition to these things keeps me from falling asleep.
ReplyDeleteI mean presentation. Awakened at 2 AM by my preschooler = jelly for brains.
ReplyDelete