Week 4: Understand the challenge of the first grades

As I write this, I am thinking I don’t need to be writing this, I need to be posting in my course shells and grading.  Tonight MSW students from two classes I teach attended and facilitated groups in VSU’s Readers’ theater for new students living in VSU housing.  I was pleased to see the MSW students’ contributions, and also our program being out there—out of our building and with a population that I don’t often see us with—the undergraduates at Valdosta State University.

So the challenge of the first grades . . . the students I teach are Masters students, but me and my classes are new to some of them.  And, the fourth week is usually when assignments have been submitted and there are grades—the early grades, the before midterm grades.  I have learned a lot about grading over my years of teaching. My father who was a college professor would say that “Grading is the dishwashing of teaching” –meaning that it is a necessary task that is usually done at the end, and something that is not be the most enjoyable part of teaching.

When I started teaching at the university level in 1998, online and hybrid teaching were just beginning. Grading before online was grading actual papers or exams—red pen in hand, and when I started as an instructor it took me so long to grade. And, then moving to online—probably about 2003 or 2004, and not everything was submitted online then. That was another learning curve.  Reading the work and grading on the screen, inserting comments, changing font colors, saving, and returning the work to the students. I have gotten faster over time, and more confident.  Faster with the technology and more confident in my ratings and conclusions about student work.  And, technology has gotten lighter—lighter in that when I travel my laptops aren’t as heavy, and lighter in that technology is easier and more reliable now.

Right now in my career, I don’t mind grading as much I used to. I enjoy the quiet of reading a student’s work and I must say I give interesting assignments—so that helps.  I see grading as communicating with the student.  I have learned so much from my students through their work—learned about policy, laws and court cases,  social problems, current events, populations at risk for oppression, discrimination and poverty, and international social welfare and social work. I aim to give lots of written feedback as well as a numeric and letter grade.  I try to soften the feedback, “Try rewording this” or “This is a little short, elaborate more” or “You write conversationally—you write like you talk, take a more professional tone, use language/terms that are more specific.”

So back to the challenge of the first grades, one thing I have learned is that grading is not over once you return the paper, exam or assignment.  Students will have questions, comments and concerns especially if their grades are not what they want them to be. Encourage them to reach out, make time in your schedule for them to reach out, discuss the assignments in the next class—this can be done early in the semester. Have graded assignments early in the semester. Don’t wait.  Early is the time for practice, mistakes, lessons, phone calls, appointments, and learning.

Midterm? Later? The last week of class?  When grades are due? Well, I am not writing about that now, and I must get back to my course shell—I’ve got articles to post and grading to do.  We are still in the fourth week of class. More about later-later.