Late with grades

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or perhaps the teacher cannot get all of the grading done during contracted school hours and their normal amount of extra time in the evenings and weekends.

Lol. Let me guess you’re a teacher?

Not that poster, but anyone with a pulse knows that MCPS can’t supply enough subs this year and teachers are forced to spend their planning periods “covering” absent teachers’ classes. Maybe you can sign up to sub?

NP here. I’m not a teacher, but honest question…do teachers need to plan lessons every year?, I was under the impression that once a teacher plans a lesson (at the start of their career) it’s pretty much a repeat lesson every year, so there’s really not much planning involved during the subsequent years. Im asking a genuine question, please no snarky comments!

Plans change some every year as curriculum changes some every year. But "planning" time is as much for getting caught up as for prepping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or perhaps the teacher cannot get all of the grading done during contracted school hours and their normal amount of extra time in the evenings and weekends.

Lol. Let me guess you’re a teacher?

Not that poster, but anyone with a pulse knows that MCPS can’t supply enough subs this year and teachers are forced to spend their planning periods “covering” absent teachers’ classes. Maybe you can sign up to sub?

NP here. I’m not a teacher, but honest question…do teachers need to plan lessons every year?, I was under the impression that once a teacher plans a lesson (at the start of their career) it’s pretty much a repeat lesson every year, so there’s really not much planning involved during the subsequent years. Im asking a genuine question, please no snarky comments!

You asked a good question. Perhaps there are some teachers who have a more canned curriculum, but many of us have to revise or create units each year.

I’m a high school teacher. I revise and improve my lessons each year. What worked last year may not work with this year’s students. It’s always a different mix, and I have to take into account how my new students learn.

I average 7-8 hours a week of planning. I spend approximately 15 grading. I get 3.5 hours / week to get this done at work, and that’s assuming my planning isn’t taken away from me.

[Anonymous]

It's extremely deleterious for students' progress to not have their work back and be able to understand corrections in a timely manner. Beyond the quarter grading issue, it's a question of learning: they're learning so much at such speed in high school, that coming back to an essay or math unit from last month will seriously impact their memorization of facts and methods.

Most of my child's high school teachers grade in a timely manner. He's a senior, so he's had LOTS of high school teachers. There is absolutely NO excuse for late grading and MCPS should not allow it at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It's extremely deleterious for students' progress to not have their work back and be able to understand corrections in a timely manner. Beyond the quarter grading issue, it's a question of learning: they're learning so much at such speed in high school, that coming back to an essay or math unit from last month will seriously impact their memorization of facts and methods.

Most of my child's high school teachers grade in a timely manner. He's a senior, so he's had LOTS of high school teachers. There is absolutely NO excuse for late grading and MCPS should not allow it at all.

This is quite offensive. I’ll do my best to get essays graded in a timely manner, but I will not prioritize work over my own health or my own family any more than I already do. You get 13-15 hours a weekend ALREADY from me, and I refuse to give more. Frankly, to hear you demand that there is “no excuse” when things are late? Try to have a bit of compassion. I get very little time AT work to DO work.

I hope you are thanking those teachers for their timely feedback. They sacrificed time with their own families to give that feedback to your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It's extremely deleterious for students' progress to not have their work back and be able to understand corrections in a timely manner. Beyond the quarter grading issue, it's a question of learning: they're learning so much at such speed in high school, that coming back to an essay or math unit from last month will seriously impact their memorization of facts and methods.

Most of my child's high school teachers grade in a timely manner. He's a senior, so he's had LOTS of high school teachers. There is absolutely NO excuse for late grading and MCPS should not allow it at all.

Oh, absolutely. The principals should just tell the teachers that if they don't do it that way, they should find another job, and then get rid of them. There's no way that wouldn't go well.

[Anonymous]

I don't think teachers should be punished for late grades, but I do agree that they should prioritize getting things back to students earlier. If a student gets a C on a test but doesn't find out about it until weeks later, that seems like a missed opportunity to actually ask questions on what they got wrong and try to fix their errors of thinking before the next batch of assignments/tests. Perhaps there should be fewer assignments or less cr*p for teachers to focus on so that they could focus on providing feedback, one of the major mechanisms of student learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It's extremely deleterious for students' progress to not have their work back and be able to understand corrections in a timely manner. Beyond the quarter grading issue, it's a question of learning: they're learning so much at such speed in high school, that coming back to an essay or math unit from last month will seriously impact their memorization of facts and methods.

Most of my child's high school teachers grade in a timely manner. He's a senior, so he's had LOTS of high school teachers. There is absolutely NO excuse for late grading and MCPS should not allow it at all.

This is quite offensive. I’ll do my best to get essays graded in a timely manner, but I will not prioritize work over my own health or my own family any more than I already do. You get 13-15 hours a weekend ALREADY from me, and I refuse to give more. Frankly, to hear you demand that there is “no excuse” when things are late? Try to have a bit of compassion. I get very little time AT work to DO work.

I hope you are thanking those teachers for their timely feedback. They sacrificed time with their own families to give that feedback to your child.

DP. This is your chosen profession. For students to improve they need prompt, thorough feedback. That does not change because of the number of hours required, your life work-balance, etc. Honestly, there is nothing "offensive" about what children need to improve and requiring the professional paid to teach to provide it. Fortunately, most of my children's teachers do provide prompt feedback, but some of you are in the wrong profession if this is your attitude.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think teachers should be punished for late grades, but I do agree that they should prioritize getting things back to students earlier. If a student gets a C on a test but doesn't find out about it until weeks later, that seems like a missed opportunity to actually ask questions on what they got wrong and try to fix their errors of thinking before the next batch of assignments/tests. Perhaps there should be fewer assignments or less cr*p for teachers to focus on so that they could focus on providing feedback, one of the major mechanisms of student learning.

Serious question: Who decides what tests/homework look like? Is it the teacher complaining about grading it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It's extremely deleterious for students' progress to not have their work back and be able to understand corrections in a timely manner. Beyond the quarter grading issue, it's a question of learning: they're learning so much at such speed in high school, that coming back to an essay or math unit from last month will seriously impact their memorization of facts and methods.

Most of my child's high school teachers grade in a timely manner. He's a senior, so he's had LOTS of high school teachers. There is absolutely NO excuse for late grading and MCPS should not allow it at all.

This is quite offensive. I’ll do my best to get essays graded in a timely manner, but I will not prioritize work over my own health or my own family any more than I already do. You get 13-15 hours a weekend ALREADY from me, and I refuse to give more. Frankly, to hear you demand that there is “no excuse” when things are late? Try to have a bit of compassion. I get very little time AT work to DO work.

I hope you are thanking those teachers for their timely feedback. They sacrificed time with their own families to give that feedback to your child.

It's hard to take you seriously about time management issues when you post on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think teachers should be punished for late grades, but I do agree that they should prioritize getting things back to students earlier. If a student gets a C on a test but doesn't find out about it until weeks later, that seems like a missed opportunity to actually ask questions on what they got wrong and try to fix their errors of thinking before the next batch of assignments/tests. Perhaps there should be fewer assignments or less cr*p for teachers to focus on so that they could focus on providing feedback, one of the major mechanisms of student learning.

This is reasonable, but there are only so many hours in a day, and class coverage is taking priority.

This was sent to us at our school recently:

Class Coverage
Cooperation is expected. Many hands make light work.

It is not optional.

Content specialists deliver coverage slips daily.

Staff are not to discuss, complain, or negotiate with the secretaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It's extremely deleterious for students' progress to not have their work back and be able to understand corrections in a timely manner. Beyond the quarter grading issue, it's a question of learning: they're learning so much at such speed in high school, that coming back to an essay or math unit from last month will seriously impact their memorization of facts and methods.

Most of my child's high school teachers grade in a timely manner. He's a senior, so he's had LOTS of high school teachers. There is absolutely NO excuse for late grading and MCPS should not allow it at all.

This is quite offensive. I’ll do my best to get essays graded in a timely manner, but I will not prioritize work over my own health or my own family any more than I already do. You get 13-15 hours a weekend ALREADY from me, and I refuse to give more. Frankly, to hear you demand that there is “no excuse” when things are late? Try to have a bit of compassion. I get very little time AT work to DO work.

I hope you are thanking those teachers for their timely feedback. They sacrificed time with their own families to give that feedback to your child.

PP you replied.
You need to rid yourself of the idea that grading quickly is above and beyond. It's an essential part of teaching.
If you don't get the time during your workday, then you add in hours like everyone else working in other jobs.
If you think teachers don't get paid enough to work outside of their regular day, then welcome to the state of the world, where essential jobs are never paid or respected enough: I completely agree that teachers should be paid way more than they are, and command more respect.
My husband has an MD and a Phd and uses both in cancer research at NIH. He's paid 100K for this critical work, after way more years of education than what you did.

Why? Because it's a labor of love. It's a calling. Those who save the world are rarely recognized or thanked for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It's extremely deleterious for students' progress to not have their work back and be able to understand corrections in a timely manner. Beyond the quarter grading issue, it's a question of learning: they're learning so much at such speed in high school, that coming back to an essay or math unit from last month will seriously impact their memorization of facts and methods.

Most of my child's high school teachers grade in a timely manner. He's a senior, so he's had LOTS of high school teachers. There is absolutely NO excuse for late grading and MCPS should not allow it at all.

This is quite offensive. I’ll do my best to get essays graded in a timely manner, but I will not prioritize work over my own health or my own family any more than I already do. You get 13-15 hours a weekend ALREADY from me, and I refuse to give more. Frankly, to hear you demand that there is “no excuse” when things are late? Try to have a bit of compassion. I get very little time AT work to DO work.

I hope you are thanking those teachers for their timely feedback. They sacrificed time with their own families to give that feedback to your child.

PP you replied.
You need to rid yourself of the idea that grading quickly is above and beyond. It's an essential part of teaching.
If you don't get the time during your workday, then you add in hours like everyone else working in other jobs.
If you think teachers don't get paid enough to work outside of their regular day, then welcome to the state of the world, where essential jobs are never paid or respected enough: I completely agree that teachers should be paid way more than they are, and command more respect.
My husband has an MD and a Phd and uses both in cancer research at NIH. He's paid 100K for this critical work, after way more years of education than what you did.

Why? Because it's a labor of love. It's a calling. Those who save the world are rarely recognized or thanked for it.

DP but this martyr complex is exactly why teachers are leaving. Don’t burden us with your guilt

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think teachers should be punished for late grades, but I do agree that they should prioritize getting things back to students earlier. If a student gets a C on a test but doesn't find out about it until weeks later, that seems like a missed opportunity to actually ask questions on what they got wrong and try to fix their errors of thinking before the next batch of assignments/tests. Perhaps there should be fewer assignments or less cr*p for teachers to focus on so that they could focus on providing feedback, one of the major mechanisms of student learning.

The point of school is to "LEARN". I mostly feel this is lost especially at the middle and high school level. It shouldn't be a race to cover material so the teacher can say, "well I got through all of the required material". Grading in a timely manner and providing feedback is critical to actual learning.

A little OT but why do elective teachers like PE get paid the same as an English, History, Math or Science teaches who have hours of work outside of class (i.e., grading to complete etc.)? Same goes for special education which is a really hard job.

[Anonymous]

I remember the days in HS when my teachers would ask help from students to grade papers, not the subjective ones but like the fill in the blank.

Not saying I agree with this approach, but I recall feeling like I was at least helping the teachers out with their busy schedule so that they can return the work back to students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think teachers should be punished for late grades, but I do agree that they should prioritize getting things back to students earlier. If a student gets a C on a test but doesn't find out about it until weeks later, that seems like a missed opportunity to actually ask questions on what they got wrong and try to fix their errors of thinking before the next batch of assignments/tests. Perhaps there should be fewer assignments or less cr*p for teachers to focus on so that they could focus on providing feedback, one of the major mechanisms of student learning.

This is reasonable, but there are only so many hours in a day, and class coverage is taking priority.

This was sent to us at our school recently:

Class Coverage
Cooperation is expected. Many hands make light work.

It is not optional.

Content specialists deliver coverage slips daily.

Staff are not to discuss, complain, or negotiate with the secretaries.

I would never work in a district like that. My union says it is optional to cover for another teacher. I say no thanks.