My students' essays were much better this time. That may have been because only the top half of my students turned in their essays, so I only got the best, but even still that top half improved. I still did not give out many A's, but the amount of B's I gave out was significant compared to last time. I kept getting more and more excited as each essay I read honestly tried to answer the question, AND cited their quotations correctly. By the time I finished I actually felt a little rewarded. Maybe I did teach them something, even if it is just to introduce a quote.
I don't think I compliment my class very often. I seem to focus on the negative a lot. Probably because my class tends to gravitate towards the negative. But today I gave them a little compliment about how good their essays were. I didn't puff up their heads or anything, but I just told them all did a great job introducing their quotes and that the essays were better overall. They all looked pleased with themselves. I think I should try to add a little more positive into my classroom. I'm not saying I need to tell them all they're special and can do no wrong, but sometimes I forget to let them know when they've worked hard and it's turned out well. I just get frustrated with their lack of response and their inability to turn anything in, it kind of crowds out the good.
Speaking of which, I have a student who did not show up much the first half of the term but is now showing up every day. That would be great, except she's only turned in her first essay and nothing else. I'm not sure what to do. I've given them all midterm grades/status reports but she doesn't seem to care. Sometimes I get scared about turning in final grades because I worry about the emails I might get from students like her. Oh well, I guess they have to learn at some point that they need to be responsible for their own actions.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Grading?
Unlike the rest of you, who I'm sure graded furiously all throughout the break, I'm only now sitting down to plow through my essays, and I have to say that 3/4 of them have significantly improved. Their work with the language of the quotations is generally excellent. Their use of quotation is excellent. Their prose has gotten markedly better.
With that said, a couple of students who don't come to class all that much performed--what's the expression?--poorly.
How are yours?
Monday, March 16, 2009
Oh, I had such high hopes...
SO...I've fallen a little behind on blog posts. I was so certain I would spend spring break catching up on everything and gearing up for the big push to the end of the semester, but instead of chugging Coke and plodding through the entire stack of essays in one go, I ended up chugging Pepto and washing sheets all week (thanks, gastroenteritis).
However, I did get through enough essays to get a feel for what they're struggling with this time. Yes, they're having trouble making the page limit, but I was pretty clear after the last round that a paper not making length would not get a full grade, so at least they know what they're in for. The main issue with the essays is that many of them fail to take that final step of saying what the author is trying to achieve with the manipulative language. They give a lot of examples of manipulative language, and they do a good job of analyzing the different kinds, but they just don't seem to look at the bigger picture of WHY and to what purpose. They also seem to have a hard time distinguishing between looking critically at something a person has written and actually criticizing the writing or personally attacking the author. I always hated it when professors wrote "So What?" at the end of papers, but I think I may go get a sticker printed up (and while I'm at it, I'll get another one that reads, "Introduce your quotes!").
As for the TBA day, I handed out a half-sheet of paper with their mid-term grades, as well as what I was missing from each of them. I ended up answering questions about those for about twenty minutes or so, and then I let them go (although I did tell them if they wanted to stick around and workshop for the last thirty minutes, they could, and then they could go print up their revisions and get them to me before I left the Writing Center at noon. Nobody took me up on the offer, which tells me they were too sick of their papers to deal with them anymore).
Overall, the papers have been of a better quality--especially in the organization department--than the first round, which is encouraging. Let's hope the rest follow suit.
However, I did get through enough essays to get a feel for what they're struggling with this time. Yes, they're having trouble making the page limit, but I was pretty clear after the last round that a paper not making length would not get a full grade, so at least they know what they're in for. The main issue with the essays is that many of them fail to take that final step of saying what the author is trying to achieve with the manipulative language. They give a lot of examples of manipulative language, and they do a good job of analyzing the different kinds, but they just don't seem to look at the bigger picture of WHY and to what purpose. They also seem to have a hard time distinguishing between looking critically at something a person has written and actually criticizing the writing or personally attacking the author. I always hated it when professors wrote "So What?" at the end of papers, but I think I may go get a sticker printed up (and while I'm at it, I'll get another one that reads, "Introduce your quotes!").
As for the TBA day, I handed out a half-sheet of paper with their mid-term grades, as well as what I was missing from each of them. I ended up answering questions about those for about twenty minutes or so, and then I let them go (although I did tell them if they wanted to stick around and workshop for the last thirty minutes, they could, and then they could go print up their revisions and get them to me before I left the Writing Center at noon. Nobody took me up on the offer, which tells me they were too sick of their papers to deal with them anymore).
Overall, the papers have been of a better quality--especially in the organization department--than the first round, which is encouraging. Let's hope the rest follow suit.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Patho, Eggo, Legos--grading appeals
Bring on the chocolate and caffeine--it's time to grade papers again. Woooo!
I was worried. When my class started today, I had four students in attendance. They looked like they'd been up all night typing. I tried to think positively, as in: "Well, with only four papers to grade, I'll be able to get to the laundry after all" and "Maybe the students are practicing Gladwell's 'thinking without thinking' and are blinking out a paper at the last minute." One can always be hopeful. I ended up gathering in eleven papers, with two more promised via e-mail by midnight. Hmmm.
So, I'd have to say the biggest problem with this essay will be the handing it in part. I met with each of my students, gave them the mid-semester lecture on their missing assignments and attendance, acted as babysitter and cheerleader. They're suffering from burnout. Charles e-mailed to say he was too sick to bring his essay. From the sound of things, I thought he was on his deathbed. He did look rather pale when I ran into him on the stairs after class. He was stammering, even. I think at that moment he was wishing for death. Ha. I suspect he's just sick of English 1010. But--he'll send the paper by midnight.
Thankfully, length is not as much of a problem as it was last go round. So far only 2/11 are suffering from length issues, and they're not that far from five pages. I've only glanced through them quickly, and I haven't seen any citation problems. One girl is giving examples of "legos" and "patho"--which brings to mind visions of toys and serial killers. I think these papers are far more entertaining than the last batch already.
My grading process has already changed--I'm not nervous at all. I'm not putting them in any sort of order in advance, I'm just going to plow through. I'll order them loosely as I go, and will put grades on after I've gone through all of them. The students responded well to the comments, and most rewrote last time, so I'll do the same this time. I'm definitely NOT eating as much chocolate this time, as I can't afford new clothes when I grow out of these. I'm not going to spend an entire evening agonizing over grades, and I'm not spending an hour on each paper. I have a life, really. I don't want to turn into a Patho.
I was worried. When my class started today, I had four students in attendance. They looked like they'd been up all night typing. I tried to think positively, as in: "Well, with only four papers to grade, I'll be able to get to the laundry after all" and "Maybe the students are practicing Gladwell's 'thinking without thinking' and are blinking out a paper at the last minute." One can always be hopeful. I ended up gathering in eleven papers, with two more promised via e-mail by midnight. Hmmm.
So, I'd have to say the biggest problem with this essay will be the handing it in part. I met with each of my students, gave them the mid-semester lecture on their missing assignments and attendance, acted as babysitter and cheerleader. They're suffering from burnout. Charles e-mailed to say he was too sick to bring his essay. From the sound of things, I thought he was on his deathbed. He did look rather pale when I ran into him on the stairs after class. He was stammering, even. I think at that moment he was wishing for death. Ha. I suspect he's just sick of English 1010. But--he'll send the paper by midnight.
Thankfully, length is not as much of a problem as it was last go round. So far only 2/11 are suffering from length issues, and they're not that far from five pages. I've only glanced through them quickly, and I haven't seen any citation problems. One girl is giving examples of "legos" and "patho"--which brings to mind visions of toys and serial killers. I think these papers are far more entertaining than the last batch already.
My grading process has already changed--I'm not nervous at all. I'm not putting them in any sort of order in advance, I'm just going to plow through. I'll order them loosely as I go, and will put grades on after I've gone through all of them. The students responded well to the comments, and most rewrote last time, so I'll do the same this time. I'm definitely NOT eating as much chocolate this time, as I can't afford new clothes when I grow out of these. I'm not going to spend an entire evening agonizing over grades, and I'm not spending an hour on each paper. I have a life, really. I don't want to turn into a Patho.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Two Posts in One
Today I am probably going to let my students out early, but I have decided to go over the "Five Ways of Interpreting a Text" with them. I liked Peters's questions, and I think my students could benefit from them. So, that's what we are going to do today, unless they all seem like zombies. Then, I may just let them go. They wouldn't take any of it in anyway, right?
I am honestly not sure what problems they are having with this essay because I have not seen it yet. I do know that on our workshopping day many of them did not have 5 pages, but it also was not due, so I figure they will fix that before they turn it in today. (Knock on wood.) They have heard me threaten them enough with lowered grades if they do not meet the page requirement, but who knows if that translated into their brains or if they care.
I know that when we spoke about examples of manipulation from Blink, they had trouble differentiating between the author's manipulations and the characters in the stories being manipulated. We talked about this as well, so I hope nobody is still holding onto that false notion. If they have used this to write their papers, they will be getting comments from me about it and possibly a chance to rewrite.
In grading these papers, I probably won't change much. I felt like I developed a good "groove" for grading the last time. It took me a few papers to find it, but it worked. I felt as if my sense for what was an A, B, or C paper came quite naturally after reading a few of them. I am going to stick with this. I may actually be a little more tough on them because it is their second essay. They should have learned something by now, right? I may be less lenient on the lack of a thesis statement, comma splices, or citations that are inadequately formatted.
My mind may change after I actually spend some of Spring Break grading. I do hope to try to be fair and consistent. Is that possible?
I am honestly not sure what problems they are having with this essay because I have not seen it yet. I do know that on our workshopping day many of them did not have 5 pages, but it also was not due, so I figure they will fix that before they turn it in today. (Knock on wood.) They have heard me threaten them enough with lowered grades if they do not meet the page requirement, but who knows if that translated into their brains or if they care.
I know that when we spoke about examples of manipulation from Blink, they had trouble differentiating between the author's manipulations and the characters in the stories being manipulated. We talked about this as well, so I hope nobody is still holding onto that false notion. If they have used this to write their papers, they will be getting comments from me about it and possibly a chance to rewrite.
In grading these papers, I probably won't change much. I felt like I developed a good "groove" for grading the last time. It took me a few papers to find it, but it worked. I felt as if my sense for what was an A, B, or C paper came quite naturally after reading a few of them. I am going to stick with this. I may actually be a little more tough on them because it is their second essay. They should have learned something by now, right? I may be less lenient on the lack of a thesis statement, comma splices, or citations that are inadequately formatted.
My mind may change after I actually spend some of Spring Break grading. I do hope to try to be fair and consistent. Is that possible?
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
It's Always the Length
I have not collected the essays, but as I walked around and talked to my students and looked at drafts it seems their biggest problem will be the length. They couldn't make four pages last time and most of them are already complaining that they won't make five. I had to have a pep talk with one of my students who only made two and half pages last time. I told him to just try and take it in small chunks. Take a paragraph and talk about a fallacy. Tell me what the fallacy is and then give me examples of the fallacy. How did this manipulate him? He seemed somewhat encouraged.
I think the other problem will be either talking about too many fallacies/rhetorical appeals or not talking about enough. Some students have chosen three rhetorical fallacies so that they can create their perfect five paragraph essay, so we'll see how that goes. At the same time three might be a perfect number to discuss in a paper this length. I have one student who may only focus on one rhetorical appeal. This may work out great. I hope so. I have other students who are worried about putting all of the fallacies into their papers, and if they try to do that the paper will get overwhelmed. In one of the drafts I saw, the student discussed a few fallacies in depth and then ended the last paragraph of the body with, "Gladwell uses other fallacies such as non sequitor, either/or reasoning, etc." (yes I am being lazy with my etc.) I guess he felt it necessary to mention the fallacies but he didn't feel he had enough space to discuss them.
Honestly, I'm holding out high hopes for this essay. I think they might get this one a little better. In the last one they didn't understand how to make connections. I think they at least understand they are being manipulated and how the author is doing it. Now if they can just explain that clearly...
This time I'm going to try and set aside a chunk of time so I can just do them all at once. That way when I'm finished I won't have completely forgotten what I read two weeks prior when I started the whole mess. Even if the chunk of time is over three days I think that will be better than last time. I might also try putting them in A, B, C, piles as I go rather than wait until the end. See how I feel right after I finish reading and then go back and re-evaluate if I need to.
Here's to a fun weekend and a spring break full of grading!
I think the other problem will be either talking about too many fallacies/rhetorical appeals or not talking about enough. Some students have chosen three rhetorical fallacies so that they can create their perfect five paragraph essay, so we'll see how that goes. At the same time three might be a perfect number to discuss in a paper this length. I have one student who may only focus on one rhetorical appeal. This may work out great. I hope so. I have other students who are worried about putting all of the fallacies into their papers, and if they try to do that the paper will get overwhelmed. In one of the drafts I saw, the student discussed a few fallacies in depth and then ended the last paragraph of the body with, "Gladwell uses other fallacies such as non sequitor, either/or reasoning, etc." (yes I am being lazy with my etc.) I guess he felt it necessary to mention the fallacies but he didn't feel he had enough space to discuss them.
Honestly, I'm holding out high hopes for this essay. I think they might get this one a little better. In the last one they didn't understand how to make connections. I think they at least understand they are being manipulated and how the author is doing it. Now if they can just explain that clearly...
This time I'm going to try and set aside a chunk of time so I can just do them all at once. That way when I'm finished I won't have completely forgotten what I read two weeks prior when I started the whole mess. Even if the chunk of time is over three days I think that will be better than last time. I might also try putting them in A, B, C, piles as I go rather than wait until the end. See how I feel right after I finish reading and then go back and re-evaluate if I need to.
Here's to a fun weekend and a spring break full of grading!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Prompt
Two questions:
1) What kinds of problems are your students having with this essay?
2) How are you going to change your grading process this time around?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)