The Grades Are In!

[profpar]

Submitted grades for my summer classes very early this morning and finally have a little time to relax and recuperate before the Fall. A lot of pipe time to catch up on. For you collegiate folks and fellow academnicians, I wonder whether finals week is harder on the students or faculty. From my perspective, I would say the latter. What say you?

 

[philobeddoe]

I've been on both sides of the scantron and I thought it was much easier as a student, once the exam is over its Miller time. However, for the teacher the night has just begun, with all the time involved in grade submission. I did enjoy grading essays though, I liked getting inside the heads of the students.

 

[captainsousie]

I say it's harder on faculty for the most part. I know that doing final grades is the one of the least enjoyable parts of my job. It's a grind but it feels good when it's done. Glad to hear yours are done.

 

[trailspike48]

It has been many years, but I think it depends on the professor. For some classes I only needed to get notes from the year before, and some professors worked hard to prepare themselves and, made everyone work for their grade. It also seems that some profs used grad students to do their grading.
While I was at Michaigan State I was working 40 to 50 hours/week on an automotive assembly line and driving over 130 miles daily, I carried 12 to 16 credits each semester. I had to stand at a desk in the back of the classroom in order to stay awake. I'm not complaing, only saying some students work durn hard themselves.

 

[trailspike48]

Sorry, double post.

 

[profpar]

. It also seems some profs used grad students to do their grading.

At a two-year college there are no graduate assistants.

 

[dread]

Much, much harder on the Prof side, but the rest of the year is wonderful (well, was until I became a dean, now it is just a stressful blur). I always say that I teach for free and get paid to grade. I love teaching, hate grading.

 

[captainsousie]

I say you make good money to do you job and the goal should be to always do better.

I wouldn't say less than $50k for a job requiring a masters degree and 60+ hours per week is good money (the pay I looked at when I went for a job at a college). I know truck drivers that make quite a bit more. On the other hand, I am an advocate of always doing the best you can for your job whether it be to teach or drive a truck.

Your students, especially considering the cost of education today, deserve nothing less.

They're paying for sports and a "name", not instructors. If you believe otherwise, try working at a major educational institution.

Students expect, and deserve, teachers who go above and beyond what's expected.

Students expect much but most do not even know what they should be expecting. Consequently, they don't always know it when they see it. We should hire them to teach at the colleges while they still know everything.
Sorry if my comments seem at all surly, they are not meant to be. This is something I feel strongly about so they might out the wrong way.

 

[profpar]

@dread:

I love teaching, hate grading

Totally with you.

 

[captainsousie]

I love teaching, hate grading.

+2 completely agreed.

 

[foggymountain]

I taught in a few restaurant company training schools. There it was the same for both because evaluation was done on a daily basis. If you weren't learning, you got kicked out right away. They paid you a salary to go to school, so it was a job.