The best thing about Finals week is the odd, off hours. The worst thing about Finals week is the grading. First of all, and mainly, I don't like to give grades. I like to comment, cajole, and congratulate, but I don't like to assign grades. My students earn alot of failing grades. In one of my classes, I have a 45.8% D/F/W rate. bluh. Even so, despite my adverseness to grading, I don't balk at the high rate of failure in my courses. I set high standards, and I sleep fine at night knowing I do all I can to help my students through the semester...probably too much, really.
To my own demise, I give portfolio assignments in my Jr/Sr level classes. As a whole, generally, they don't know how to really revise, and I spend time in class and in f2f conferences the week prior to Finals (what we used to call "Dead Week" - and got to go to study sessions, etc - when I was an undergrad) and discuss revision. It's also a good time to bring the course to a personal end with my students.
But, I value the portfolio, and the students who take it seriously benefit from it and in our department, the Majors have to have a Senior Portfolio at the end of their degree plan, so it helps those students practice revision, understand the portfolio process and holistic assessment.
And, even though it takes me about alot of hours to grade a pile of portfolios, I know that pedagogically, the process is sound, and a pile of about 40 isn't all that bad.
Finals week rocks. I live my life in 16 week increments, and this is week 16. The end is nigh. Mission accomplished. Insert maxim here.
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2 comments:
I hear ya! Can't get any better than week 16. I just have to get my own work finished and then I start grading portfolios.
45.8%? Remind me not to take that one....aaaand i think you're crazy. its the week AFTER finals that rocks.
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