Anybody grading papers today?

[Bad JuJu]

Our spring semester is in its last week (exams next week), so I'm stuck inside on this gorge-o-licious day (sunshine, upper 70s) grading final papers. I've got several more to do to stay on schedule. I was on a roll for a while, but I seem to have hit a bad spot where every one I open is...awful. So what am I doing? Checking out the TE forums, taking a breather before going back to the salt mines of poor arguments and lazy grammar.

I know I shouldn't complain too much. I love this job, and some days, like today, I get to work at home. Still, the students who just can't be bothered to do it well (and by this point in the semester, I know that's the issue) get me down sometimes, even though they're really in the minority.

Anybody else grading papers today?

[kat_h]

I found out late last night that I get to teach a spring semester (May/June) course, so I was up until 2:30 preparing for that. The late notice is because I wasn't their first choice... or their second or third for that matter. I'm okay with that though. I've never taught a university course before and had actually decided to change fields entirely and go back as a student, so getting hired to teach was a nice surprise. Maybe this is someone's way of telling me to stay with my original field for just a little longer.

[Veronica]

I grade something every day.

V.

[Andrea]

I am! But it's been a rainy day, so I don't mind, except that it's too hot in my office, and physical plant won't fix it

[ehirsch83]

Nope, I'm on the other end. I'm procrastinating writing my last paper for the semester!

Hope you get some papers of a higher caliber soon:-)

[wannaduacentury]

Nope, I'm on the other end. I'm procrastinating writing my last paper for the semester!

Hope you get some papers of a higher caliber soon:-)

Same here, I've got 2 left as well, one for each class. I've done well on all the others, can't see why I can't finish strong although I'm ready for summer break. Jenn

[Bad JuJu]

I found out late last night that I get to teach a spring semester (May/June) course, so I was up until 2:30 preparing for that. The late notice is because I wasn't their first choice... or their second or third for that matter. I'm okay with that though. I've never taught a university course before and had actually decided to change fields entirely and go back as a student, so getting hired to teach was a nice surprise. Maybe this is someone's way of telling me to stay with my original field for just a little longer.

Good for you! Have fun with it.

[Geonz]

Show 'em that you were a good choice

This is the time of semester where I'm glad I *don't* have to grade papers... just try to encourage students through the home stretch. SYmpathizing wiht especially the graders of writing, and wishing more teachers held students to (well-explained) standards 'cause it makes it easier for me to try to do the same.

[Crankin]

We have spring vacation this week (I know it's not when the rest of the world has it, but we also have a week off in February that no one else has). For the first time in 18 years, the weather has been gorgeous!
I am doing my midterm grades, which are due May 1. I've finished with 2 classes and am procrastinating on the other 2. Of course, I am going to have a big problem when I go to imput them into the computer program because I am a sub. Three times the IT person told me I was set and 3 times I could not get into the program. Of course the thing was tenuous the whole 8 years before, too.
Thankfully, I didn't schedule any big writing pieces to be graded during this week.

[Tri Girl]

Is the question AM I, or SHOULD I?
I should be grading, but I'm not. We have a three day weekend because tomorrow is a built in snow day that we didn't need to use (woo hoo!).
Only one month left, and I'm just as excited as the kids (5th graders). May is always just a month of crowd control and torture (for all of us ).
I love my job, but I take home less papers every year. I've found that it'll all get done eventually, and even when I bring things home, I rarely get around to doing them. If it doesn't get done at school from me coming in early or staying late, it's not going to get done at home.

Enjoy your grading. Errrrr... I meant to say: I hope the grading gets done quickly!

[teawoman]

Dear.God.Yes.

Grading exams for the last of my classes. Hope to be done today. Oy.

Freshmen are *stupid* about plagiarism. I had a paper that had several paragraphs lifted from a website. I asked the student to define the terms that were plagiarized. The student coudn't. Then s/he said, "I don't know what source I used." I said, "Google these three words. That's how I found it."

[kat_h]

I remember being a first year and not having a clue how to footnote. I completely overdid them. I was so terrified of academic misconduct that I had at least one footnote on every sentence. I also didn't ever use ibid in the footnotes so my pages were half footnotes. That was actually deliberate because the 19 year old version of me didn't know how else to create a 12 page paper. I remember a prof writing on my bibliography page that the "content was impressive but the format was unacceptable." The next year I discovered style guides and sorted out the format. The year after that I actually learned how to think for myself and research a good paper, although I still find writing them difficult.

I can't understand undergrads not citing their sources. At the very least it's padding for the paper. Now that there are programs like Endnote and RefWorks there's no excuse for bad formatting. If a student is copying and pasting a webpage it's just as easy to copy and paste the URL. Then the prof will just thing the student is a clueless kid who doesn't understand how to write a paper. That is far better than the kid is a liar and a cheater.

[teawoman]

I was so terrified of academic misconduct that I had at least one footnote on every sentence.

Hee Hee! I have students like that. Better than erring the other way.

I should add that a goodly number of students I teach at least show signs of caring about how they cite stuff by emailing me and asking questions about them. I don't get too crazed if the stuff is at least in the Works Cited, but when it's not.... Sometimes the words they steal are left in the font they cut and pasted from a website, so there are two different fonts in the paper..

[kat_h]

Sometimes the words they steal are left in the font they cut and pasted from a website, so there are two different fonts in the paper..

Okay, that's just funny.

[wannaduacentury]

I remember being a first year and not having a clue how to footnote. I completely overdid them. I was so terrified of academic misconduct that I had at least one footnote on every sentence. I also didn't ever use ibid in the footnotes so my pages were half footnotes. That was actually deliberate because the 19 year old version of me didn't know how else to create a 12 page paper. I remember a prof writing on my bibliography page that the "content was impressive but the format was unacceptable." The next year I discovered style guides and sorted out the format. The year after that I actually learned how to think for myself and research a good paper, although I still find writing them difficult.

I can't understand undergrads not citing their sources. At the very least it's padding for the paper. Now that there are programs like Endnote and RefWorks there's no excuse for bad formatting. If a student is copying and pasting a webpage it's just as easy to copy and paste the URL. Then the prof will just thing the student is a clueless kid who doesn't understand how to write a paper. That is far better than the kid is a liar and a cheater.

You're right. I can deal better w/ bad formatting b/c of not much practice or instruction vs. a plagarized paper. I work for a college in the library and go to school there too. The honor code is quite strict and I've even heard other profs nail their students saying they won't get turned in this time. Some just don't get it. It's not that hard to cite a paper. If I can do it they can too. They should ask for help. btw I'm working on the Chicago method again after a long absence. I use both MLA and Chicago on a regular basis. Jennifer