Have you ever wondered if you graded an essay twice within days of each other, would you give it the same score? I have often thought about it.
Today actually.
Over my spring break, I graded 90 essays. Each class period's rubrics were completed, the rubric score converted and put into the grade book, and the papers carefully paperclipped together.
Or so I thought.
I finished grading on Thursday and found that I had two papers from first period that weren't in with the rest of the class' stack. Thinking that seemed odd, I went in search of the other rubrics.
What a conundrum.
I have looked everywhere. In my house. In my classroom. In my teacher bag. I even looked in file folders that I had out, thinking I might have accidentally slipped them in there. But no. They are nowhere to be found.
Would I score the essay the same? I guess I will find out later today.
I worry about this. The first pieces I look at I know I have a more critical lens. I keep trying to find a way to neutralize this. Starting with the strongest writers has been one way. Another is to do them over time. I think a lot my of problem is exhaustion. And your issue of losing a rubric... I've been there. Maybe this is you way of testing your grading lens.
ReplyDeleteI used to worry about this all the time. Nowadays, I have all of my students submit their work to me via Blackboard, online. The computer program keeps track of their essays now. I just have to log in and grade them.
ReplyDeleteAs objective as we try to be, grading essays inevitably falls into the subjective. I usually try to grade all of them at once with the same frame of mind, so that it's as equitable as possible. But many times, that is not possible. Good luck today!
ReplyDeleteThis was a worry for me as well when I was in the classroom. Grading essays is such subjective work regardless of the tools we have to make them less so.
ReplyDeleteI've always wondered this too. I think no. It depends for me on my mood and the things I am grading around the same time. I have yet to make a perfectly objective rubric!
ReplyDeleteWondering how it went...
ReplyDeleteI've done stuff like this more than once. I've been comforted to find that while there is variance, it's never been enough to change a grade much. Spot on exact? Nope. But within a few points here and there? Mostly.
I'm still stuck on the 90 essays. That is a lot! I worry about grading 25 the same. However you did it, I'm sure your feedback was beneficial to your writers.
ReplyDelete