If I wrote a book on The Joy of Grading I’m sure it wouldn’t be as popular as The Joy of Sex or even The Joy of Cooking. Grading is just not that interesting of a subject, yet, I continue to write about it semester after semester, year after year, and decade after decade…Ugh. I got to do a little original pontificating when we went from SIS to Banner and grading changed. That was pretty exciting! But now Banner has become routine and it’s all blah, blah, blah again.
I was bemoaning my lack of good writing material when my son called me and inadvertently reminded me how important grades are. He is currently in the most grade hungry institution on earth, law school. He didn’t even come home for Thanksgiving because he was preparing for a trial where he was the lead defense attorney—a final exam that was going to take place in a court house with a real judge and jury. Everything had to be perfect. On the morning of the trial he hopped on the train (or EL or L or whatever it’s called in Chicago) and headed to the courthouse. He arrived early and went looking for his co-counsel to go over everything one last time. Co-counsel was not to be found. He fired off a text asking his partner where he was and why he was late. Co-counsel informed him that he was in the court house lobby. My son texted back that he too was in the court house lobby. It then dawned on my son that HE WAS IN THE WRONG COURT HOUSE.
He raced out into the street, grabbed a cab and went racing, like all cabs in big cities do, to the correct courthouse a few miles away. Half way to his new destination he realized HE HAD NO MONEY. Tempting as it was to confess this immediately to his driver, he didn’t dare because he had to get to the courthouse and couldn’t afford to be kicked out of the cab half way there. He arrived in record time and apologized profusely to the driver, offering to take his name and address and mail him a check for twice the fare. The driver graciously let him go.
Knowing how important his grades are and knowing how stressed out my son can get, I was afraid this story was a prelude to a disappointing ending. Luckily he was able to pull himself together, go into court and win his case. We are now all sitting on pins and needles to see how the rest of his finals go and what his final grades will be.
Your students and their families are just like us, although perhaps they have a better sense of direction and carry a wallet. Grades are important. We have swarms of students at the registration windows asking us if we have their grades, sometimes even before their classes end. When we tell them that grades aren’t due until January 4 they melt to the floor in disappointment.
Remember, you can start inputting (is that a real word??) your grades as soon as your class ends. You don’t have to wait until January 4 to grade. You can grade students a few at a time. You don’t need to hold up the entire class while you wait for a student to turn in a late project.
You can grade from home or the Caribbean or your mother-in-law’s house. You don’t need to be on campus.
All registered students need a grade. If they are not withdrawn, they need a grade. Please do not leave any blank grades. Please do not give anyone a “W” grade now. The deadline for withdrawal was November 25.
If you have grading questions you can reach us at <mailto:gradenotes@monroecc.edu>. This mailbox is just for grade questions and we check it constantly and get back to you.
And finally, when you are venturing out this holiday season, please know WHERE you are going and remember to TAKE YOUR WALLET!
Deborah Benjamin
Registration and Records
12/11/2009 |