End of Semester Madness

The first semester of the school year is almost over in Australia.  In senior school, this means semester exams need to be written, taken and marked.  For all levels, teachers need to fill out reports for each student.  Reports include written comments, and ranking of students on many, many standards on a 1 - x scale.  At the school where I work, comments can be no longer than 96 words, and the scale for each standard is 1 - 10.  This last week, four of my five classes took exams, a total of 50 students.  Each exam is two parts, tech-free and tech-active (calculators allowed).  That makes 100 exams I marked in about 60 hours.  The tech-active part of my two Year 11 classes had 22 pages in it.  It took HOURS to mark.  I will not be writing as long an exam for semester 2!

One of my maths colleagues left unexpectedly in the middle of the second term.  I inherited one of his Year 11 classes the week before exams, so I got to write 16 extra reports and mark 32 extra exams.  Comments on those reports were perfunctory because I really didn't know much about the students' work habits.  This was actually a relief, because I could keep the comments short.

Teachers and administrators agonize over the comments that go on reports.  The teacher writes them, the proofreading buddy proofs them, the teacher makes recommended adjustments. Then the student's advisor reads the comments and adds any corrections she thinks are needed.  Back to the teacher for revision again.  Finally the principal or assistant principal read them and make any last-minute edits as they see fit.  And being on the receiving end of a couple reports of my own, I can reliably report that parents barely read them because they are edited so much that they barely say anything.  And still, we follow the process because this is how it's done.

Marking the exams, writing the comments, rewriting the comments after my proofreading buddy un-Americanized the comments . . . it was exhausting.  I had a few nights where I was marking until  the wee hours.  Friday was supposed to be a work from home day (or for those who were super-organized, an extra day off).  I was one of three teachers who made an appearance in the staff room to work on Friday.  I left around 12, and the sky seemed so much brighter, the birds sang sweeter, and the air was cleaner just because I had finally finished.

And in case anyone is wondering what made my comments too American - here are some examples:

My draft:  I recommend Eva revise more thoroughly before tests.
Problem:  Aussies prefer passive voice when giving advice.  Direct advice is too  . . . direct.  And perceived as rude.  And "I" shouldn't be mentioned, ever. 
Aussified:  It is recommended that Eva revise more thoroughly before tests.

My draft:  Angie's quadratics assignment demonstrated her excellent grasp of the problem and how to solve it.
Problem:  Too effusive.  Aussie comments are more restrained.
Aussified:  Angie's quadratics assignment demonstrated very good understanding of the concepts.

My draft:  Imogen should revise trigonometry before our exam in the spring.
Problem:  We don't say "spring", we say the term or semester name.  This one made my proofreading buddy say, "You're such a Yank!"
Aussified:  It is recommended that Imogen undertake revision of trigonometry before the end-of-year exam.

My draft:  Kim needs to put more effort into homework and revision if she is to master the objectives of this course. She should also come to me for additional help as needed.
Problem:  Oy!  Too harsh! And why am I in the comment again??
Aussified:  Kim's basic understanding of the class objectives is concerning.  It is recommended that she seek help outside of class for additional help as needed.  She is urged to put more effort into homework and revision.

The good news from the sudden burst of extra work I got to do this past week that the extra class provided is that I am now full-time at my school, rather than the 0.8 FTE they hired me at.  They also offered me the ongoing position left open when my colleague left, so I'll be paid through the summer, and best of all, won't have to look for yet another job at the end of this year.  This makes me very, very happy.  I like the school, I like my colleagues, the students are terrific, the technology use is the best I've encountered.  It's a nine minute drive from my work to the kids' school.

Knowing that this ongoing contract was there was the carrot I was chasing while being hit by the stick of reports and exams. It's funny, considering my 19 years teaching in public schools that I would end up in a private girls' school, but then again I never really saw myself living in Australia either, so I'll see where this takes me.