I get so frustrated when I grade papers. And it's not just that I get so into it that I don't want to be bothered (almost entirely NOT possible here); it's that 95% of my students show a complete lack of analytical thought.
(So here's where I back off my original cynical sounding statement and justify it using cultural differences and historical issues.)
The kids never learn analytical thought. You're taught by your parents and teachers that theonly opinion that matters is theirs. If you never have the right to an opinion, why bother even analyzing what they say? What they say must be true, after all. So I ask a Yes/No question and 95% of the responses will begin with "Sim" (yes) and after that, some students will essentially write a "no" explanation of their "yes" answer.
(Here's where I question my role as a development worker, teacher or random white guy.)
So do I try and promote even the slightest progress or go for broke, punishing students who give a "yes" where it should be "no"? It would be hypocritical to not look at it holistically. So I do.
But what really gets me more than anything else (and here's where I complain just for the sake of complaining) is the last turma I just corrected. It was the last quiz I gave in this round of quizzes, and it's clear that the students memorized all the previous questions and answers in hope of using them on this on this quiz. But I changed the questions around and they failed. I didn't make them any harder, just different. And so it's useless for them and for me, because I don't know what they understood and what they didn't understand.
I was sick Monday and Tuesday with a stomach thing. Let's just say I was reading the diagnosis for cholera VERY carefully. Not fun. I can tell I lost a few pounds so now it's time to pig out.
School changed the schedules. I'm not going to teach 8th grade as wel. I'm looking forward to it because it covers systems of the human body, or physiology. I liked physiology and I'm curious to review it and make neat visual aids.
Peace
John
