Teaching Methods

[Admiral_Awesome06]

Hi guys.

I'm sure all of you or, at least, some of you have been through or are in high school.

Well I have some gripes.
I'd like to know what others think, since I can't express them to those around without looks of distastefulness.

Marking.

I hate it.
When it comes to marking multiple choice or calculations teachers are fine. The answers are yes or no. Black or white. Right or Wrong.

But when it comes to written answer, it's completely objective.

I recently had a test returned in my Biology class. I got 66%.

Why?

Because the teacher, a snotty U of T grad, took marks off for exceptionally random things.

I lost three whole marks on a flow chart describing the voyage of waste as it travels into the kidney and into the bladder. Why did I lose marks? Hell if I know. All there are are question marks! I even asked her and she said she wouldn't tell me!

What's even worse, I checked my text book and none of what I'd written was wrong or unclear.

As well, on the same test, I lost 6 marks for not being "specific enough" in answers. This seems like a valid complaint, however, I read over my work in comparison with the texts descriptions. Guess what? Little to no difference.

What gives?

This isn't the first time a teacher's stiffed me marks for no good reason, either.

Whatta you guys think?

[Jogurt the Yogurt]

I'm a university writing instructor and marker extraordinaire.

Now, I'll give you this, it does sound like your teacher might be a bit of a flake, not providing you with specific enough feedback and all—after all, the purpose of teaching and marking should be to provide the student with information on how to create a better product.

But in general, marking writing isn't (or shouldn't be) random. Marking essays is definitely not as objective as you think it is. To be fair to your teacher, she may just be extremely busy (Mrs. Yogurt was a high school teacher for a while, and she was the busiest Yogurt I've ever known during that period) and she may think her comments speak for themselves. In my experience, question marks usually just mean that a sentence or passage isn't clear or specific enough, so she may be prodding you to reword something to be more clear, specific, precise, or even grammatically correct.

Next time, try to make sure each of your sentences conveys one simple clear idea and then move on to the next sentence. I don't know. I can't say much more without seeing for myself!

[Admiral_Awesome06]

Originally Posted by Jogurt the Yogurt

I'm a university writing instructor and marker extraordinaire.

Now, I'll give you this, it does sound like your teacher might be a bit of a flake, not providing you with specific enough feedback and all—after all, the purpose of teaching and marking should be to provide the student with information on how to create a better product.

But in general, marking writing isn't (or shouldn't be) random. Marking essays is definitely not as objective as you think it is. To be fair to your teacher, she may just be extremely busy (Mrs. Yogurt was a high school teacher for a while, and she was the busiest Yogurt I've ever known during that period) and she may think her comments speak for themselves. In my experience, question marks usually just mean that a sentence or passage isn't clear or specific enough, so she may be prodding you to reword something to be more clear, specific, precise, or even grammatically correct.

Next time, try to make sure each of your sentences conveys one simple clear idea and then move on to the next sentence. I don't know. I can't say much more without seeing for myself!

Yeh, dude.

I understand how to write clearly.

My English marks are well above 90%.

That's why I find this rather strange.
My writing is as clear as it could be, given the test situation.

That's why I think she's making it objective.
Whenever my science writing's been marked elsewhere, in previous years and in alternate courses, I've never gotten responses as negative and harming as these.

[Fierce Deity]

Maybe she just doesnt like you Dont worry about it though, her marks mean nothing, your final exams are what matters and she will not be the one marking it, she will mark your coursework but after that the examination board goes over it and corrects it.

Jogurts teacher was a busy yogurt ?

[Admiral_Awesome06]

Originally Posted by Fierce Deity

Maybe she just doesnt like you Dont worry about it though, her marks mean nothing, your final exams are what matters and she will not be the one marking it, she will mark your coursework but after that the examination board goes over it and corrects it.

Jogurts teacher was a busy yogurt ?

True.

This makes me a little less worried about my exam tomorrow.

[Spore]

What's worst is losing a score because your opinions conflict with that of the teacher's. I can tell you right now I was annoyed at that.

[Jogurt the Yogurt]

Originally Posted by Spore

What's worst is losing a score because your opinions conflict with that of the teacher's. I can tell you right now I was annoyed at that.

Again, a good teacher won't mark you down for this.

Anyway, Admiral, one thing to bear in mind is that your high school marks will have only negligible bearing on the rest of your life. If there's nothing you can do to shake the apparent curse of whatever us causing this particular teacher to give you less than stellar marks, then just shrug it off and do your best, because it's not going to matter before too long. No sense stressing about spilled soup.

Originally Posted by Admiral_Awesome06

Yeh, dude.

I understand how to write clearly.

My English marks are well above 90%.

Again, marks (especially in high school) are basically useless as measures of general ability. I went to school with a one guy who got 105% in grade 12 English and couldn't write for poo. Anyway, if you're going to post a thread complaining about something and asking for feedback, then don't be snarky when someone posts a reasoned and well-intentioned reply.

[Admiral_Awesome06]

How can someone be snarky through the internet? lol

Sorry if it came off as such, I didn't mean to be.


However, I do think my English mark speaks about my writing. Not because it's a good mark and I'm being proud, but because of the way my English classes are done. We're marked more on our ability to communicate complex ideas then grammar and spelling.

We also do a lot of essay writing, rather then small assignments.

You have a good point that highschool marks don't necessarily reflect ability, though.

What Spore said has happened to me too. You're right that good teachers shouldn't do it, and most don't, but it has happen in one of my English classes even though the teacher was the Dept. head.

[coire]

I see what you mean.

Did you know over here, some examining boards can and will take up to 15% of an exam due to handwriting regardless of subject, quantity or quality? Thats about the gap between an A* and a B!