TA Thoughts

Last night I corrected 95 tests. Each test had 6 pages and 44 questions. That's 570 pages and 4180 questions. Let me tell you, not the easiest thing I've ever done. If I ever hear about semanticity, productivity, and displacement again I might scream. When I first got the tests I was excited to grade them; I wanted to feel like a real TA. For most of the semester I have just been organizing a literacy lab, correcting homework, and holding office hours so this was a big moment. After the first 20 tests the enthusiasm waned. Spelling errors started haunting me and my hand cramped up from holding my red pen so tightly. Why do educated people (I mean, these are juniors in college) think it is okay to not differentiate between here/hear and when has semantics ever been spelled symenticks?

I've learned quite a bit from grading these tests. First of all, I really wish that I would've graded them before taking my language test last week. Now I feel like an expert on the foundational theories, definitions, and logic behind development.

Secondly, I learned that professors could absolutely, positively care less if you write a novel for each question. I had so many tests where the test-taker obviously wanted to impress someone with their knowledge. They would write on the front, back, and into the next question. My eyes would start to hurt and I just skimmed to look for the right answers hidden in all that writing. My advice to all you "I'm going to write as much as possible people"... stop! Be concise and right. Your professor/TA will like you better for it. Not only that, you look a little silly spending all that time writing 4 paragraphs for a 1 point question. Just stop it.

Third, the people who fail and the ones that get 100% are the only people I remember. If you are in that slim majority, I'll remember your name and have either low/high expectations for the next quiz. The other people are just part of a very large herd of people that kind of slip off the radar. As I was grading I was thinking about how my professors have viewed me and got really self-conscious. When a professor dedicates 3-5 minutes solely on grading your knowledge, they are going to make pretty solid judgments about you. Think about that the next time you take a test and don't study. Your professor is judging, judging I say!

Finally, I realized how hard it is to grade. I really wanted everyone to do well. And when people did not do well I tried to understand their answers the best I could. However, some answers just are not right no matter what (if you answer that theory of mind is being able to theorize about theories of the mind and theories, you have most definitely chosen the wrong answer). The thought of an angry mob of students breaking into my TA office is a scary thought. I'll let you know if it happens.