In addition to the above stressors, grading can feel like a mirror being held to one's teaching. Even when you've done everything possible to explain the material or make it come alive with examples, seeing your students perform poorly on an assignment can feel like a damning verdict of one's teaching. Of course, any feedback is useful and what's good for the goose should be good for the gander. But, if you're a professional, as every educator aspires to be, then you tend to attribute a student's poor performance as a failure on your part to impart a concept.
Heartfelt email from an educator ....
"My partner is about to take a new job across the country, so this spring is going to be stressful as we get ready for the move. (We also have a 2-year-old and 5-year old.) So that's why I am trying to delegate and outsource as many tasks as possible so that I can make it through this stressful time! 🙂 I apologize for not making it more clear in my earlier emails, but all I'm really looking for is someone to score essays using the rubric I give. Feedback won't be necessary because I'll be the one to make detailed edits on each paper for the grammar and content errors, and then students are responsible for correcting the errors. The part of essays that I always dread is having to give a score because I know the students and want to be fair to them. They always compare grades, and I really want to be as objective as possible. I've tried to have them submit papers anonymously, but that can be hard to keep up with. It just gets overwhelming, and I want to be more strategic this semester.
It might sound strange, but I actually don't mind correcting the errors and giving the feedback. The part I hate is scoring and having to assess the value of their work when I know each student as a person. So too many times I end up putting off the scoring, which increases my anxiety and stress as a teacher, and it delays the feedback they need in order to grow as writers. I hope this answers your question!
Thanks for all you do."
Is it any wonder that educators procrastinate their grading? There is extensive literature to suggest that it's not easy being both a cheerleader for your students and an objective evaluator of their work. These goals are often at odds with each other and one of them tends to get short shrift.
Separating grading from teaching not only addresses this conundrum but also serves the broader goal of objective, impartial assessment. Some observers have gone in the opposite direction, advocating pass-fail grading, or not assigning homework at all. Not only will these steps dampen student engagement and learning, but they are also grossly unfair to the students who strive for excellence. Employers, graduate school, and society at large depend on colleges' ability to grade student achievement, just as colleges themselves benefit from high schools diligently fulfilling their role as evaluators.
Decouple grading from instruction—to paradoxically improve both.
