THAT WAS MY LIFE

YUP.

This was my life!

And, it got worse with every year!

I did learn a HUGE help my first year of teaching!

My first big unit ever was "Colonial America."

I had the unit due the last day before 

Christmas Break.

I kept telling the kids,

"Just turn everything in together,

and I'll check it."

HUGE MISTAKE!!!

I spent my ENTIRE Christmas Break

grading the units . . . ALL DAY,

EVERY DAY!!!

After that fiasco, I would check things as they

turned them in.

Besides saving my sanity, it helped

the kids.  

If a student had lost something, I would

have a score for them.

Besides units, there was daily work,

homework, weekly spelling and language

tests, etc.  Everything my kids did,

was recorded!!!

Even having weekly notes and

planners!

It was HARD!!!  

Kids and parents could always check

Skyward, and know where they stood!

I was extremely good at staying

on top of grading!

But, my last 4 years, I worked until

about 12:30 a.m., and was back

at it at 4:30 a.m.!

I remember how shocked I was when a

teammate only had one score in the

computer for each subject!

ONE!!!

I was trying to get science grades

from him to put in my computer.

When I saw that, I asked him how

parents and students could see all 

their work!

Parents and students always

appreciated that I had scores in

quickly, and thoroughly!

Before computers, I had to add everything

up on the calculator, and figure

the grades that way.

When I had the high school aides,

one of their assignments was to

total up the scores on each point sheet page,

and put the total on the last column.

Then, I had to figure out the 

percentage and grade.

My last few years of teaching,

I did have my classroom aide check

the weekly spelling and language tests.

I also had "weekly notes" each

week.  EVERY SINGLE WEEK for 33 years!!!

The weekly note showed parents

if they had missing assignments, and

their tests were stapled to the back.

The last test stapled on was the

spelling test.  Then, the students

turned that paper over, and wrote

their new spelling words.

The parents LOVED IT!!!

They, and their kids always knew

where they stood, and it was

very much appreciated!

The reason I did all of this, was a

result of my very first

parent-teacher conference.

7:00 a.m. on Friday, November 9,1980.

The boy had low grades.

The parents never knew when anything

was due, never saw any test scores, etc.

WHAT????

You mean, he couldn't tell or show

his parents like I did???

Well, not everyone did this!!!

So, I came up with the plan.

With the weekly note, parents had

to actually sign it!

And...that was 10 points on their

language grade!!!

Not only did the parents appreciate it,

but the kids did, too!

I always got lots of comments from

them on Facebook, or seeing them later.

They all said it was the best thing ever

to help them with their advanced schooling!

Short story long (hahaha) . . . this photo of

the plaque on the desk brought back

a TON of memories, and I do not miss

grading papers ONE LITTLE BIT!!!