grading as an intellectual endeavor

Mel's post on rethinking grading just came back to me. I hardly remember commenting (this past week is pretty blurry), but I think this is why I do get down when I'm grading:

I think that I feel bad when I'm grading. This is irrational because I do not take credit for a wonderfully written paper (ah, I helped that student so much), but I do tend to spiral downward when I see the 50th instance of its instead of it's or one form of there used to cover all the options. I feel like I've missed the opportunity to teach them something once again.

foolish of me, I know. I don't delude myself about being so powerful in any other endeavor. But here, one by one, they manage to convince me that I could have done better.

Comments

[Pilgrim/Heretic]

Ooo, you've nailed it there. Their successes are their own; their failures are ours!

[Yael]

Yes, exactly! And there is the guilt factor too --I always feel somehow guilty turning in some rotten final grades for those who performed really badly, as if it is my fault they didn't make the grade and now they are the ones being punished.

[peripateticpolarbear]

I used to check the grades of the bad ones three or four times just to be sure there wasn't some way to pass them. Yikes. Even when they earn it, it's hard.