Maybe it’s the doom and gloom of the internet age, but it’s hard not to feel like the end of the semester is really the end of the world. Deadlines seem tighter. Time seems to fly faster. And if you’re lucky enough to be a GA or TA, there’s also that dreaded, fearful realization…

Yes, UWindsor GAs/TAs, grading season is nearly upon us. It’s not that we like to harp on these things, but grading really does tend to compound misery when you’re already in the midst of a busy schedule of writing and studying for finals. Grading is also a tremendous responsibility in that effective assessment helps students gauge their own development in their field of study. Thus, presents the age-old dilemma: how can we all make grading easier while still providing detailed feedback to our students? Lucky for you, we here at Towards Better Teaching have been writing about grading forever. That means we’ve been searching out the best tips around for tackling all of those grading problems you might encounter – and we all encounter problems in our grading at some point. Spot your question in the list below.

• Grading under a time crunch?
  Review our tips for marking faster while still providing better feedback.
• Noticing how much time it takes to mark those student papers?
  There are more efficient ways to grade.
• Worried about making sure you’re grading fairly?
  You’ll want to know about inter-rater reliability.
• Not sure how to measure achievement in your students’ papers?
  That’s exactly what rubrics are for.
• Facing a confrontation with a student over a grade?
  Read up on what to do if students hate their grades.
• Trying to avoid the classic errors of a ‘bad’ marker?
  We’ve built a list of things markers should not do.
• Looking for more resources on grading?
  You might start with Beth Koontz’s list of grading strategy resources.
• Completely overwhelmed with the very thought of those assignments piled high on your desk awaiting your careful reading and thoughtful assessment?
  Keep calm and read on (about dealing with end-of-semester stress).

Can’t find your question on the list? Write to us at gata@uwindsor.ca and share your grading dilemmas.