Field Notes & Reflective Journal

February 23, 2011

Why is it that when we could benefit from writing and reflection the most it is the most difficult thing to do. Why with some reflection it is more comfortable to think and at other times it feels more necessary to write? By not writing is a person afraid to be revealed? Are they just unclear?

Last week was a bit of a doozy and I honestly did not have one more ounce of energy to write any of it down. It was valuable beyond a doubt but it was way too raw and exhausting to have to experience again, even if only in my mind, though most of the time that is more exhausting! And then when I went back to write it a few days later, it felt like chewing a stale piece of gum. Perhaps the lesson, the purpose was already served?

March 10, 2011

Many of my recent reflections are in my head and in my weary heart. I feel like a piece of taffy being pulled in many directions.

Grading artwork is soooo subjective. Grading artwork is darn hard! Grading writing assignments can also be subjective especially when deciding what to do with your students with special needs or your ELL learners. Do you differentiate your grading standard to consider and adapt to their needs ? Does that hurt or help the individual?

I am experimenting with a new type of grading, a rubric on a scale of 1-5. It covers a range from

1 being"beginning" to 5 being"strong". I tried it out on the student's project reflection. I will need to explain the grading to the students next week after they receive their writing back since it is not the convention that they know. It was nice to not track points in the traditional way. The tricky part was in trying to keep objective. The tricky part was grading consistently since at times it was an "overall sense" of how complete a student's answer was, my sense. The critical part is how consistently am I able to interpret at student's work at any given moment.

I was talking with another student teacher in my Methods class tonight about grading and he said he tries to do it all in one stretch because when he goes back he can notice a difference in his markings, good mood versus bad mood. He has 30 students. I have more like 105.

Today was the first day that a student directly asked me," Mrs. Bartch, how was your day?"