Climbing and Marking

Ah hahahahaha! Manic laughter! Mad scientist squint! More manic laughter! Ah hahaha! I am soooo not towing the party line!

I have finally made the decision. I am leaving! I am out of there. I am going to change jobs and BOY, does it feel good! I have been in a bubble of euphoria all week. The decision has been made. I am actively looking. I have applied for some jobs. I have some agency interviews lined up. If I get something before Feb 13th I can leave by Easter (statutory notice). I am FREEEE!

The joke is, at last, on them. Remember the dreaded marking policy I mentioned? It is basically impossible to keep up with. Each book is supposed to be marked every two weeks, with a code indicating effort and a code indicating achievement, and a statement telling the student how to improve. I teach 9 classes. That's an average of 27 kids per class (27 x 9 = 240 ish). They have two books each (one for homework and one for school work) so that's 480 books to mark. If it takes just one minute to mark each book, that's 8 hours marking (except that 5 minutes per book is more realistic). Basically it is an impossible task.

So, the senior management team have decided to check whether our books are marked using their special system. This causes major panic, because no-one can keep up with it, except Nameless Wonder, who doesn't read the books. What is fascinating, is how inventive my department is. Nearly all the members of the team have found a different way of getting round the impossible.

There are 8 members of the team. 1 doesn't read the books, and just ticks them. 1 has another job to go to so doesn't care and hasn't marked any of them. 1 has given all the marking to the trainee teacher as 'practice'! 3 have given new books out to every child in their classes so that there are no old books lying around looking unmarked. Only muggins here and one other person have actually made any effort to mark the books up to date.

So, it was with a slightly hysterical laugh, that I was called into the office this morning to explain why my books weren't marked up to date, when the rest of the department was apparently well up to the job. It is only the fact that I will be out of there as soon as I can get another position, that kept me from bursting into angry tears. Indeed this bubble of optimism at my imminent escape has kept me buoyant and happy despite their unfair criticism.

So, I am off to the climbing wall, with my new blue climbing boots and a light heart. I have a spring in my step. No longer will I suffer the slings and arrows of an outrageous marking policy. I am sooo out of there!