Ensure professional end of year assessment
Nov 27, 2007
THE academic year is ending and this is the time when teachers experience a lot of pressure from marking students’ scripts. It is also a time of making report cards. As you mark, remember that your quality is reflected through the students’ performance. Their scores also reflect how much you put
TEACHER’S DESK
THE academic year is ending and this is the time when teachers experience a lot of pressure from marking students’ scripts. It is also a time of making report cards. As you mark, remember that your quality is reflected through the students’ performance. Their scores also reflect how much you put in while teaching them.
Maintain a high degree of professionalism. Below are some tips:
Do not compromise with the student’s performance just because the parent or guardian is your friend or relative. For example, if the student scored 04%; do not alter the marks. In doing so, you will be misleading the student to think s/he is an average learner, and at the same time ruining her or his future.
Subject teachers, while you mark, pay attention to the students’ areas of weakness and comment on their papers so that they do not repeat the same errors.
After marking, it is advisable to return the scripts to the students. This will help you and the student to iron out errors that you could have made accidentally while marking, before you transfer the marks to the report cards. Such simple errors portray sloppiness on the part of the teachers.
Recognise and reward the best performers. This encourages them to work hard; at the same time creating a spirit of competition. You can do this by announcing them at the last school assembly or give them bursaries. You can even thank them verbally; which will show that you recognise their hard work.
For the students who have performed poorly, you can give them counsel basing on their areas of weakness. Form focus group discussions and let them tell you their challenges and advise them on what they can do to improve during holidays.
Mind the comments/remarks you write on the student’s report card. The remarks or comments should be aimed at encouraging the learners and not to discourage them. For example, remarks like try marriage; very poor; pull the students down. Instead, use remarks like: you can do better, put in more effort… to encourage the learners to work hard. Remarks like he/she never attends classes portray a bad picture of the teachers before the parents, especially if the student is in boarding section. It shows that teachers do not make a follow-up on the students to ensure that class attendance is adhered to.
Class teachers, it is your role to provide headteachers with adequate information about the students before the headteacher writes a final remark about the student’s performance. This will help to avoid giving contradicting remarks.
While you make report cards, avoid blunders. They bring commotion on the closing day and create double work, as you have to rewrite the reports.
Compiled by Agnes Kyotalengerire
THE academic year is ending and this is the time when teachers experience a lot of pressure from marking students’ scripts. It is also a time of making report cards. As you mark, remember that your quality is reflected through the students’ performance. Their scores also reflect how much you put in while teaching them.
Maintain a high degree of professionalism. Below are some tips:
Compiled by Agnes Kyotalengerire