(c) Mags_cat, Flickr

It’s been a hard week.  Today was the deadline for the half-year reports so I’ve been tied up with checking the marks for the English Department for the last few days.  As always the deadline took a few of my colleagues by surprise (but they often get caught out by Christmas too, so I’m prepared for that now!)  We have a standardised grading system which is centrally administered.  The aim is to balance out individual differences between teachers as much as possible and to make the results for the kids as fair as we can.  Actually, this is less work than it sounds and results in the English teachers having rather less to do than some of their colleagues at this time.  The computer takes over the drudgery, and I pass out the result sheets.

And, as always, there has been a stream of kids coming to my office to explain to me why they should get a better mark.  “You’ve calculated it wrong,” is very popular.  As is, “I’ve worked really hard.“  Sometimes the explanations are truly impressive – “You’re ruining my life,” crops up once or twice a year.

This is all par for the course.  It’s part of the job, and once in a while you hear something so good that it makes the job worthwhile.  My favourite this week was, “I need at least a C or I’ll get Mr X again and I hate him.“  I had some sympathy with this, but sadly couldn’t do anything about it.  Of course, it’s a bit annoying when colleagues pass the buck when it comes to handing out bad news and refer the kids to me to give them their marks.  It’s even more annoying when fruitless appeals are passed on to me on the grounds that I, as the Department Co-ordinator, can change marks because of tears, demands, begging or flattery.

But this is all part of the job.  I expect kids to try it on.  I did it myself on occasions.  They’re growing up and pushing their limits.  That’s fine.

What’s not fine is when colleagues come to me and beg.  Continue reading »