I had my last class of the semester Friday at 3:30…the last class period of the semester… now it is to grading….
I love and hate grading at the same time. I love it in seeing the wonderful work student do on their “papers” which are really “books.” (In LCE the average pages was 117—single spaced.) I Hate it in that I can’t give everyone an “A” and keep my job. That means I have to give B’s and lower to students who did far better work than five years ago got an “A.”
I know how that happened. I generally ask a few students who did superb jobs to let me have a copy of their paper. When each new unit starts I casually give a copy of their “chapter” to each small group ‘as an example of what some past students did in this course.” They finger through it and decide to meet or exceed their example. BAM! When I get the papers in from that group they often do stand on the shoulders of past students and do even better! Where this ends I don’t know! All I know is I gave B’s to students this weekend that would have gotten a perfect A five years ago. And I hate that.
But I’m done with LCE. Tomorrow they have their exam. They’ll be writing for two hours straight answering “interview questions” from a local church on Christian education and Spiritual Formation/discipleship. In two hours many of them can write 4000 words. This means that starting tomorrow I have start reading (and grading) a total of 120,000 words—the equivalent of two paperback books. {sigh} BUT this is motivating for me—because all they really learned is what they can write out of their heads… so I get to see what is really in there. I’ll be veeeeery tired tomorrow by the time I go to bed… but it will be a “good tired.”
Then Tuesday I grade CLPL “papers” and on Wednesday CLPL students take “the hardest exam I ever took” and I have to grieve for those who only “got exposed” to things and didn’t learn them. Oh well, I always curve that exam so there is some mercy in the system ;-)
If any of you former students out there took the CLPL exam and have any tips or hints to current students go ahead and post your hints here… I made a new exam but it might help some to know what to expect anyway.
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5 comments:
He always asks the six stages in the Clinton book--just gives you the grid.
I lost more than 80 points on the final exam in that course... BUT I must agree that most pastors know that stuff... so it is a practical exam. Oh yeah.. know a bunch of those financial terms... I didn't and got slammed.
I pity you guys! I'm happy to be past tests now ;-)
I remember lots of money terms, lots of parlimentary law terms, and he asked those principles thingies that I hadn't even studied. My exam had mostly one word answers on it.
We had to know the nine steps (or was it 8?) of making a motion, amending it, then amending the emendment and how to get back out of the woods once the amendment was amended... I knew it but never needed it again in the church ;-)
Pray. A lot. It's your only hope. ;)
No, to be perfectly honest, make sure you know everything. Look back through your old tests, and any concept you missed points on or don't really remember, study up on them and make sure you know them. If you have to, ask someone else in the class to read their book- they'll have caught stuff you missed.
Also, make sure you remember those rules of how things normally work. Those have proven true in my life- and were on our exam. And may God give you strength! (you'll need it- 'cause the real test is just beginning!)
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