Correcting exams-maths

Ollygolf

I'm a maths teacher just finishing up my second year teaching. I've just been offered the correction of JC Maths Higher level,very unsure about excepting. How difficult is it? Any advice from previous correctors? Is your first year torture? I'd love to do it for the experience. I know it would benefit my classes and teaching in the future.

mtoutlemonde

Ollygolf wrote: »

I'm a maths teacher just finishing up my second year teaching. I've just been offered the correction of JC Maths Higher level,very unsure about excepting. How difficult is it? Any advice from previous correctors? Is your first year torture? I'd love to do it for the experience. I know it would benefit my classes and teaching in the future.

Well last year was my first year and it was really worthwhile. There is quite a bit of admin to do and you will have nothing else on your mind for the three weeks in July but it will benefit your teaching as you will see the standard.

lostatsea

Ollygolf wrote: »

I'm a maths teacher just finishing up my second year teaching. I've just been offered the correction of JC Maths Higher level,very unsure about excepting. How difficult is it? Any advice from previous correctors? Is your first year torture? I'd love to do it for the experience. I know it would benefit my classes and teaching in the future.

I see no problem as long as you are not asked to correct the English scripts!

spurious

It's definitely worth doing, to help you in your teaching, but don't expect your bank balance or mental health to thrive because of it.

evolving_doors

spurious wrote: »

It's definitely worth doing, to help you in your teaching, but don't expect your bank balance or mental health to thrive because of it.

Yes, do it purely for the experience.... not the money. By the time you get paid in october you'll have it spent 4 times over.

Also.... cancel July, then get yourself a quiet area in the house with no interruptions.

mtoutlemonde

Gebgbegb wrote: »

Yes, do it purely for the experience.... not the money. By the time you get paid in october you'll have it spent 4 times over.

Also.... cancel July, then get yourself a quiet area in the house with no interruptions.

Yes I definitely agree regarding the money - got my statement of earnings and wondered what I earned I will be giving it up whenever I start getting paid for the summer

Ollygolf

Why do you have to be so negative? I came looking for advice,not criticism.
Thanks for all the other advice guys. I already get paid for the summer so it's probably not worth it then financially?

lostatsea wrote: »

I see no problem as long as you are not asked to correct the English scripts!

mtoutlemonde

Ollygolf wrote: »

Why do you have to be so negative? I came looking for advice,not criticism.
Thanks for all the other advice guys. I already get paid for the summer so it's probably not worth it then financially?

I would just ignore that comment - I'm sure he/she is absolutely perfect and never makes mistakes.

Back on topic. The main advantage of correcting is you see where students gain/lose their marks which you can pass onto your students. You can also compare your teaching to the national standard. As you have been chosen, I would try it for one year - you might enjoy it

Is maths being corrected electronically this year?

evolving_doors

lostatsea wrote: »

I see no problem as long as you are not asked to correct the English scripts!

Member warned.
Please read the charter before posting.
MOd

RealJohn

mtoutlemonde wrote: »

Is maths being corrected electronically this year?

What do you mean "corrected electronically"?

mtoutlemonde

RealJohn wrote: »

What do you mean "corrected electronically"?

No scripts - corrected via PC. The HL French for JC is being corrected electronically and I was at training and they said JC maths was trialling it aswell. SEC very quite about it but said they would be making media annoncement soon. So you heard it first on boards

lostatsea

Gebgbegb wrote: »

Member warned.
Please read the charter before posting.
MOd

Mod snip <as instructed, please read the charter. Do not discuss mod decisions on-thread>

aunt aggie

I had to read the OP three times to find the mistake. It was very entertaining. Great thing about Maths, we don't penalise students for spelling or grammar. Showing understanding of the actual content of the course is much more important.

I would definitely mark just for the experience of seeing how the papers are marked. I did it for the first time last year and found it really interesting. You do need to be very organised and I found the final deadline for posting everything off was difficult to meet. I won't be leaving myself so short on time this year. Definitely need two or three days between finishing marking and posting, as there is a lot of paperwork and double checking scripts to do.

Also haven't heard anything about marking electronically this year. It'll be fun if they drop that bombshell at the conference.

mtoutlemonde

aunt aggie wrote: »

Also haven't heard anything about marking electronically this year. It'll be fun if they drop that bombshell at the conference.

If you haven't heard about it, it must not be happening this year but the tutorials I was watching were maths tutorials and it was mentioned at the start. What level maths do you correct? I think it was HL JC that was now electronic. Maybe we are the Guinea pigs

aunt aggie

mtoutlemonde wrote: »

If you haven't heard about it, it must not be happening this year but the tutorials I was watching were maths tutorials and it was mentioned at the start. What level maths do you correct? I think it was HL JC that was now electronic. Maybe we are the Guinea pigs

If its HL, then I presume the OP would have heard of it.

Don't want to say what level or paper I correct. I do correct JC and haven't heard anything from SEC or from other teachers correcting this summer. IF it's been trialled at JC this year, it's been kept well under wraps.

deiseindublin

Wonder is each script scanned or how would it work?

spurious

deiseindublin wrote: »

Wonder is each script scanned or how would it work?

I suppose they would have to scan each page properly, make sure all correctors had pretty good Internet connections and put the pages on a very secure site. Then, given experience with past State websites, hope to Jiminy Cricket not everyone logs on at the same time.

evolving_doors

spurious wrote: »

I suppose they would have to scan each page properly, make sure all correctors had pretty good Internet connections and put the pages on a very secure site. Then, given experience with past State websites, hope to Jiminy Cricket not everyone logs on at the same time.

Ya I suppose it would cut down on a lot of handling and marking if they could chop it up... so subjects with gap/fill or multiple choice pages could be done by admin

spurious

You would think if they were trialling it though, they would start with a subject with a small number of candidates, in case it all goes wrong.

mtoutlemonde

spurious wrote: »

You would think if they were trialling it though, they would start with a subject with a small number of candidates, in case it all goes wrong.

Yes there are 26000 students.

deiseindublin

Maybe they're trialling with a group of correctors that they presume are more computer literate?

picturehangup

Usually have received Examiner's Handbook at this stage.
Seems to be late this year.
Anyone got theirs?