TT- English Composition Marking

Marking composition is something which I really dread to do. I find it a real chore as I practically have to rewrite at least 30/41 compositions as they are so badly written by the students. I normally leave it to the last to do after completing marking all other assessments. Even so, completing 5 scripts is a real uphill battle for me. I find it extremely exhausting just going through one so by the time I get to the 5th piece my mind starts wondering and I’m ever ready to put the red pen down.

Even though we do give the students a lot of guidance/samples and have explained the importance of the following

Explain step by step what is happening in your story.
Give lots of details in every step.
Use past tense in your description
keep quotations/speech to a minimum

many students are STILL unable to follow instructions and write a good composition.

Today I made a special effort to finish at least 20 such scripts as I have procrastinated against marking it for much too long and the scripts had to be returned soon. I still have another 21 scripts to go and hopefully I will be able to finish up marking them by the end of the week.

July 24, 2010

Weekend Reflections- Solo Parenting

Dominique Thoughts

This week I read a post over at one of the blogs which I have subscribed to about her worries about dealing with solo parenting of a newborn and a toddler. She was a new 2nd time mom and her husband would be traveling that month leaving her alone to handle the kids.

I find myself in same situation very often as R travels very often due to his job. Most of the time he is away for two weeks and sometimes even three weeks at a stretch. It can be increasingly exhausting at times handling the kids, work and household all on you own.

Many a times it is quite difficult to get fathers more involved in handling the kids due to their professions or work schedule. Hiring or outsourcing childcare may not be in the best interest of the child and something which I would certainly not consider.

So far based on my personal experience it takes time and practice to achieve a balance in catering for the needs of self, kids and home. It is a tricky balance which needs constant working on to achieve equilibrium. Most of the time the scale is tipping either right or left. In my case more in favour of the kids then of personal needs.

The constant changes in needs as the kids mature and the ever changing environment is a challenge. One has to be ever innovative and creative in developing quick-fix and long term solutions to problems which are suddenly thrown one’s way.

Even reading through the various books on parenting and watching the Supernanny show on television it doesn’t really prepare one for the differentiated challenges which each family faces bring up kids.

I’m not an absolute sticker for routine and do allow for a certain degree of flexibility in the activities which the kids carry out on a daily basis. However there are certain chores and items which I am still working on with each kid to ensure that they complete it within the given time frame. Ie: Finishing dinner and getting to bed.

I do hope that I will be able to find a equilibrium when R3 arrives in September.