Dr. Melissa Read

Discussion Comment

Deborah, Yes, it truly is an amazing time saver in grading. What I love about it too is the way that we don't have to change our testing style to get the savings in grading time. Some instructors - particularly those who test writing and critical thinking - can't change from essay formats. The underlining approach works quite well for them. Dr. Melissa Read

Dr. Melissa Read

Discussion Comment

Task Prioritization

Milton, I say go ahead and give this new organizational method a try. The worst that can happen is that it doesn't work for you. In trying it out thought, you could open up the possibilities for a much more efficient working style. Dr. Melissa Read

Dr. Melissa Read

Discussion Comment

Streamlining the Grading Process

Adrienne, That sounds like a wonderful approach, and one that's going to save you a lot of time. Sometimes just flipping through multiple pages can increase your grading time, your paper-cuts too! Sounds like this method will allow you to cut down on both of those things. Dr. Melissa Read

Dr. Melissa Read

Discussion Comment

Causes of Stress

Teresa, That sounds tough. Stress often arises when there are too many changes that happen all at once. Sounds like life will calm down all at once too as you get settled. Dr. Melissa Read

Dr. Melissa Read

Discussion Comment

Coping with Stress

Heather, Great points. Sometimes we have to reset our expectations. Prior to having kids, you probably expected that your home would be organized in a certain way and you were probably able to fulfill that goal. Today, your situation is much different and it's healthy to adjust your expectations accordingly. Dr. Melissa Read

Dr. Melissa Read

Discussion Comment

Coping with Stress

Michele, Taking a step away is a wonderful approach that I highly recommend. For some instructors, it feels almost impossible with back to back classes and office hours. Other instructors have the luxury. Even if you can step away for just 5 minutes, it can be totally worth it. Dr. Melissa Read

Dr. Melissa Read

Discussion Comment

Streamlining the Grading Process

Teresa, So nice to hear that you have found a program that can help this way. I love grading programs that allow students to check their scores independently. Some of these programs also provide rich feedback on the questions students got wrong too. Dr. Melissa Read

Dr. Melissa Read

Discussion Comment

Streamlining the Grading Process

Eric, Small class sizes are great and most of us do not have that luxury. If your schedule and class sizes give you the wiggle room you need to continue to offer essay exams, go with that. If your class sizes start to change, it will be nice for you to know you've got these methods for streamlining grading in your back pocket! Dr. Melissa Read

Dr. Melissa Read

Discussion Comment

Task Prioritization

Alan, Sounds like you have a great process already in place for task prioritization. Great work! Yes, getting this accomplished sooner as opposed to later can really save us in the long term. It's so easy to get behind schedule. Getting ahead early can make all the difference. Dr. Melissa Read

Dr. Melissa Read

Discussion Comment

Streamlining the Grading Process

Heather, Yes, seeing those letters to the side of your exams can make them so easy to scan and quickly grade. It's a tremendous time saver. Dr. Melissa Read