As the quarter comes to a close, grades are in students’ heads like crazy. Teachers can also feel stressed as they have plenty of responsibilities during this time. Mr. Steady was asked a couple of questions about the end of the quarter to understand the perspective of the teachers during this time. At the end of the year, the most frequently asked questions are, “Is there any extra credit I can do to get my grade up?” This can make teachers feel stressed because, on top of what they already have to grade, they have to grade extra. I asked him if he grades more towards the end of the year, to which he said, “No, my grading load is fairly consistent throughout the quarter.” With the relatively new addition of COs, I asked him, “Is the CO policy affecting a lot of your students? If so, how so?” to which he replied, “The CO policy does not affect a lot of my students. Most students who have a ton of absences do not meet the mandatory grade requirement to get a CO anyway, so while I do have students who receive COs, it is not some crazy number.”

My last question was: What’s the best and worst way to ask for extra help or maybe an extension?” Mr. Steady said, “Best way: Contact me BEFORE the assignment is due.  Worst way: Contact me after the assignment is already due.” The teacher’s perspective is very interesting, as all they want is to get papers turned in on time, but kids always want to boost their grade in the last second of the quarter, which places a burden on teachers.