As well as teaching, tutoring, generally being an adult, a parent, many tutors also take on the role of being an exam marker at this time of year. Believe me it is not for the money (hourly rate works out to be below £10 an hour), so why do it?
Improving my own practice
Amongst the team at Core Plus, we have tutors who mark across a range of subjects each year. Regardless of the subject, one of the biggest reasons we put ourselves through this (I am not exaggerating when I say that it is HOURS of work) is because it helps us to become better tutors. Mark schemes can be confusing at the best of times for students and tutors alike. Having specialised training on exactly what exam boards are looking for and then applying this through a mountain of marking is invaluable. For maths we can learn which methods achieve those priceless method marks and in English we can learn how a student scores for SPAG or which techniques are required for language or structure.
Identifying common mistakes - solving the jigsaw puzzle!
Exams are a bit like a puzzle. When I look at the papers, after they have been sat by the students, I am trying to guess which questions may have caused some confusion or where the students may have made a mistake. By marking these exams, I can then see if these predictions are true. I can analyse each question and then adapt my teaching for the following year based on common mistakes or misconceptions. This allows me to be creative and think outside the box. I may have taught fractions for more years than I want to admit, but if it is a skill students are struggling with, my job is to come up with even more ways to help students to understand them.
I know how exams work
Okay, this may sound daft. I tutor - surely I know how exams work. I do, but that doesn’t mean that exams are a static concept. Every subject, exam board, topic can be marked differently and it is my job to ensure that the correct strategies are being taught to each individual student. Our English exam marker has to contend with books being different across the exam boards and across key stages and marking allows her to understand those texts in more detail and see exactly how an exam board wants them to be explored, analysed, evaluated.
To remark or not to remark?
A common question every August I receive is whether or not papers should be remarked. By marking, I am able to have more of an idea about what examiners are looking for and where marks may or may not have been dropped. A huge thing to remember is that teachers are marking the exams. Exams are marked at a high level and are scrutinised. Can mistakes be made? Of course. But, for the most part every exam marker is trying to uphold the highest standard of marking. I want every student whose paper I mark to do well and I am actively looking to try and award marks. This is the philosophy of examiners.
So is it worth it?
Let's face it; pay is not great, it takes up a lot of your time, it can be stressful.... but yes exam marking is absolutely worth it. Honestly, it is the best professional development you can do as a tutor. It keeps you up to date on all things exams and you also get to read countless correct answers. And if you are marking creative writing, then honestly it will have you laughing and crying for all of the right reasons. Teenagers are brilliant and exams offer a chance to see that up close.
If you have any questions about exam marking then drop us an email at info@coreplustuition.com and we'll be happy to have a chat.
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