marking a answer wrong by mistake

Discussion in 'General Education' started by jenn888, Dec 12, 2008.

  1. jenn888

    jenn888 Rookie

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2007
    Messages:
    99
    Likes Received:
    0

    Dec 12, 2008

    We send papers home every Thursday and one of my students brought his back with a note form his mom. I marked an answer wrong on two different papers.:unsure: She was not rude or anything in the note. I just feel like a dummy! It was just my oversight...I sent her quick note saying I apologize and let her know I corrected the papers and thanked her for catching my mistake. Being a first year teacher I feel like I keep making so many mistakes! :( anyone else mark something wrong by mistake and the parent caught it?
     
  2.  
  3. mmswm

    mmswm Moderator

    Joined:
    Nov 5, 2007
    Messages:
    5,592
    Likes Received:
    6

    Dec 12, 2008

    I've had students catch mistakes, but not yet a parent. I just say oops, thanks for catching it, fix the grade and move on.
     
  4. raneydae

    raneydae Companion

    Joined:
    Jul 9, 2008
    Messages:
    240
    Likes Received:
    1

    Dec 12, 2008

    yeah, I've made mistakes in my marking too. I usually do as mmswm does. I remember being a student and this happening as well, so I don't think it's terribly uncommon.
     
  5. cutNglue

    cutNglue Magnifico

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2006
    Messages:
    9,154
    Likes Received:
    1

    Dec 12, 2008

    I've sent home papers to the wrong students before. That get a bigger reaction but all was well.
     
  6. eman_ekaf

    eman_ekaf Rookie

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2008
    Messages:
    86
    Likes Received:
    0

    Dec 12, 2008

    I more often notice an answer a teacher marked right that was clearly wrong. It just got over-looked. It happens. I mean, you grade 20-30 (or in high school- 125) of the exact same paper and you're bound to over look something. Don't be hard on yourself. You're human...like the rest of us (well, most of us). :p
     
  7. each1teach1

    each1teach1 Cohort

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2007
    Messages:
    716
    Likes Received:
    0

    Dec 13, 2008

    I tell my kids about the law of averages. Due to the large volume of papers I grade (I have 182 students), there will be times when I mark something wrong that was right and there will be times when I mark something right that was wrong. In the end, it all averages out. My kids had it really bad where they like to compare papers to see if I mismarked anything. They've done it enough where they're like "Miss, you marked this wrong on my paper and right on Sally's paper. Fix my grade!" and it turns out that it should've been wrong on Sally's paper as well and I take the paper saying that I will lower the grade (I don't actually lower because it's usually half a point), that now they don't do it nearly as often as they did at the beginning of the year.
     
  8. Aliceacc

    Aliceacc Multitudinous

    Joined:
    Apr 12, 2006
    Messages:
    27,534
    Likes Received:
    6

    Dec 13, 2008

    It happens.

    When I go over a test, invariably someone will say that a problem is either marked wrong or should be.

    If I've accidentally given them credit, my response is "Merry Christmas!" regardless of the time of year.

    If I've incorrectly marked something wrong, I ask them to circle it with a "BIG BLACK CIRCLE I CAN'T MISS." Then that night I'll review the requests. If they're warranted, I'll award the points.

    I tend to grade my papers overnight (and my classes are LARGE.) So it's inevitable that I'll make some errors. No big deal.
     
  9. Upsadaisy

    Upsadaisy Moderator

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2002
    Messages:
    18,756
    Likes Received:
    682

    Dec 13, 2008

    Oh, it happens alright. I don't like it, but I don't make a big deal out of it. I immediately change the grade on the student's paper, write a note to myself, and apologize briefly. If I missed a wrong answer, I smile and tell the student that it's his or her lucky day.

    We all make mistakes.
     
  10. DaTeach

    DaTeach Comrade

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2005
    Messages:
    313
    Likes Received:
    0

    Dec 13, 2008

    I have made some mistakes also....we are all human. Mistakes are going to happen, especially when you are grading set after set of papers!!!

    I've also had students change answers after they have been checked wrong.

    To prevent both of these problems. or at least lessen them, I have begun correcting all questions that are checked wrong, no matter how long it takes, with my red pen. I always write the correct answer right beside the questions missed.
     
  11. wig

    wig Devotee

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2005
    Messages:
    1,036
    Likes Received:
    1

    Dec 13, 2008

    I have noticed that Alice and I often come up with similar opinions and solutions. (I'll bet we have been teaching close to the same number of years, LOL) If I make a mistake in their favor, I let the grade stand (except I say Happy Birthday! :lol:). If I made the mistake, I will change the grade.

    I will also give them an extra %-age point for catching my error, because it tells me they took the time to look at their mistakes. But for that they have to come to me with it by the end of the day. Mom catching it doesn't count,

    Don't worry about making mistakes when grading. It happens.
     
  12. Aliceacc

    Aliceacc Multitudinous

    Joined:
    Apr 12, 2006
    Messages:
    27,534
    Likes Received:
    6

    Dec 13, 2008

     
  13. Hoot Owl

    Hoot Owl Aficionado

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2008
    Messages:
    3,887
    Likes Received:
    0

    Dec 13, 2008

    I make mistakes too.

    I get bogged down sometimes when parents ask for explanations on how to work a problems which can be a lengthy explanation.

     
  14. runsw/scissors

    runsw/scissors Phenom

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2006
    Messages:
    4,492
    Likes Received:
    100

    Dec 14, 2008

    It happens now and again. Don't sweat it. I would just double check the child's answer with the answer key, change the grade if I was in the wrong, and move on. If I fail to mark something wrong (which also happens occasionally) I just thank them for their honesty and let them keep the higher grade since I goofed. Don't feel too bad. Once I forgot to grade a whole set of reports until I found them almost 6 weeks later. I told the class I goofed and gave everyone who turned in their project 100%. Teachers are human too.
     
  15. paola66

    paola66 Rookie

    Joined:
    Nov 28, 2008
    Messages:
    24
    Likes Received:
    0

    Dec 14, 2008

    Don't worry, it happens even here in Italy... I smile, apologize, change the grade on student's paper...
     
  16. Pisces_Fish

    Pisces_Fish Fanatic

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2006
    Messages:
    2,735
    Likes Received:
    5

    Dec 14, 2008

    I gave a student a D instead of a B on progress reports last week. Mom emailed me politely asking me how his grade could be brought up, and that's when I noticed my mistake. I apologized and fixed it right away. The parent was very sweet about it!
     
  17. Pisces_Fish

    Pisces_Fish Fanatic

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2006
    Messages:
    2,735
    Likes Received:
    5

    Dec 14, 2008

    Ugh, I did that too! In my defense, the boys are both named Zach :lol:
     
  18. cutNglue

    cutNglue Magnifico

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2006
    Messages:
    9,154
    Likes Received:
    1

    Dec 14, 2008

    I can't claim that defense and there are only 10 students.
     
  19. Ima Teacher

    Ima Teacher Virtuoso

    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2005
    Messages:
    6,295
    Likes Received:
    1,636

    Dec 14, 2008

    I make mistakes quite often. When I'm grading so many papers, it happens. Earlier in the year I graded a set of papers with a mismarked key. It happens.

    I always tell the students to look over their papers and check my grading . . . and my math. When they find errors, I always thank them and then make any necessary corrections.
     
  20. loves2teach

    loves2teach Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2005
    Messages:
    2,311
    Likes Received:
    0

    Dec 15, 2008

    I have done that. I have also had parents who thought answers were wrong, and they were not... I had one who told me she did the work herself, so she should know if the answers were right. Yes, I am sure that homework helped the child practice. Whatever!
     

Share This Page

Members Online Now

Total: 552 (members: 0, guests: 499, robots: 53)
test