EXAMS PART II

Day I    

Brand new horse in my "driveway"

Rob and I go for a morning walk at 6:30 am  where we meet many students walking, notebooks open, choral chanting their notes.  

"Morning Ma'am.  Doubt ma'am."  

I am asked to explain n a feature of language.  Most students are studying the questions from past exam papers. 

These exams are high stake as there are not enough seats in classes 11 and 12, so only the top students qualify.  Exams count for 80% of the mark. 

My students write their English 1 first day. I spend the 3 hours going from room to room (the students are spread out) answering doubts.  I'm very happy to be allowed to help them with their questions.  My students finish 1 hour early!!  It takes them two 55 minute classes to write an essay.  How have they managed the entire paper in 2 hours?  We discuss answers in detail and they tell me the exam was easy . .. or easy and hard.  I ask if I will enjoy reading their essays or if they have vomited their words onto the page. (vomit- a word I use teaching essay writing) 

Day II 

Students walking the streets at 5:15am, chanting their notes 

Observations: 

•During my supervision a teacher dropped off little bits of string??? I had to unravel the string and give pieces to the students.  They poke a hole in their paper and tie the pages together. 

•I get a large plastic bag and key to the room where I supervise.  The bag has the exams (exact numbers) and answer sheets with an official ministry stamp on them. 

•I return the completed exams, all in order, by roll number and sign them in. 

•I count and sign for every paper that I have to mark

•I sign every sheet of used paper in my exam room

•Principal drops in and scolds a student for having his hair too long

•Teachers on exam duty get phone calls. . . and answer them 

Me in the morning

 . .. . there is no relief for supervisors.