For new TAs, grading is an exciting/daunting/confusing task. As with any skill, you’ll be a faster grader with more confidence as you gain experience. But for those without lengthy experience, here are a few basic tips for successful grading sessions:

Eat snacks and drink lots of water

This sounds obvious, but just like intense paper-writing, grading burns a lot of mental energy. Make sure you are fuelled well for this important task!

Listen to music you enjoy

Grading can feel like a slog — so it’s important, just like in writing your own assignments, to do it in a comfy environment where you can enjoy yourself. Try listening to your favourite soft music, wear comfy clothes. It’s probably not a good idea to have TV in the background, or at least new TV — your students deserve your full, undivided attention.

Have your rubric handy

Especially in the early stages, when self-doubt about your ability to evaluate another’s work is prevalent, it is important to have a rubric handy to keep you sane as you make your way through assignments. Over time you’ll develop a gut feeling about what the correct answer is (when there is one), or what type of analysis is effective and what is not, but a rubric will help you get there. It’s also important to be able to refer to the rubric in a situation where a student asks you to justify their grade to them.

Grade five-at-a-time

Grading assignments, especially quizzes or papers that are all about the same topic, can be mind-numbing. Go for too long, and you’ll lose your sensitivity to the nuances between an A-grade and a B-grade assignment. This is why it’s best to grade five-or-so assignments at a time, and then to take a break. If you have a week or two to grade a package of assignments, grade a little bit each day so it is easier to break them up and still meet your deadline.

Don’t take your students’ work personally

It can be tough to see poor work from who you know is a smart and capable student and to have to give them a poor grade. However it’s important to remember that everyone has different goals and priorities when it comes to university. Lots of your students have additional responsibilities such as jobs, or dependents to take care of. Sometimes students will choose to submit something that isn’t their best work in order to meet all the demands of their busy life. Don’t take it personally — it is not your responsibility to ever decide what’s best for another adult.