This page contains questions and answers from two Examiners. The first five questions are from an interview with Grace McDonnell, a teacher of English Literature who is also the Head of a busy English Department. Questions six onwards are from an interview with John Cassidy, a teacher of GCSE and A-Level Chemistry.
How do you find the time?
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As a teacher and Head of a busy English Department, how do you find time to mark?
I must admit, at first the task of marking seemed daunting. How would I balance marking with my teaching and administration as Head of Department? I also have a young child who keeps be on my toes. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I found that if I planned the marking in stages I could complete it within the required timescales. I set aside times for each stage – a bit like a revision timetable – and was strict with myself about keeping to those times.
Did you have concerns applying?
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Did you have any concerns about your initial application to become an examiner?
I was concerned about marking English Literature, as it is a subject area with different specialisms, such as drama, poetry and novels, and many possible texts and options. Fortunately, the Awarding Organisation ask about your teaching experience and the texts you are comfortable marking, so they can match you to your specialism. This meant that I felt very confident in marking.
Are exam boards supportive?
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How does the Awarding Organisation support you when marking?
I enjoy marking because of the support you receive as an examiner and the sense of professional camaraderie. When you sign up for marking, you’re involved in a standardising meeting led by the Chief Examiner. This is where you learn how to apply the mark scheme. It’s also a great opportunity to give the Chief Examiner your feedback on the exam paper. Throughout your marking, your supervising examiner gives you feedback so there is always help and support at hand. We also swapped phone numbers with the other examiners in the team and it was great to know they were at the end of the line if you needed them.
What about online marking?
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Many exams are marked online, how did you find this experience?
I have found this way of marking surprisingly easy. It’s a bit like using an e-reader. When e-readers first arrived, I thought I would always prefer a book. Then I started using an e-reader and found it was so portable and handy that I much prefer it to paper now. Online marking is the same. The script you will mark is visible on the screen. It looks the same as the paper version. You mark it with the same rigour as the paper version and annotate it electronically. It’s simple. You’ll receive training on how to use the system. You’ll also have plenty of support. Although the system is so simple you won’t need much, it’s good to know it’s there if you do need it.
What are the benefits of marking?
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I found getting to know other professionals at meetings helped to build up my network of contacts. These meetings gave me opportunities to share resources, discuss approaches with other English teachers and learn from their teaching experiences.
The most rewarding part of marking is the insight it gives me into different perspectives on texts and the range of responses they can stimulate. I have found the experience has really enhanced the way I deliver texts. It’s also enriched my development of teaching and learning materials for my pupils.
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When you examine, you have access to a whole range of papers. You can see the pitfalls of certain questions so you can advise your own students and share the learning within the school.
How did you get into marking examinations?
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I was very fortunate initially when I started teaching; my head of department recommended, after the first year, that I apply to do exam marking because she absolutely knew the benefits that it could bring, not just to myself, but to the whole department that I could then feed back to them.
I started off doing GCSE and I have then since moved on to A-level and have now marked for both AS and A2.
How has the experience you have gained as a marker benefited you?
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It has proved enormously beneficial not just to myself but also to the rest of the department. I have been able to give advice and talk specifically about the specification and the mark scheme.
My head of department still continues to encourage everyone within the department to do as much exam marking as possible so we cover between us a range of GCSE and A-level specifications. We are able to share our expertise and effectively have “in house” training. I think as a School that is the most important thing for us. It shows in our results, the papers that we are most familiar with, we do get better results in.
How do you juggle teaching with examining?
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When you examine, you have access to a whole range of papers. You can see the pitfalls of certain questions so you can advise your own students and share the learning within the school. I think also sometimes, when you have been teaching texts for a long time, you do become a little bit stale perhaps in the way you are delivering them. I find that in reading this range of papers you are given fresh new ideas that you can share with other colleagues. This enables you to come ot the paper, and come to teaching with a fresh perspective.
As a practising teacher, what do you get out of marking exams?
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Fitting it in is not a problem. You do have to be very disciplined, preparing beforehand. The exam period is only three, maybe four weeks at a time when Year 11s and Year 13s are gone so you have a little more freedom in order to get the work done.
I work some evenings and weekends to get the marking done and I find that the time passes by very quickly. Also at the end of the three-to-four weeks, the extra money I get comes in very handy for the holidays.