Being a big CHE fora fan, I found some words of wisdom (WoW) that I wanted to share:
These are from geonerd:
How to make grading lighter?
Pull out the five highest performers in the group. Get a boost from seeing them do well, and confirming that the material is accessible to students who make an effort, and get into your routine.
Next, pull out all of the absolute most painful papers in the class. You know who they are. It’s always the same ones. Have your chocolate and beverage of choice ready. Power through it. You’re dying. It doesn’t matter. Keep reading. Everything has to end eventually.
After you have survived all of the really awful papers, the remainder will feel easy by comparison.
I think that is probably a good idea, though I might go for the horrible first and then the great, as a reward.
Writing on the final exam?
I write MUCH less than usual on the last exam. Then I leave the stack of graded exams at home on the dining room table. When a student emails to say that are coming by to see their exam, then I pull out that paper and write more on it and bring that one paper with me to campus. If a student comes by unexpectedly I say “I’m sorry, those are sitting on my dining room table at home. If you come back tomorrow I’ll bring it with me.” Then I go home and write more comments on that student’s exam.
I am so going to borrow that idea.