Size Does Not Matter

English Retreat Findings20 November 2009

Carlos Gonzalez MoralesKnowledge Worker

InterAmerican Campus

Some Questions to Avoid Oil Painting

Syndrome:

How long does it take for an English teacher to proficiently read, mark, grade, and enjoy a three page essay?

About 20 minutes

What was the class cap size for an English class at the InterAmerican Campus this semester?

35

What was the class cap size for an English class on other campuses?

29

With 35 students?

•58.33 hours or 3500 minutes

How much time would an English teacher need to spend to proficiently read, mark, grade, and enjoy one

set of essays if she teaches five classes?

With 29 students?

•48.33 hours or 2900 minutes

With 35 students?

•29.16 hours or 1750 minutes

If the person grading decides to cut out some enjoyment and proficiency and reduces the grading time by half to say 10 minutes per paper, how much

time would that be per week for five classes?

With 29 students?

•24.17 hours or 1450 minutes

In the morning presentation we learned that 48% of students graduating from

Miami Dade College can communicate at a proficient or exemplary level.

We also learned that there is evidence (from a dissertation) that the number of

students in our classes did not significantly impact the quality of writing

instruction.

In my breakout session, we focused on providing student feedback. We

explored the need to enjoy the papers, not to become the grammar police, to

aim for meaningful feedback. In essence, in the spirit of renewal that was the aim of the retreat, we reminded each other to use student writing as an opportunity

to communicate authentically.

How much time does it take to read a set of

essays for five classes in a hurry?

The same amount as it takes to see 52% of our

students fail to communicate proficiently?

Recommendations

Raise class size for all campuses to 35.

Device a study to investigate how to measure the communication outcome

more effectively.

Change some of the terminology so that it does not look like such a challenge

that 52% of our graduates cannot communicate proficiently.

Set up a committee to study the challenge of 52% and come up with a technological fix to the inefficiency of

English teachers to read, mark, grade, and enjoy student writing.

Continue to maintain the full time load for English teachers at five classes.

Provide more inspirational gatherings.