By Suie Choi ‘20, Feature Writer

As the end of the semester and exams approach, the stress is building within the Newark Academy community–teachers, staff, and students included. I interviewed three teachers, Dr. DeSanta, Mr. McCall, and Dr. Hobson, to get their perspective on giving assessments towards the end of the semester and how they cope with their stress.

Q: How long does it take to make assessments?

Dr. DeSanta: Most of the major assessments in English are essays, and the questions or prompts sort of come to me as we go along reading. Reading check quizzes take between 30-45 minutes to write, and longer objective assessments can take up to two or so hours to make up.

Mr. McCall: My objective for terminal assessments is twofold: a fair test of skills taught over the course of the term and a fair examination of content covered. Generating exams matching both my criterium listed above does take time. Usually several hours, spread out over a couple different sittings.

Dr. Hobson: If it is an IB Chemistry test based on IB supplied questions, it could be one or two hours. If it is a modification of a previous test, it could take one hour to decide on the modifications. If it is a test designed from scratch, it will take at least three hours as it takes time to select a range of questions to cover the material, various levels of difficulty, proofing the test, and carefully evaluating the length of the test.

Q: How long does it typically take to grade them?

Dr. DeSanta: It typically takes me 20-30 minutes to grade each essay and around two weeks to grade the essays for all of the sections in a given course. This is because life and our busy Newark Academy schedule demand that we balance responsibilities. I always intend to return essays as quickly as possible, but two weeks is usually the best I can do.

Mr. McCall: Last year, I spent close to 12 hours grading exams. I would say that is about average. I also want to make sure I am being consistent in the feedback I give and the standards I employ, so I try to avoid grading too much at one sitting.

Dr. Hobson: For three sections with about 40 students, at least 3 hours. The challenge is evaluating the problems for partial credit.

Q: Do you find yourself getting stressed as exams approach?

Dr. DeSanta: Yes.

Mr. McCall: I do find myself anxious during this time. I think some of it is just a response to the anxiety in the air — we feed off the anxiety of others! However, outwardly, I really do my best to quell my students’ anxiety by reminding my students that this is not new information and despite their fears, they do possess a far stronger grasp on the material than they initially proclaim.

Dr. Hobson: I do not get too stressed. It’s all part of the process.

Q: If so, how do you cope with this stress?

Dr. DeSanta: This is a really good question, and I wish I had a strategy that worked. I try to remember that I and we – students and teachers alike – are all doing the very best we can to balance many demands, and that sometimes we just can’t be perfect. We’re human! If we make mistakes from time to time, well then, everyone – ourselves included – is just going to have to live with it.

Mr. McCall: I handle stress during exam time by making sure to give myself breaks. I make sure I run and I spend time outside. Being outside is one of my methods of hitting reset and dealing with stress in life. Fresh air and physical exertion are the perfect combination: they raise my endorphins and by prioritizing a break I force myself to be effective in managing my time.

Dr. Hobson: Not applicable, but in general, listening to good music– 1960s with a good melody is a great way to relieve stress.

This interview gave great insight into the teachers’ perspectives of the stress levels surrounding testing and how they deal with their own stress: just like every student, each teacher manages their stress in different ways, and some may experience more stress than others. From learning about each teacher’s experience with stress during exam time, I realized that I should make sure to give myself breaks to destress when spending long periods of time studying. Thanks to Dr. DeSanta, Mr. McCall, and Dr. Hobson for their time and wise answers.