Since I started teaching I’ve always over-marked (opinion of my previous school). When Ofsted visited in my 7th week of teaching two years ago in my feedback they highlighted the outstanding feedback they felt I provided my students. Although I know the importance of marking I often feel it weighs me down. I’ve no time to complete in school hours, so I have to do it at home. With Humanities I teach 10 different classes twice a week and 2 classes once a week, that results in taking home a set of books every night and a set for the weekend for good measure. It’s exhausting and I’m always looking for ways to reduce marking whilst still providing high quality feedback to ensure progression.

I like using DIRT after marking books once a fortnight but I find that due to time limitations with the curriculum taught there is not enough time to allow pupils to go deep into their responses and redraft work. We have to get on with the next stage of learning to ensure the whole topic is taught. Is it just me that finds this?