Proctoring

Proctoring a test is apparently one most-liked activity in class for my workmates. I love it too because while proctoring, I can scribble something in the cutie, or on a piece of paper, before my darling Abang gave me the cutie. Perhaps people then will think that I am not a good proctor? LOL. I am quite a strict proctor at the beginning minutes I enter a classroom. I will carefully pay attention to whether the students creatively have changed the arrangement of the chairs so that they can cheat one another easily. LOL. So? The first time I usually do when coming to a class for proctoring, I will arrange the students’ seats. The seats at the first rows must be full first, then to the back.
Scoring the students’ test is one activity I don’t really like though. LOL. This is especially if the test is not just crossing/blackening the letters a, b, c, d that means a multiply choice test. If it is an essay test, I often get trouble to score if the students’ handwriting is difficult to read.  Unfortunately two subjects I have in one private college in Semarang cannot make me give the students multiple choice test.
Two weeks ago I gave my classes mid-term test. For the Poetry Analysis Class, I prepared four questions; while for the Drama Analysis Class, I prepared five questions. Since the name of the subject is related to ANALYSIS, of course I have to ask my students to analyze something that will make the students elaborate their answers. Luckily, different from last year I had two big classes, one class consisted of around 50 students, this year, I only have 15 students. I don’t need much time to score their answer sheets. I don’t need to get headache for a long time either when reading the ugly handwriting. LOL.
At this article, especially I want to focus on the Poetry Analysis Class. I inserted two poems to be analyzed by the students: “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost, and “Reassurance” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. One thing I really enjoy from teaching literature subjects is I can give literary works written by feminists or that can be viewed using feministic perspective. By doing this, I can spread equality ideas between men and women to my students.
For the poem “Reassurance” itself, I gave it to be discussed in the class at the beginning of this semester where only four or five students arrived. I chose this poem to be inserted in the test rather than any other poems (such as “Sadie and Maud” by Gwendolyn Brooks, or “Ain’t I a Woman” by Sojourner Truth, or “Woman of My Color” by Wanda Coleman) in order to show my appreciation to the students who came to my class at that time. By attending my class, they would get involved in the discussion in the class so that they hopefully would get a better and clearer comprehension than the others who did not come at that time.
However, when scoring the answer of the students this morning, I did not find satisfying answer from the five particular students.  Only two of them wrote a satisfying analysis. Meanwhile, some other students who did not attend the class at that time could write a good interpretation.
As far as my teaching experience in English Department, I have found more students who do not enjoy studying literature than those who join the classes and involve themselves in the discussion enthusiastically. They come to English Department only to learn about ENGLISH, the language, and not any other subject.  In fact, if they only want to learn English, it is enough for them to go to English courses, and not to English Department. But of course they will not get any title from the English Course. And I know many people go to English Department only to get the certificate and the title, and not the knowledge that they will get.
Pathetic, eh? This is Indonesia, the dreaming country, my Abang said. LOL. Dreaming to be the leader of the world, eh? LOL.
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