Task completion
I beleive in grading my papers as they are handed in and I assign due dates so they don't pile up and I can keep up with the work load.
That is the same way I do papers. It makes it easyer to keep up with it so there not all piled up at once.
I agree about the due dates for students and It's very important to tell the students when they will receive their graded papers in return. It takes lots of time to study for an exam and out of respect for my class, I like to get their papers back quickly and talk about areas that need to be worked on.
It's great to set reasonable expectations with students Paul. This helps them feel confident about what to expect and when. At times, we may be able to deliver early and exceed their expectations too.
If you don't prioritize your work load, there ends up being too much time spent on worrying about the little things, and not focusing on the important things. Just a simple task such as grading papers can become overwhelming and when the paperwork piles up, we tend to focus on getting them done rather than actually looking at the work that has been turned in to us.
I also agree with that get done and out of the way
Doing things as immediately as possible(grading papers, quizes and tests) is an excellent way to stay organized and to eliminate the stress that results from procrastination. Student learning and motivation and learning is also optimized when they receive timely feedback.
