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April 30, 2008
Marathon
I'm trying to remember to take time for me these days. Because it's hard to do with the schedule I'm on. But I need it. To keep me going, and to keep me from exploding in inappropriate ways from the pressure cooker that is the last week of classes.
I must admit, I'm a scheduling genius, though. Because in two of my classes, this week is all about student presentations. So for five hours this week, instead of prepping and leading and teaching and running things, they get to do the teaching. They get to give their peers information and tell stories. That takes a HUGE load off of me.
Also? Last night and this morning I really pushed through the pile of grading and as a result, today I was able to give back Every. Single. Outstanding. Assignment in the class that had the most work ungraded. Now I just have to grade four group projects and twelve research papers in that class. Well, that and their extra credit papers. And their final projects. But I don't have to grade those yet, I can't grade those yet, not until next week. Because I won't see them until next week.
And in the class for which I co-teach two sections, I have graded all of their last major assignments and now I just have to --well, fuck. I forgot a set of things I have to finish up. Nope. I'm doing that in the morning. I'll just go in earlier. Shit. Anyway, I graded their last big thing, which they will get back tomorrow, and then I just have their finals and this other thing I forgot to finish grading (which won't actually take that long, I just have to do some math and enter the grades in the gradesheet) and these projects they turned in on Tuesday which I have decided they will not get back until their final. Because I'm not going to try to grade those tonight too. Dammit.
See? This, this is why I need some time for myself. Because I cannot keep track of everything I need to do if I don't get a break now and then. As it is, I began grading at 8am this morning, took a brief break to drive to school, and then worked steadily on various things until just now when I came home. That's an eleven hour day and I am done.
Even if I'm really not.
But. Tomorrow I teach until 12:30 and then I can grade all of the presentations I saw today and the various papers I received today and the stuff people turned in yesterday. And see Doubt in the evening. But I'm pretty sure I can get all of the still not graded stuff done tomorrow, and then this weekend I'll only have another two sets of presentations and a few more papers to grade. So I can focus on things like the yard and the tomato plants that came in the mail today. And maybe playing with the water soluble oil pastels I picked up at the university bookstore this evening on my "I'm done with that grading, I think I'll buy myself a present" kick.
And tonight? Tonight the evening stretches before me like a present. A present full of light and flowers and birdsong. How lucky am I?
Posted by sally at April 30, 2008 07:21 PM
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