urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:badpenmanship badpenmanship badpenmanship 2008-05-05T02:47:38Z urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:badpenmanship:606 2008-05-05T02:47:38Z 2008-05-05T02:47:38Z Duel of the Fates One reason and one reason only-- because Monday comes after it.&nbsp; Sundays are always, at least in my experience, a mad scramble of grading papers, finalizing lesson plans, and just mentally preparing to take on a full week and all the chaos that it will surely bring.&nbsp; I spent most of the day reading and grading a vast majority of the 58 AP Research Papers my students submitted the week we returned from Spring Break (if you're keeping track at home, that's right; these papers are over 3 weeks old).&nbsp; But damn it, in my defense I&nbsp;put them off for a reason.&nbsp;Hell, for several reasons.&nbsp; First, repeatedly reading papers about WWI is not thrilling in the least.&nbsp; Not matter how well written they are (and honestly, only small percentage are WELL written), somewhere around the eighth paper, my eyes roll back and it's off to "lala land".&nbsp; Combine this with the 120 or so Freshmen essays (which are typically much worse than the sophomore papers), and the task is nearly unbearable.&nbsp; But alas, it's the curse of being a teacher-- more specically, an English teacher.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /><br />So what do I do?&nbsp; Well, I can't, or should I say <strong>won't</strong>, quit-- not yet.&nbsp; I'm too stubborn and I don't have a&nbsp;(good)&nbsp;backup plan.&nbsp; Plus, grading aside, there are times that I do LOVE the job.&nbsp; There are even some times I would consider doing it for free (just don't tell my employers that).&nbsp; The kids, as infuriating as they are sometimes, are worth it.&nbsp; They are constantly a surprise and, if nothing else, make the job interesting.&nbsp; However, the most addictive thing is the 'aha' moment when a kid finally understands something or comes to realization.&nbsp; Those are the times when all the bull is worthwhile.&nbsp; Those are the moments that make teachers come back the next day and the days after-- searching for more of the same (which <em>hardly</em> ever consecutively occur).&nbsp; The constant search for teachable moments is what keeps me plugging away, no matter how many infernal papers I have to read and make comments on.&nbsp; So, in answer to my question at the beginning of this paragraph, I just go to Panera Bread (free coffee/tea refills-- I need the constant caffeine!), plug into my IPod, and get to grading,&nbsp;one paper at a time, and pray that Monday will come slowly and pass quickly.