Deep breath...

I have 10 more papers to grade. Theoretically all by 10 a.m. tomorrow. The last three days I have been in the office at about 8 a.m. and here until at least 7 p.m. Last night I did go to dance (as long as I know Wingo is teaching, I refuse to miss those classes), but tonight, it looks like I'll grab dinner, and then I hope I can make myself grade something, anything. This last batch of 10 won't be very good: all the students are on the shaky side, including several who have appointments but did not submit papers. I got notice today that one of the latter went to the Writing Center yesterday for help. Pick your cliche: a day late and a dollar short, closing the barn door after the horse has cantered off into the distance--in any event, a pretty useless gesture, as her paper won't be accepted, period, because it's too late. This, by the way, is Miss "I read people like books," who has yet to come through on just about anything in terms of class work. Of course, she's the last student I'll see tomorrow, so I get to deal with giving her the bad news just before I go off to do placement readings....

Perhaps partly because I'm tired and running out of patience, I found myself struggling today not to simply shove the most basic and simple thesis structures on students who had a slightly more novel approach. The novel approach often backfires, as either the student doesn't really have a clear enough idea what he/she is trying to prove or because the idea cannot be proved, period--but often I can't tell whether that's the case from the way the student presents the idea in conference. I want to allow them the latitude to step outside the simplistic approach, but I also want them to have a focus that will work. Two of the students I saw today worry me: if they can follow through on what they were talking about and clarify it as they go, they'll have something. If not.... And one of the most problematic students was late for her conference, had not looked at my comments prior to the conference, and only after I pressured her to, glanced at what I said, going "Yeah, yeah, I get it." Of course I don't believe for a moment that she does, but I reckon she'll have to find that out when she gets her revision back.

Today's 265 was interesting. I'm not sure we did a great job on the poetry (a few by e. e. cummings), but it was a relaxed and fun class anyway: we got off on some tangents (though I was able to bring the attention back to the poems); the students got a little insight into me personally (which they always like); and after, as usual, I ended up chatting with a couple of students about various bits. One student was concerned about missing work, so we figured out what she can do and where she should put her focus. At some point I'll talk more about the one poor student in that class who is confused as hell--and very vocal about it. The other students are pretty sweet about him, but he also seems to drive them just a little bats (me too). Today he left after telling us way too much about his health problems; class worked better without him, I have to say, but I'm not ready to toss him. I am afraid he won't make it, however, even though he's another of those "I have to make it in this course because I need to graduate this semester" students. So often those are the ones who don't make it. Sad but true.

In any event, I'm very hungry, and very tired, and have miles to go before I sleep (I didn't teach that one by the way), so enough for the nonce.