Home sick ... but still grading

I got everything finished for the 2:00 class: all essays evaluated, numbers crunched. I haven't filled out the paperwork (and once again, I will refrain from comment about the fact that we still have to do paperwork), but that's a matter of moments, as is inputting the grades on Banner. The 5:00 class won't take long, as so few students actually finished the semester.

I decided to send emails to the students who are set to fail, giving them one last chance to withdraw. My strong hunch is that they won't check their email in time to get the chance, but ... well, this will be their wake-up call about missing work. I'm not going to curve the grades after all; it turns out not to be necessary. The curve is pretty much as usual. And, to my delight, one young man who was virtually silent all semester--and who seemed to have more than a bit of a chip on his shoulder, having nothing to do with me, I think--actually managed to squeak out an A.

On the other hand, one of the kids who hugged me the last day may decide he wants to take back the hug: he's one who's failing.

I'm very glad I brought work home yesterday, as it meant I could stay home today and nurse this hurkey-furkey I have succumbed to. I was a bit alarmed last night when I spiked a fever and saw white spots on my tonsils, but this morning, no fever and spots gone--and although I still have a bit of a sore throat and am decidedly puny, I feel better than I thought I would. I got the grading done despite a rather lengthy stint of lying still on the sofa, so ... that's good.

In the more good news department, the spring classes are looking good in terms of enrollment. SF has 16, and--hooray (I think)--Nature in Lit has 6, which is a good trend. There aren't many spaces left in lit electives being offered online, so I suspect it will get to runnable numbers before the axe would have to fall. That does mean a hell of a lot of work on getting the damned thing constructed online--and I'm still not entirely sure about the last weeks' readings: I'm in the process of trying to get rights to post Paradises Lost. Ursula, god love her, has told her agent she approves of the idea, but she also expresses very valid concerns about the thing getting loose on the net. Her agent will advise, and it may be that the agent advises against it, in which case I'll just make more use of the purchased textbook--but it sure would be sweet to be able to teach the novella. It's such a great way to end the class, or so I think.

Returning to this semester, tomorrow I should be well enough to go to campus for the department party (sigh: I fucking hate that kind of party, but ... well, it's politic to go, and there are a few people I wouldn't mind talking with), and, more important, to meet with the SF class for their end-of-semester debriefing. I'll be interested to get their take on Left Hand of Darkness; I hope they generally approve of it, but we'll see.

And then it's just about grinding through the last of the grading. I have already made my peace with going in on Friday--and perhaps even having to set an alarm, as the office closes early on Friday; that will depend on how much I get done tomorrow.

But for today, I am one whipped puppy. Early to bed, says this professor.