So, not very productive...

I got two essays actually read, commented on, graded, and returned to students. I returned the one that was plagiarized to the student--along with the notification that, because she also plagiarized one of her homework assignments, as far as I'm concerned, she's failed the class. I decided to hold off on grading the one from the student who plagiarized his latest homework and who may well have plagiarized an earlier quiz, as I've told him if I don't hear from him by Friday, he'll have failed the class.

On a slightly more positive note, the very good student who seemed to have fallen by the wayside is back; he wrote me in a panic last night, and sure enough, he's getting the work done today. I'm inclined to give him more of a break than I would normally, because his work has been so good, but I'm a bit worried about his essay; I hope it gets better, but the first two sentences didn't exactly fill me with enthusiasm.

I realize that's why I'm having a hard time getting through the essays; I'm seeing the same problems over and over. Personal response, no analysis, informal tone ... If I were meaner (and taught at a place where professors can get away with being brutal to students), I'd say, "You're just talking out your ass." But that's not very constructive criticism, I admit.

I just took a quick look at the intro paragraphs in the rest of the essays. A couple have the right idea. Sadly, the other super-brilliant student doesn't have the academic approach I think he should, but ... well, I'm hopeful that the rest of his essay is good.

Speaking of that student, I kinda fucked up in responding to his discussion board posts, responded too fast, wasn't thinking clearly about the essay he was writing about, blah blah. I shot off an email and immediately had to write a retraction; he wrote a rebuttal to my critique on the discussion board--and I did him the honor of acknowledging not only that he was right in what he'd said but also that I needed to be a little more careful and diligent in responding to his posts. He's working at a higher level than the other students--even the other super-bright one--and I need to do him the courtesy of thinking carefully before I whip off my comments. I'm thinking of my own experience as an online student, how frustrating it was that the professor didn't seem to value the level of my contributions. This young man is still working for his associate's degree (though he transferred credits from another college and had advanced placement courses to fulfill some requirements), but he's clearly very smart and well read on his own.

So, I may have gone too far in offering him an apology, but I'd rather be a bit humble and admit when I screw up. My points were not entirely without validity, but it felt right to give him the credit for good thinking--and for challenging me.

On a completely different front, I find that Daylight Savings Time is messing up my rhythms. Because it's light later than I'm used to (which would be the case anyway, as we approach the equinox, but the effect is increased by the "spring ahead"), I tend to work later than I "should"--in terms of making the segue from work into self-care. Now, for instance, it feels like I should still be revving the engines, but I need to disengage from work and wind down. So, I'm commencing that part of the day in 5, 4, 3...