It's easier when they don't do the work

It took me a lot less time than I thought it would to grade the essays--because, as I realized, I didn't emphasize that submitting the essay unrevised would mean a lower grade for the second/final version. So several students figured whatever grade they got was good enough and didn't revise.

And I took a step that I'm not entirely sure I should have: I let them know that, since I provided my comments for their benefit, the fact that they essentially ignored my comments is disrespectful of me, my knowledge, and my time. It is, and it pisses me off, so I thought, what the hell. They should know that their behavior actually has a detrimental effect beyond their grade.

I also note that two of the students who didn't revise also didn't fix instances of "accidental" plagiarism that I pointed out to them in their first versions. I've told them both that I haven't yet given a grade, so they need to contact me to set up a time when we can talk. I'm giving them two weeks to contact me. If they haven't gotten in touch with me by then, my plagiarism policy goes into effect and they get zeroes for their grades.

The third one who didn't revise is potentially an A student, but he's just barely able to mask his utter disdain for the class. (He's one of those "it doesn't apply to me so why do I have to take it" students.) I've told him he can disagree with me, but now he knows he still has to listen to me.

I've also made it very clear that--going forward--if an essay is submitted for a second time without a serious attempt at addressing my comments, the grade (relative to number of points possible) will go down.

But one student really is an A student: not only is he very good, he really, truly revised and revised well. What a pleasure that was--especially as his was the second to last essay that I read.

So, now that's done. And although there are assignments I could grade (a quiz, I think, and at least one discussion board forum), I'm going to leave it for now and engage in mindless noodling. And I have a week in which to sort of breathe and get caught up before the next essays land. (Which reminds me: I need to contact one student to let him know he's not going to pass, now that he's completely missed both versions of essay 1. Oh, fun and frolic.)

I could get out walking this afternoon, but instead I'm going to work on the Guinness World Record in sloth.