Monday Update, Holly Jolly Edition

At some point last week, my energy just utterly gave out. I may have written about this already, but it bothered me for a bit.  Then I remembered that this happens at the end of every semester.

The Runner of course has had a couple of races these past two weekends; the event in Memphis was great, and then this past weekend she drove with a whole flock of other moms over to Pigeon Forge to run a race. It turned out to not be the most convenient time for me, seeing as I was alone with all three children on the weekend between the end of classes and the start of exam week.  But I was happy to let her go.  We may alter the arrangements next year.

There were many many many conversations in my office suite today . . . and they were mostly addressing how demoralized we feel when we see the quality of work we are getting.  I hate to say it, because I want to believe the best of my students, but most of it is so weak.

Number One Son had his church children's choir program last night.  It was mildly entertaining, overly choreographed, and filled with regrettable attempts at "contemporary" music. The children are not being taught to sing or anything like that.  However, he had a blast doing it, and really hammed it up on stage (he had no speaking part, but did the motions with vigor). 

Little Red asks me to play an insanely difficult Wii game with him, and when I'm tempted to groan, "nooo," I remind myself that he loves me and won't be "little" Red forever.

The Mutt has only destroyed a couple of Christmas ornaments so far.

Adventures with Students, Vol 39

I was subjected to an outside teaching evaluation yesterday in my two literature classes. I am being evaluated for a teaching award, and my department chair had to administer the instrument before I entered the classroom.  So as soon as I came in, one of my saucier students blurts out that one of the questions on the evaluation was whether or not the instructor stays on topic.

Well, it was an honor to be nominated, at least!  I am not exactly the most focused teacher on the planet. Another student helpfully pointed out that they also asked about "sense of humor," and I replied that attempted jokes aren't the same thing as actual humor. Which earned a chuckle from a few people.

One of the most difficult things to manage this time of the semester is that some students who have utterly flaked out, flamed out, stopped trying, lazily floated their way through the term now want to make sure they get a reasonably good grade in the class.  My "favorites" are the ones who disappear for several weeks and then return as if nothing happened.

I now find myself in the position of the tiresome man who grumbles that in his day no one would think of this sort of behavior.