This week I have been grading dozens of senior paragraph-essays on The Iliad. I was up till an unnamed hour trying to get them done (on a week night - unforgivable). My dreams were a mumbled blur of AchillesdraggedHector'sdeadbodyfor9daysbutHectorshouldn'thavefoughtforParisinthefirstplacebecausePariswasawimp!andhedidn'tneedHelenanyway.IwouldratherhavemykidsturnoutlikeHectorbutAchillesisstillprettysweet.
When I finished the last one, I blearily cracked open my Bible for 30 seconds before turning out the lamp. Ecclesiastes 12:12-13: "Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the flesh. The end of the matter; all has been heard."
Multiple-choice tests begin to radiate new beauty as I become acutely aware of the correlation between them and sleep.
[To clarify: I was proud of my seniors. I liked reading what they wrote.]
Oh, and I'm still eating my Brussels-sprouts lunches. Even though I now eat in the teachers' lounge they still generate questions: "What are those things, anyway?"
Also, I need to eat bigger breakfasts. More than once this week I have been making my rounds among the desks when my stomach has growled. It's all the worse because it happens in dead silence when they're taking a quiz or something. (Imagine it: You're listing adjectives when your teacher's stomach growls right in your ear. Just thinking about it is awkward.)
Anyway:
The end of the matter; all has been heard: It's Friday.
Welcome to the joy of being an English teacher! :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your comments, Mrs. De Jong -- I'm happy you're reading, and it's good to hear from you!
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