Testing Day

Today is the first day in which we administer the Writing Graduation Demonstration Exam. For me this is one of the biggest days of the year as it determines which students I will have for years to come and which will be let loose upon the teachers who have to worry so little about writing deficiencies. From what I've seen so far today, I am pleased. Though many fine students will be disappearing from my classroom at the end of the semester or the end of the year, I am thrilled to see many of them move on to higher level classes that will challenge them and mold them into breathing, thinking, meat-bags that may do something with their lives that may come back and benefit me.

On the other hand, I can also see among the pages the students that will be my new BFFs for the next two years or more--those that either can't write well (I don't have a problem with them) and those who won't try (the most frustrating human beings on the planet).

So overall, it's a bit of a bizarre day as I watch them test away. But on the plus side, I'm cranking out more graded papers today than I have in weeks. Testing instead of teaching has a few benefits.

Hurray For a New Week

I can't express how happy I am that last week is over. As I tried to blog on Friday (though I never got around to posting), last week was a madhouse: super busy, super exhausting, and ridiculously long.

I think after the devil got bored with moral conscience torture, he turned to the education system and said, "Let there be testing." It really is the antithesis of the glory of good. I had two weeks worth that ended last week, so there's just another thing to be happy about.

My wife gets back in town today, so that's awesome. A full week without is a bit too long. Though I enjoyed my cold cereal diet, I am ready to get back to my healthier, happier way of life.