Grading Fool

The name of the playlist I have on my iPod when I'm grading is called "Grading Fool." I labeled it that way nearly five years ago when I got my first iPod and when I was just starting out as a teacher. Who knew the name, which was initially just "cute," would have grown to be so apropros just a few measly semesters later? (Well, not technically "measly," considering I did receive my vaccine when I was just a kid.)

I felt like a grading fool all last week to last night. I graded 60 papers, with comments, 60 midterms, and 60 quizzes. After grading all that material, I then created a midterm grade worksheet (showing them my math so they can double-check, if they're so inclined) and calculated their grades. I felt like I was under the gun last night to have everything accomplished--today is mid-semester, which means it is the final day to safely withdraw from any class at the university. ("Safely" here means "without grade penalty.") My department requires that the students should have a sizable percentage of their grades both recorded and returned to them before the drop date. I figure "before the drop date" also means "before midnight on the drop day," because that's when my students will receive their midterm grades. I figured their quiz grades, which is difficult because I (like a madwoman) have created the policy to drop the two lowest quiz grades from their average. As we haven't taken all the quizzes yet, I had to figure out their quiz grade "so far," which is likely to fluctuate throughout the rest of the semester, considering I had to drop the two lowest grades "so far." It was a frustrating and tedious night. But Robert helped me out in many ways, one of which was to cook me dinner.

He came over with chicken breasts, Italian dressing, fettucini noodles, and Alfredo sauce--he marinated the chicken in the dressing, and served it over the fettucini Alfredo. This was his first experience making a cream sauce, so he learned the invaluable lesson of constant stirring...and constant stirring on the bottom of the pot. Unfortunately, some of it burned on the bottom (rookie mistake--happened to me plenty of times), but the great thing was that the sauce still tasted delicious and the chicken covered up any of the burnt flavor. I certainly didn't notice it...mostly because I inhaled that dinner. It was so tasty! I truly appreciate the help he gave me last night and the dinner he made for us--I don't know if I would have made it to bed by 11:30 without his help. In fact, I'm pretty confident I wouldn't have.

We've had a few days (since Saturday) that simply make me want to be married right now. I love that man and I can't wait for these past few days to be our norm.