The Semester Lurches to the End

1. I finished the grading today and submitted my grades. Within 20 minutes two students contacted me to complain about their grades. One guy missed the next letter grade by two points, and I wouldn't give them to him. He was a poorly behaved jerk in class -- when he was there. Last time I counted, he had 10 absences. Sorry, you haven't given me a reason to disregard the grading policy written in my syllabus.


2. I'm also hearing about grade problems in other classes. Most are unjustified but one needs follow-up. The instructor just blew off the student, and I'm guessing it's because she misunderstood his issue and she's overwhelmed.


3. News Flash! The highest grades on the departmental final in precalc were from the course sections that had graders assigned to them so that the instructors could assign daily graded homework! Shocking!


4. The cash-cow abbreviated summer session started today. Three hours a day for three weeks. People beg to teach this. Me, you couldn't pay me enough to do that. Once I figure out all the grade appeals, I'm planning on lying low, working on my computer program, my ambitious movie project, my sewing and knitting, and pre-emptive shopping for my travels to Cambridge.

Bonus item (unrelated): Yesterday the cafeteria lady said to me, "I love your accent. It's so pretty." Just what I need: in addition to my exotic name, people think that I have an accent.