If things happened the way the were supposed to happen, this wouldn’t be an odd time of year. Unfortunately, that’s not the way things work.

What is supposed to happen is this: classes end; exams start; I mark exams; I give exams back; I drink bourbon (not necessarily in that order).

Unfortunately, for reasons I don’t fully understand, during the winter term at the school where I work, all the grades seem to end at different times and their exams start at different times. High school 3rd year (12th grade) ended in January but don’t graduate until March 14. High school 1st and 2nd Grade (10th and 11th grade) finished last Monday. Junior high 3rd year (9th grade which, luckily, I don’t teach) ended last Wednesday (I think). Junior high 1st and 2nd grade (7th and 8th grade) don’t finish until Tuesday.

What this means is that we are waiting for exams, marking exams, avoiding marking exams, wasting time, figuring out final marks, giving back exams and teaching all at the same time. This means we can’t pull all-nighters (well, technically we CAN, we just SHOULDN’T) and it’s hard to get into a marking rhythm.

To make matters worse, we also have to be on top of our schedules because it’s easy to lose track of what day it is an what we are supposed to be doing. On more than one occasion someone has stayed home to mark only to get a call or text calmly inquiring “Where the hell are you?” Others have finished marking their exams in the classroom while the students waited. I’ve personally written the wrong time down, arrived at school thinking I had some time to get ready, and been met by students who wondered why I was late to class.

Answer: Sit down and shut up and get ready to get your exams back. (Yeah, everyone loves having me as their teacher.)

Tomorrow I have final classes with my junior high second graders. At least I think I do.