I’m trying to plan for what’s coming, but I’m not sure it will help.

I’ve written before how the third term at the school where I work is kind of crazy. There are odd days and cancelled days and every grade ends at different times. Some classes never seem to end, and those are almost always my worst classes because “karma” and “bitch”.

This term my one student in my high school third year class has already informed me he won’t be attending his one class. I’ll have to show up for work anyway as I have a class later in the afternoon, but part of me is already planning what to do with that time. I’m pretty sure I’ll show up earlier than I have to, just not at the usual time.

What I do when I get there I do not know.

At the end of February, high school first and second years end early and start exams. A couple days after that junior high school third years end and start exams. At some point, we are marking exams and passing them back whilst we are still teaching grades that haven’t ended. Then, when we’re tired and ready for a break, we suddenly have another batch of exams to mark.

In truth it’s not that hard, it’s just that anything resembling a teaching rhythm is suddenly gone and that makes it feel surreal. You wake up a couple times and try to remember where you’re supposed to be and if you really need to get up or not. (The fear that you’re missing something is what wakes you up.)

Also, because the term is half as long as the others, there isn’t a lot of time to introduce new material. This means almost all final exams are comprehensive which means we have to calm rooms of panicked young men who haven’t followed the rules to keep all their notes and handouts in an easy to access location.

Many of them ask me for copies of the print and I tell them I don’t make any extra copies. If they ask why not I just say it’s because “karma” and “bitch”.

They don’t understand, but it’s still kind of fun to say.