Not this weekend.
This weekend was characterized by juggled deadlines, missed meals, binging on french fries, and ill-timed naps.* This weekend was work, in the truest sense of the word. That being said, it wasn't unpleasant. Far from it. It was a lot of individual work: articles to be written or edited, film to have captured, group members (from, what, three different groups?) to meet with.
(That's enough with the epic catalogue.) The point of the weekend was, as far as I can tell, to balance both mental and physical well-being with the glacial pace of unfinished work. The fact of the matter is that we will always have work to do, no matter what. And while grading - which I don't miss at all, by the way - is a whole heap of work, it is different than the type of work we're doing here.
This work is intellectual, mental work that requires us to outline, brainstorm, and develop things that represent us. Grading is...grading. Let's leave it at that. (Or, let's leave it to Steve.)
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| A totally honest, un-staged shot of my desk at 12:11 AM PST. Items of note: Reynolds Institute binder, AP stylebook open to Italics, tomorrow's schedule, Cheez-Its, AZ-themes socks from the gift shop. |
David Tow
Terra Linda High School
San Rafael, Calif.
*since these blog posts are different in nature than our formal pieces, I'm forgoing the AP preference on Oxford Comma, m'kay?
My room looks almost exactly the same. It's 1:28 AM.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, those are some nice socks.
In the morning, who's making waffles?
ALSO, LONG LIVE THE OXFORD COMMA!
Your post makes me think about the excitement behind creating and learning. Things get bogged down with grading, and I honestly wonder sometimes if all of the time that I spend grading is worth it. What really is the point of grading? Feedback is different, and with 165 students feedback has to come from many different directions than just mine.
ReplyDeleteI have wanted to do research on how students work really changes - how they grow, because I just don't know if all of those hours spent on commenting are the best way.
I'm especially inspired by the AZ socks. Nice.
ReplyDeleteIt's incredible to be working with other advisers who value their work and believe, passionately, in what they do. That's why we're all here. We could be at the beach, but we're not. We're working, learning, and growing. And that's what makes all of you of the best in your field. Proud to know you. Keep up the great work!