Turned in my grades Tuesday. Actually made the deadline for the first time. One trick: if the course has 800 points, it takes 8 points to bring a student's percentage points up one percent. Therefore, if a student has a 74%, they would need 6%*8 points = 48 points to change their letter grade from a C to a B. That means I really don't HAVE to grade that 20 point assignment for that student...at least not before the grade report deadline. I have to grade them eventually, since the students will pester me by e-mail as to why they have grades missing on their LMS (learning management system software). It's also a matter of integrity to grade what you tell them you will grade. Oh, and they will pester you by e-mail.
I expected to feel a huge sigh of relief when I clicked the grade entry button for the last time. But I didn't. I continued to feel entirely wound up all day yesterday and worn out today. It could be the 2am, 4:30am and 6 am wake-up schedule I had last night. Could be the pestering by email. Could be the research student who requires a lot of hand-holding and wants to finish this week. There's also an onslaught of meetings that were post-poned until after grade report deadline.
Earlier tonight I was feeling emotionally wrought, and pushed the panic button. I asked Hub to come home early. I considered his schedule before I asked, and it's the first time I've hit the "big red button" so he is taking it seriously. He'll be home tomorrow in time to pick up the kids from the day care and give me some relief. He'll have to take off work 4 hours earlier to get here, due to traffic.
Tomorrow I have a Faculty/Staff conference until 3pm, then I'm headed straight to the pool to swim (hard) laps. This has made a big shift in my body/brain chemistry before, so I'll start there. Wish me 2000 meters, no pain afterwards, and an enkephalin high.
Happy spring to you all. Now I'm going to bathe for the first time in three days.
er, opioid high http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18296435
ReplyDeleteer, cannabanoid high, http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/38/5/536.full
Hope your swimming helped, and that your first post grades week is looking better than your last. What you've been posting about the hardships of a 2-body problem have been echoing a lot of what I've been feeling these past few weeks. My partner and I are on a quarter system, so we have while to go still before we get a break. I just want to reach out and say I feel you, and thank you for putting your thoughts out there. It's helped me limp along.
ReplyDeleteI hope exercise helps. I've been putting off refilling my prescription, and so far I haven't freaked out. I'm going running for the first time in months after work today to see if I can stave off depression a little longer.
ReplyDeleteYou're lucky you have someone who will came when the red phone rings. That's why it's worth it.