Hurrah for Productivity!

My friends, the work continues. And it is good!

Today, I FINALLY got caught up on homework and extra credit grading. Then I made a dent (a tiny one, but a dent nonetheless) in grading the poem projects from a week or two ago.

At lunch, bunches of students have been helping me clean and organize my many piles of crap. Among other things, a stack of paper at least two feet high was tossed. I am trying to consolidate and purge to ready for the end-of-year packing that's coming all too soon.

Last night, I finally set up my own computer and office nook for real. I'd kept on using the laptop on my 'portable office desk' (aka my folding kitchen table) until I was done with the thesis and other grad school stuff. Just to keep it easier. But now I have my real computer set up, and it is so great!

So this afternoon, I came home and got started immediately on grade inputting. I'd ignored this all quarter, due to the fact that I've actually had a life for the past two or three months. I was annoyed even thinking about it, and then slightly panicked when I learned the due date for report cards. As such, I had to cancel even the idea of going away for Memorial Day. Grr!

I have completely input two of my three classes. And I haven't done the third just because of wrist fatigue. So perhaps I will try to finish up tonight or if not tomorrow.

The only fly in my productive ointment is that my math book did not arrive today. Apparently they don't have my apartment number, so while they were here, I did not get what I needed. I called and gave the extra info to them, so it will get here tomorrow afternoon. That means I have to sit down and do one chapter of math between getting home at 2.30 and going into the city around 6. No problem!

My mom is coming to town next Wednesday. I'm excited to show her my awesome apartment and get her help with some decoration. And a week from today I will be 'graduating' from grad school! That is very exciting indeed.

You know what else is exciting? I will have a two-day work week next week. Tee hee!

Yesterday, I had students in all three classes read "Who's On First?" by Abbot and Costello. I made sure to pick students who could voice-act and who could read well, and boy, they were great. I laughed every single time; talk about comedic genius! Man. Anyway, Class 3, my slowest, didn't really laugh or giggle audibly. I think some kids were smiling or silent-laughing, but it was weird. Class 2 really laughed and was delighted, as was Class 1 (both classes are much higher-level). It was funny; kids kept looking over at me. It was either to watch me laugh out loud, which they rarely if ever see, or to 'get permission' to find it funny and laugh. Regardless, they all loved it and Class 1 even begged to read it again immediately.

Today, I had them read a readers-theater script I found of Casey at the Bat. I had read it to them last month for poetry, so I suppose they were sort of familiar with the sound of it and the story. I was pretty impressed with how they did.

I think next week we will start drama in earnest. First I will have them perform short plays that I will give them. The next week, I will have them write their own. I found a great site--aaronshep.com--with tons of scripts and other drama tools. One of them is a regular text that the students have to adapt to a play script. That will be excellent practice before they have to write a script from scratch.

We also have to do portfolios. I began that for real yesterday. I'm using that as an excuse to get down and dirty into spelling and grammar even more, so that then they will be equipped to do some real revision. And actually, it's sound instruction, because they'll need to do this on their state exam next year, so there. We win!

It's only six! What on earth will I do with the rest of the evening?