Week of Panic

As final examinations inch closer and closer, students get into a frenzy about getting their grades up at the last minute.  I offer "grade booster" opportunities (or what normal people call extra credit) throughout the semester, but the students see me as a Scrooge when it gets to these last few weeks and I explain that their current grades are accurate representations of how they've been performing and there is nothing "extra" to do at this point.  

As a course, all the students from one class to the next have been working on genetics research papers for two weeks, not including the week off for Thanksgiving.  It is insane, to me, that I had students that straight-up did not turn in a paper and then asked for extra credit-------- NO! Why would I give you extra credit when you don't do the actual credit? Had any of these conversations occurred a few weeks ago, yes, I would have offered extra credit. Oh, wait, I did. Hmmm... 

Now, to be less perturbed, it is the end of the last week before finals.  I know that students are reviewing in every class all day long.  To break up the monotony a bit, and also to do something to improve/update our classroom environment, we took 5 or less minutes one day to tell each other our Winter Break plans with snowflakes! It looks like many of my students will be busy bees over break!

I know that many people will think that it was a waste of time, but the kids really enjoyed it, and it barely took any time at all.  Those together equal time well-spent in my book.

And so, I shall be spending the weekend grading those research papers with in-between breaks to attend a Pacers game as well as a few holiday festivities.  Pacer-up!