Nonsense, Drivel, and Balderdash

It was 9 PM and only then was I heading home from work. It was the Thursday on the first week back from Christmas. I had done this for three days in a row, getting home with about half an hour to spend with my wife before finally collapsing into bed and falling asleep. I had arrived at work at 6:45 AM and left for home at 9 PM. A 14 hour work day for three days in a row. There are sweatshops that work their people less.  Being an English teacher is especially challenging because of how long it takes to grade English assignments. It isn't grading multiple choice. There is a lot of reading and writing required on the part of the teacher; even our short answer questions have a higher level of subjectivity in comparison with similar questions in, say, science. What this adds up to is time. Let me break it down for you: Right before break, each of my students had written a page long essay. In terms of grading, this means: 120 students + 10 minutes per essay (yes, it takes that...

S ince writing the last post, and since Christmas, I've had to come to terms with something about my current situation: it is untenable. For me, my current job feels like quicksand; the harder I struggle, the deeper down I go. I can see myself hanging on, but it would be at the expense of my mental health and general wellbeing. And so, without further ado... I have decided that this will be my last year at my job. It simply isn't a good fit for me: English: Officially, my class is called "English Language Arts," though why they bother including the word "arts" is beyond me. I am really responsible and held accountable for teaching the kids how to think critically. This is a good thing in its own right, but it bores me. I work with people who find it fascinating to break down particular thinking skills and attempt to teach them, but I was never an Education major. I was an English major. My masters degree was also in English Lit. I became intereste...