That said...

Despite an email I'd rather not have received (and I sent back a short reply saying I "could not" give extra credit assignments now - and reminding him of the time of the final), today is actually a pretty good day. Gave and graded my first final exam, and a couple people who were teetering on the edge of a B wound up getting it with their score on the final, and a couple people managed to teeter over into A territory. It looks like most of the class studied very hard for the final, which is good.

It's supposed to storm this afternoon so as soon as I finish my (last!) late research paper (and I'm actually relieved to get it - I thought it was one that had been handed in early - I had convinced myself that the student had come and handed it in early - and that I had lost it and I was geared up to apologize a lot to her at the final and offer to give her full credit but now that onus is off me), I'm going home.

I don't have to do anything this afternoon. I don't give an exam tomorrow so I'm coming in to work on research all day long. But tonight, I get to relax - stretch out on the sofa and either knit or sew. I also don't have to be anywhere tonight.

One thing I like about the summer is that the various evening meetings go on hiatus for a couple months. AAUW is over for the summer, this week is the last week of Youth Group, next month is the last meeting of CWF...it's really nice and really welcome in the summer to be able to come home (especially after the longer, faster, and more involved summer teaching) and just relax - not have to go out, not have to do anything. Just to be. I'm going to try to be disciplined this summer and stay up in my office until 3 or 4 pm each day (I teach from 8 to about 11 four days a week and one day I assist with a lab in the afternoon) and work on research and on revamping one class I need to revamp for the fall.

But it's nice - and easier for me to work - when I know that when I get home, I am HOME and I do not have to go back out.

Oh, and also we are on a four-day week in the summer: Fridays off. I usually come in and work for at least part of the day, but that's OK - it means I can really enjoy my entire Saturday without feeling like I'm slacking off.

(Another nice thing about summer teaching? My "TA" is actually one of the "instructors" in the department. I know her well and have taught with her before - so I know she's good, I know she's diligent, and she's a joy to work with. AND because she is all gradumacated she isn't in classes with any of the students I have so I can farm out my grading to her. And she's happy to do it as she gets paid by the hour for that kind of thing, and with a small child at home - she can grade while she rocks her baby or watches him play in the sandbox.

I don't like to have the usual TAs grade as they are students themselves and I'm always concerned about "distancing" issues from the other students - whether they would fairly grade someone who was a friend. It might not be an issue and I might be less trustful than I could be, but I had a very bad experience when I was a graduate TA myself - I had an undergraduate TA "helper" in the class and she was HORRIBLE - untrustworthy, played favorites (and, sadly, it turned out in grading too) and she undermined my authority. So I'm always a little leery of letting a student grade a class that might have some of their "buddies" in it, but I know J. would never do that, and she has that necessary 'distance' so I can trust her.)

So summer teaching is easier, even if it's in a more compressed schedule. So I'm looking forward to it. (The money is not bad either.)

I can't quite believe this semester is over and I'm looking at a little freedom for a while.