I sure hope Sam doesn’t get his phone out again today, after I told them no cell phones during lecture. I hate to confront them about things like that. I get a knot in the pit of stomach every time. I guess I am just not tough enough to keep control. They cooperate most of the time, but I never know what a day holds . . . I’m giving a test in my next class . I hope I didn’t leave my locked keys in the office with it. I trust that I wrote the test ok . . . what if it is too easy and they all make As! That won’t work . . . if they all fail, I can curve grades up, but what do I do when I know they did too well on the test for it to be realistic?
Attendance is up today . . . the day I have to lecture on that topic I struggled with all the way through undergrad. Bob is here . . . gunning for me already, I can tell by his smirk. Just because someone is a good student doesn’t mean I like them. I like some of the bad students, too . . . Why are they laughing every time I turn my back today? Why do Jim and Fred keep grinning at me during class? Is my hair messed up? Is there lint stuck on my seat? I can’t do anything about it -- I’m in the middle of a lecture! Oh please Don – don’t ask me that question! I DON’T KNOW! I should know, yes . . . but today I just can’t remember and can’t seem to get it thought through. I don’t have any business teaching if I can’t answer question!
Where are my keys! The test is in four minutes and I can’t get in my office for my keys! The secretary is gone to lunch, the chair is at a meeting, no one within four minutes of me can get me in! Oh good – here they are. Where are the tests! Did I leave them at home! Oh, here they are . . . in my hand, all along.
I hope I made enough copies of the test, the stack looks too small. Oh well, I guess I’ll find out in a minute. Oh great, Pete and Pam and copying from each other again. I hate to start that whole “academic dishonesty” mess going, so maybe I’ll just stand near them during the test. Not that it is going to help their grades any to cheat – when neither of them knows the material. Two empty heads ARE NOT better than one! Oh great, 10 minutes into the test and half of the class if finished. This is not a good sign . . . I’ll have to toughen up the test next time . . . wait! This is the LAST EXAM!
