Taking Pause

This will be a bitchy post - be ready.

I did my first batch of marking for my TA post today, and I have to say - MOST FUCKED UP MARKING SYSTEM EVER! All it involves in paper work. I had to give them almost 4 different type of commentary on their papers. First you do marginal comments, then you have to fill out the comment form (yes there is a form) and finally you have the type up final comments. All of these comments have to be constructive and supportive in tone - well let me tell you, after reading 3 of those papers, any kind of supportive tone goes right out the fucking window. I tried my best to be constructive, but it just was not happening... they can't write a sentence worth shit, hell most of them can't even fucking spell.

Now, the 4th type of commentary will come tomorrow when I have to meet with my students and give them further feedback on their papers... will this involve me writing comments in my own blood?

I can understand wanting to help students as much as possible - but this system is totally redundant, I said the same thing 3 times and I will probably say the exact same thing again tomorrow to any of them little fuckers who are brave enough to come see me.

Oh yes, tomorrow will be a day of evil TA Matt... you know it will be...

Now I have to start reading for my class on Thursday - any suggestions on how I'm going to get through Norbert Elias's The Civilizing Process in a day, plus TA training and office hours.

For that matter - why the fuck am I going to a training session - I could teach that fucking thing! Fuck!