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So close, and yet so far...

Whenever I have large stacks of grading, I find that I can power through for a while but the closer I get to being done, the harder it is to force myself to get the last few papers done. This is true even if I take a big break - for example, I finished grading all but five papers yesterday morning and then I started working on something else, figuring I would start fresh this morning and just finish them off. I did manage to grade a couple this morning but it's now six hours later and I just can't seem to find the mental wherewithal to do the others. I have, however, vacuumed my living room, worked a bit on another project, and done some prepping for next week's classes (and now I'm writing this...). For some reason, I just can't seem to get my brain to focus so I can grade those last few papers, even though I know that it's not going to take all that long and if I can just do it, I will feel incredibly happy to be done with the whole stack. Is it just me, or does this happen to other people?
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  1. Ron CronovichJune 9, 2012 at 3:06 PM

    I have that problem at the beginning or during the middle, but not at the end. If the papers/exams are poorer on average than expected, I get depressed and full of self-doubt about my teaching effectiveness, and look for ways to avoid grading and distract myself - like vacuuming, prepping a different class, etc. But when as I get closer to the end, psychological momentum builds and helps me get through the rest.

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