grading papers

I can't believe it's been two weeks since my last entry. My life has been pretty hectic lately. I'm teaching full-time now, which is exhausting but rewarding. The best way to explain being a first time teacher is to compare it to freshman year of high school or college, particularly college. When you get there it's kind of scary and possibly uncomfortable at time, this is similar to those first observations you spend in a classroom. Then you get comfortable, make friends, and have fun until you hit that week. That week when you have 2 papers and a huge test looming along with a mountain of homework and you freak a little bit. You are incredibly stressed but somehow manage to make it through, probably getting marks a little lower than you were accustomed to. Then you get in the groove, work out a schedule, and learn time management. After this it's all downhill, and college (although challenging) becomes less of a nightmare. Well, writing lessons, teaching, and grading papers is the same way. The past two weeks like my "freshman year" and now that I have that under my belt it's coming much easier. Well...grading a stack of essays still takes a great deal of time; however, that's only because some of them are written so...(must stay positive...stay positive) creatively written. :) I love teaching though, and I can not wait to get my own classroom...that is all. :)