I give my final final exam of the semester today, in a half hour. My feelings:
After the exam, I shall retreat to my lair to grade them. I have made a cell biology final exam that is all essay questions. I’m expecting the students to synthesize all the information I have given them this turn, and to defend their arguments with details. There are some options here.
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I will moan and weep and struggle for hours over terrible answers that tell me I have completely failed. Then I’ll have to go searching for candy canes to stab into my eye sockets.
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I will be dazzled and impressed, and my students will vindicate all of my efforts, and I will dance with joy, and then I’ll have to go attend the midnight showing of Rogue One to restore my natural pessimism and ruin everyone’s day with spoilers.
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Realistically, I’ll probably get some exams that are rewarding and interesting and some that will disappoint me. It’s OK. Then I’ll wonder if I should go to the midnight showing or just get some sleep.
Dilemmas. But no matter what, I intend to get all my grading done today. That will be good.