Plowing through papers

So far, my no-so-secret plan for getting some extended time to writing during fall break is working well: I gave my freshman writing class a midterm this morning and I've already graded two-thirds of them while my freshman seminar students were writing their midterm essays. The seminar meets in a strange classroom with fixed theater seats and tiny pull-up writing desks, so the students spread themselves out in some odd ways, some of them preferring to sit on the floor and one commandeering the huge table that stretches across the back of the room. With only 16 students in a large tiered room that seats more than 100, there's plenty of room for everyone.

Not plenty of power outlets, however. This room was clearly built at a time when no one envisioned students' needs for electricity in class. Those using laptops clustered near the three available outlets, while those writing by hand drifted toward the powerless places.

I'm pretty well plugged in myself, but by the time I read all these essays, I'll be feeling drained of power and ready for a break--and I intend to get one! Just let me plow through all these papers first.