Yellow Papers

I presently have piles of yellow papers on top of my desk. Nope. Cory’s not waging another people power through signature campaigns in yellow papers.

I simply have three sets of exams (essay type, note that) to check. Yeah, this is nothing compared to my colleagues in the field. Some of my former classmates have 40 and above in one section. I only have 30. Some of them have 8 teaching loads. I only have four. Most of them still use the Jurassic type of recording grades that is, using class records. We use electronic encoding of grades.

Yeah, this is easy compared to them. But let me lay down the causes of my graying hair.

First, I’m the ONLY English teacher in this academy. Damn. I can’t write anything else!

Second, I’m the ONLY course developer and “textbook writer” in this school. That means, I’m having a hard time dealing with the topics that I should include in the curriculum and all those technical stuff about being an educator. I still have to call and text my college professors to seek for opinion and advice regarding various subject matters. Sigh.

Third, I’m the ONLY English teacher in this academy. Damn. I’m not merely repeating. I’m reiterating. Is there a difference? I think so. Well, uhmm…technically repeating is something really annoying, because that’s more of redundancy of whatevers. But, well, reiterating is more subtle.

Whatever.

My point is, I’m the lone English teacher here, and I can’t ask anyone to help me. If I do, I’ll just get blank stares—sometimes sarcastic smiles. It’s humiliating to say that I’m also the school paper adviser. Well, what else do you expect? Despite of my very limited knowledge about campus journalism, there it goes, I’m screening the applicants for the paper.

Pretending is one of the most difficult tasks on Earth.

But I don’t want to sound as if I’m complaining that much to the extent that I’ll leave my profession. In all fairness, there’s a joy in teaching that surpasses all these pressures and challenges. The “ohhhhhs…” and “ahhhhs…” of the students when they learn something new; the smile among their faces subtly telling you how thankful they are; the laughter inside the class when you crack a joke, and all the rest that can’t be expressed by words.

Oh well, I’ve said my piece; enough to release the tension.

The yellow sheets are now staring at me, waiting for their turn to be checked.