A box of chocolates

Thankfully, my marking is finished. In superhuman effort, I marked all 69 in under 2 weeks. I stuck to the distribution well, gave out the maximum number of 7s I was allowed (I'm usually more stingy with those), and provided in my opinion, good written feedback in most of the reports. Thinking of all the tutors I ever had, and all the tutors I ever heard of, I decide that I'm really that damn good because I care and I put in effort in a job where you are underpaid, under-valued and not important enough for payroll to get your appointments done right. I've had tutors who used the tute hour for consult (you lazy bastard) and wrote no comments on assignments (same lazy bastard). I try, I really try.

I sell the unit. I really do. I honestly think that the unit is important and valuable, and I honestly think that students will be better-educated people having completed my unit. A good salesman is one who believes in his product. I tell students how good the unit is, but I also tell them how hard it is. I'm always upfront and I'm a big fan of managing expectations. I tell them that although the unit has 100% practical application into the real world, this is all based on theory. I tell them that the theory is sometimes boring or difficult to understand and that some of them will struggle with this.

I tell them that they have not paid for a degree (as some huffy students like to think). I tell them that they've paid for access to resources for them to obtain a degree - and that I'm one of those resources. I tell them that I've been doing this for a while and I'm really good at it and that they should make full use of me as a resource. I tell them to go to all lectures and attend all tutes because that maximises their experience with the unit.

I get nervous when students get their marks back because there are always those who get very upset. In their eyes, they think they deserve a distinction. I hate failing students who come to class and who try really hard, but I can't give out marks for effort. I stand by my expectations, which I realise are high, but still realistic. I know that there may be students who don't like me because I wouldn't give them a better grade, and I don't care. I know that on hindsight, they will realise just how good I was.

Teaching evaluations will come back in a few weeks' and those are always nerve-wrecking. What they really think remains to be seen. For now, I have this; at the end of my last class yesterday, I said goodbye to my students at the was the last tute of the semester. One girl came up to me as I was packing up and gave me a small box of chocolates. She said she just wanted to thank me and that she really enjoyed the class as it was her favourite and that she thought I was really great. I felt so touched and was a bit taken aback. It's one thing to think that someone is good value, but another to tell them to their faces. I was really, really touched by that. And it made me feel really good.