Ok, so spring break hasn’t been all perfect DC moments and pretty photos. I have also used this time off for some much needed grading.  I think my students may have even forgotten that they did some of these assignments, but I am proud to announce that I have now vanquished the pile of grading. For these few precious days, I have nothing to grade.  Watching TV without grading is exhilarating.

Though they are high schoolers, my students love drawing pictures or writing messages on the back of their tests.  Mine is the joy of discerning their drawings and reading their notes. One student drew an illustration of us riding horses together. Another deliberately turned in his essay late so that he could use it as an explanation for the prank he had had pulled on my classroom that morning, covering it in paper fish to celebrate Les poissons d’avril (April 1^st in France starts the Fish of April).  I also received the following notes on the back of tests:

“Dear Miss Stone: I’m sorry that I am so bad at French. But I do enjoy your funny stories. Like the one when you smashed into your short friend at college in the lunch room because you were too tall to see her. And I also like your clothes. They are nice. I promise I won’t be creepy like Avery and remember what outfits you wear. Especially when I see you at the 10:10 service at Southland. So feel free to wear the same outfit on Monday that you wore on Sunday.”

“Dear Miss Stone: I hope you have fun in DC with your boy. I think he will probably ask you to marry him because you are supposed to bring a fancy smancy dress. You’ll probably meet Obama. He’ll probably get to witness this proposal buisness. And then he’ll hug you and you won’t ever take a shower because he touched you! But hopefully Mrs. Obama won’t get mad and beat you up. But it’s ok! HAVE FUN! But not too much fun.”