Reports.

Tuesday afternoon around 3pm I suddenly encountered Con-lag. It was like a sudden wave of weary hit me - a lot like jetlag, but I hadn't been near an airport. I made sure I had a good night's sleep, and by Wednesday morning I was ready to go.

But then I had a whole lot of marking to do as we reach the end of the term, and all those reports to write. Ask just about any teacher, and you'll find reports are the bane of their existence. These days, in a world of information overload, reports have too much information, too many numbers and letters, too much superfluous comment. Most parents want to know:

1. Is my kid working?
2. Have they submitted all assignments?
3. Is my kid behaving?
4. What is their grade?

Instead we have pages of commentaries and recommendations and little charts and numbers. The parents I've spoken to would like it clearer, and the ones who choose to come along to parent/teacher interviews get a nice simple breakdown of where their child is placed in terms of the course, and where they are heading.

But we play by the rules mandated by the Department, and it's all over for another term.

Now, back to my writing - when I find some free time.