I teach a class, a workshop for writers, that fairly enrages me. Rage is a bit of an overstatement, but it certainly annoys me and tires me out. The cause of the aggravation is, I think, more systematic than student-based, but the students are hardly blameless. It's just that the current systems within which this class is organized do not protect against typical vices of adolescent scholars: laziness, silliness, lack of forethought, and, sometimes, put-on cynicism.

One of the elements of problem is that this is a wholly new kind of class: two years ago the school had a long lunch period, when students could do as they pleased. Last year students had a class during the second half of that lunch period, but it was not graded and attendance was apparently semi-optional. This year, non-seniors have the same classes, but graded. They are having trouble adjusting to the knowledge that these classes affect their GPA's (they are rather grade conscious - but not enough, as we shall see). Another issue is that the class only takes place three days a week (probably the same as last year), which means that twice a week they are totally free. Inserting themselves into study on an intermittent basis is, I think, difficult for them.

More problematic than the evolution from a different kind of class, which can't be helped if the change is worth making, is that lunch period is often used to find time for other tasks. The most problematic of these is the college speakers. Rather than having a college fair, when all the speakers come on one day and set up their booths, my school invites them piecemeal, and asks in the Juniors (whom I teach in this class) and Seniors to listen to those that interest them. This is fine, but it provides an excuse for students to be late to class. I cannot mark them tardy to encourage them, and so they show up when they are done. It is hard to keep tabs on exactly when "when they are done" becomes "when they feel like it," because college speakers are notoriously late, and sometimes do not show up until the beginning of the class I teach.

Hot lunches, a special event that occurs once or twice a week, are also problems, as they do not always run on time either, depending on exactly when the Taco Bell or pizza is ready. Sometimes the younger students get fed first, sometimes the older, so one never knows whether one's class is legitimately late or not. As they trickle in, either from college speakers or hot lunches, it is hard to get them sitting down and working, as much of the work they do requires trading papers with people who are not yet there.

There are more problems, something of my own making, but I'll save those for later.