the agony

Stefan has a lot of stress right now. LOTS of work on the job, he's the union rep and there are negotiations he has to help with, his back is still messed up somehow in the lumbar area, he has to write a sermon for a wedding he's doing next week, etc. So the other night when we were both quietly working at our respective desks, I was shocked when I heard a burst of laughter. I kind of wondered if he'd cracked... He called me to his desk, explained how he was grading some English tests, and told me to take a look:

ok - this is page 1. The kid didn't write the essay above, and drew a picture of himself getting hung at the bottom, along with an incorrect English phrase. It's page 1 of a 3 page exam and he's already ready to die, this made me laugh! But then I noticed the test question - and I don't know what's funnier: a desperate kid or the fact that a 9th grade English exam is about couture fashion designer John Galliano! Good grief. I guess you do what it takes to get kids interested in the text.

At the top of page 2 (also blank).

Page 3. Wonderful. This kid must've been desperate and panicking the entire time! We were in hysterics! No, we shouldn't laugh at another's pain, but boy, I've SO been there! Honestly, I think I've written comments on a few exams in my time, however they were usually along the "I have NO idea" or "This is IMPOSSIBLE" or maybe even a "Your guess is better than mine" and were usually on math/physics/chemistry exams. Drawing pictures is quite creative. Stefan says this student never does his work, so he's not surprised.

Of course, Stefan is a good teacher. You can see one of his encouraging notes to the student on page 1. He'll meet with the student to see if he can help him out some or recommend a tutor. 

Please pray for Stefan though - this is just one of a million things on his plate right now!