Essay Grading Bog and New Inspiration

I am one of those few people who knew what I wanted to be when I was about four years old. I knew I wanted to be a teacher, even before I had experienced many of them. In some ways I almost feel like it was a calling given to me from God. As I progressed through my schooling I tried it out; I was a peer tutor, I taught Sunday School, was a summer camp counselor, etc. It was when I was in high school that I had to figure out if I wanted to be an English teacher or an Art teacher. My art teacher told me I had the talent and the attitude for it, but that I would always worry that my job would be cut. And he was right. From time to time in Colorado the art positions have been removed from some districts for a while. Thankfully they all reintegrated art back into their schools - can you imagine life without art?! Okay, I digress, how unusual of me... Anyhow, when I was deciding no English teacher said, "Tammy, you could be a good English teacher, but, THINK OF ALL OF THE GRADING YOU WILL HAVE TO DO!!!" Amazingly, I got all the way through my B.A. without considering this. Grading kills me from time to time and this is one of those times. Essays are the worst. I actually enjoy reading them. They are like a little glimpse into the mind of the writer - I love that! I hate having to mark the various missing parts, the mechanical and usage errors - that's what it killing me these days. The kids groan when I assign and essay. I tell them I would rather write one good one than grade, oh, say, 80 of them. They don't think I am very funny when I say that. Today I am in a grading bog hell. I have to give myself little treats for getting an essay or two done. Grade two, look at a blog. Grade two more, go to the English office and look for goodies. You get the idea.I have eight left to grade before I am ready for writer's conferences tomorrow. Those will be enjoyable. In this process of cajoling myself to finish grading, I discovered a really cool, lovely, enviable blog called "A Bit East." I could not borrow a photo from her amazing site, so you will just have to see it for yourself. She is an inspiration! Okay, I can make it through this, only eight more to go... (reminds me of a Robert Frost poem, "...miles to go before I rest...")