I even missed the first few minutes of The Office

I burned the midnight oil at school today, working until 9pm in my classroom. The custodians kept coming into my room, wondering why I was still there. One guy wanted to mop the hallways, and I told him that I was on a roll and didn't want to leave, and, it turns out, the floors were dry by the time I got out of there. I stayed so late that I filled a trash can with trash in the interim between the first emptying at 5pm and the final one at 8:30, and think I got the first workers in trouble. "Dag," the second custodian said, "Didn't they come in here?" He was off before I could explain.

I think the energy came from yesterday's pseudo day off, during which I had jury duty. I hated being away from my students for the day, in a way, but loved all the grading I got done. Luckily, I had a seemingly competent substitute, and I met him in the morning before I went down, and that helps as well.

Anyhow, after my considerable burst of energy tonight, all 9th grade work is now graded, except for one little bitty assignment, and tomorrow they get grade reports and quite a lecture from me. Out of 130 or so 9th graders, I only have 3 A's, and just a handful more over 80. They need a pep-talk, or a verbal beat-down, or a combination of the two, which mine will be. I've actually been practicing. And I'm timing it right before a rather challenging homework assignment I have for them over the weekend; I know they'll do it better because they'll see what their grades are and hear my words of wisdom and know they have to start working harder.

That's the #1 problem with our students: work ethic and responsibility. I feel like that's what I teach more than anything else. Hopefully, it ends up working.