Grading papers and exams
Makes my brain hurt
It’s not that it’s hard
It’s because it’s so easy
That it’s so hard
You’d think the repetition would
Act like friction on my palm
When I rake the leaves
A callous could form on my brain
To deaden the pain
A thick, rough patch of dead matter
I might possibly spare
But I feel it boring a hole
It gets deeper and penetrates
Other parts of my brain
Damaging things I might need
For my next job
The Involuntary Occupational Lobotomy
Is this how people get trapped here?

I’m actually concerned about this. So much of what I do is alarmingly dull, repetitive and requires brain function only a notch or two above digestion and blinking. I think this is dangerous. If you are looking to get out, keep yourself sharp and do something else that will make it harder for prospective employers to typecast you as “a teacher.” That, on its own, won’t earn you a lot of transition capital.

Mr. Teachbad