*the term “grading jail” is borrowed from a popular Twitter hashtag #gradingjail

At this time of year, it is tempting to drop everything else and just grade all the time. After all, you have lots of grading. You might as well get through it so you can get on with other things, right?

If you love grading and find it inspiring, stick with that plan. But if grading is more in the category of necessary evil, this can be demotivating and counterproductive.

The value of boundaries.

Back in the mid-90s, my partner and I were living in different cities. I discovered that I could grade more essays in the 1-hour train journey to visit him than I could in a normal hour at home.

The boundary provided by the train schedule gave that hour focus and intensity. There were also fewer distractions.

When you get up in the morning and say “I’m going to grade until it’s done”, you lack that boundary. You are more easily distracted. You don’t have the intensity. And it takes you longer to get the work done.

It feels like grading is taking forever because it really is taking up all the time available.

Give yourself boundaries. Do grading in focused blocks (maybe 90 minutes). Take a real break between each block. Go for a walk. Sit down for a proper meal. Do some yoga. Go for a run.

Filling your tank.

You are also more likely to be distracted if the task in front of you is not that inspiring. Very few of us find grading inspiring, despite the occasional great paper in the stack.

Doing uninspiring work tends to drain your energy. Grading seems to take forever because you are trudging along at low energy for a big chunk of the time. A lot of effort is being expended just staying at the desk and staying focused on the task at hand.

Some of the work you have set aside might have the opposite effect:

• Reading.
• Writing.
• Analysing data.

Or you could do some kind of home-based activity: baking, gardening, sewing, knitting.

These activities often inspire and nourish, even when they are challenging. At the very least knowing that you are making progress on tasks that are important to you can give you an energetic lift.

You can start your day with a nourishing activity, or you can make it the sandwich filling between 2 blocks of grading to give you a lift before starting again. You could also do both.

Focus on the accomplishment – not the time spent.

Yes, I am proposing that you spend less time grading. Or, that you spread the grading out over more days.

Don’t drop all of your other activities. Devote time each day to an activity that nourishes you and gives you energy.

I honestly believe that by setting boundaries and doing an activity that increases your energy level, you will get more done per unit of time than you will by scheduling open ended time and banishing everything you enjoy until all of it is finished.

This post has been added to one of my themed Spotlights all about Grading Season. Click for the introduction and all associated posts.

Related posts:

The impact of time available on your focus

Prioritising meaningful work when you are feeling overwhelmed and powerless

Do you have to finish the grading before you can write?

Prioritizing rest over the winter break

A version of this post was published on December 10, 2012. Edited April 27, 2016, and 21 October 2021.