Paid to be BORED

This week, the students are taking their final exams, which means hours and hours of a teacher's worst nightmare: proctoring (or invigilating, as they say in the rest of the world). Proctoring is my all-time least favorite part of being a teacher. It involves hours of sitting in a quiet room, watching students take tests. We're not allowed to make any noise. We're not allowed to read, or write. We probably aren't allowed to listen to music, but most of us sneak in an iPod or something.

It's funny talking to our fellow teachers and figuring out what they do to pass the time. Some try to think of all the States in alphabetical order. Some people pace. Some people struggle not to fall asleep. Yesterday, I calculated exactly how much I make a minute. The answer is: not enough to make it worth sitting here. I try to play little games with myself. I try to stare at the clock intensely enough that time speeds up.

During all this pondering and observing time, I have noticed there are at least 10 different kinds of test-takers. Let me know if you can think of any others.

• Slow and Steady wins the race: These students pace themselves so they finish with just enough time to check their answers.
• Adrenaline Junkies: With their legs bouncing and a look of intensity, these students treat the test like they are in race and they have to finish first.
• Ponderers: These students look at the question for 3 minutes before writing anything down.
• Fidgiters: Those who can't sit still and have to change positions every other question.
• Bench Pressers: Complete one question, rest for four minutes. Complete another question, rest for five minutes.
• Auditory Learners: I have a couple of students who have to talk themselves through every question. Over the course of the year, I have tried to encourage them to not actually say the answers out loud, so now they mouth everything they are thinking. It's quite funny to watch.
• Writing on the Wall: "maybe if I stare at this wall long enough, the answer will appear there..."
• Random Chance: They think that if they push enough random buttons on their calculators in rapid succession, the answer will appear.
• The Sweet Talkers: They try to weasel the answer out of the teacher, either by asking for vocab, asking for hints, or even just asking the questions verbatim.
• Artists: These students write and write, answer and re-answer so many times that by the end, their desks are covered in eraser bits and their papers are covered in white-out.
• Nap Time: There is a surprising amount of students who write their name at the top, turn over the paper, and sleep for the period. I don't get it.
• Flat out Cheaters: some creative, some definitely not.

Which were you?