May 3, 2004

Exam crunch time.

How much do I think about students studying for my exams? I imagine people halfway trying to learn the material and halfway puzzling or even agonizing over what strange personal outlook on the material I might have. I even read on a student blog that they were reading my blog to see if it might tip off what will be on the exam! What can I say? I'm doing a question session for my first year Conlaw1 students today at 11, but first I need to finish up the text of the exam and hand it in for copying. That exam is tomorrow. Then, I need to concoct some questions for the Federal Jurisdiction exam later in the week. I'm not even contemplating the grading that lies so soon in the future. There will be many hours of office hours this week, along with six hours of exam proctoring. Do the lawprofs proctor their own exams at other law schools? I don't think they do. Do you really want the lawprof around while you're dealing with the exam? I remember at NYU School of Law, there was never a lawprof in sight during the actual exam, except that one time, a lawprof walked into the room in the middle of the exam and started talking--I think just saying something jovial about the fact that we were taking his exam. It was quite surreal!

UPDATE: We don't actually have to proctor our own exams. [UPDATE WITHIN AN UPDATE: This isn't something I've just learned recently, by the way--for those who misread that.] We're just invited to and used to at least be encouraged to proctor one exam. I just proctor my own exams because I don't mind it and in case anything comes up. I don't stay in the room the whole time like a regular proctor. I like to see how many leave early (and how early), and I like to ask people "How was it?" and say "Have a good summer," or some such thing.

FURTHER UPDATE: Scroll up here and here for actual simulproctorblogging.