[TUESDAY]
Beep beep.
The sound of the alarm clock seemed to echo off the walls adding to the incredibly annoying sound that Thomas set it to, however, it without fall woke him up every single time no matter how much sleep he got; therefore he kept it.
Bang.
Thomas may have slapped it too hard but he called it an "Enthusiastic wake up".
Once he woke up he repeated the same morning process he has had for 40+ years, that being taking a shower, then brushing his teeth, then doing his favorite activity; grading…. Joyous times really.
After doing as much grading of papers as possible in 2 hours he started to pack up and get ready for school, however, while strange he always decides to make his bed just before leaving as if he does have a bad day he will at least come home to a made bed.
***
"While the seleucid war was going on, another thing was happening and that was an interbellum or interwar period; which took place between 201 bc and 149 bc" Thomas began his instruction of the day with what was happening outside of the Roman conquests of Greece, as Greece wasn't the only place Rome was extending their influence with "other events that were taking place were the first servile war, the Bar Kokhba revolt and Philip V was getting even bolder; and while these things will not be in the Test for the roman unit in October, if anyone wants extra credit then they will have to give me a 10-page essay on the events between years 250 bc and 100 bc".
Soon after Thomas was finished speaking and began to look at his plans for what's next a student raised his hand so he looked up and simply said "Do you have a question".
"Yes, professor, for the extra credit will the roman conquests of Greece be allowed to write about".
"No, only the events outside of Greece will be allowed for the extra credit".
***
After his class ended he once again packed up his things and began walking through the winding halls of the university; and just like yesterday, an old black man holding a newspaper called out just as he was walking out.
"Good byee thomass" "Goodbye David".
[WENSDAY].
***
[THURSDAY].
***
[FRIDAY].
And just like that a month of the same boring wake up, grade, go to school, teach, go home. grade, go to sleep, repeat.
The only thing that changed this week was that the big unit test was today, while all the previous days were review and pretesting, but the test wasn't the only thing happening today it was also the due date for the 10-page essays, and luckily for him, not every student would turn in one but that was still a couple of dozen essays to grade.
The thought of grading even a dozen essays genuinely made Thomas want to cry, let alone 3 or 4 dozen. Even to the point of wanting to say "I change my mind, they will not be for a grade" the next day but he knew that wouldn't be far nor very professional.
In the lecture room, every single desk was full every single student from each of his periods was here, taking the test.
Now with Thomas being the only proctor in the room for 300 students, one would think how he caught any cheaters, and there was a very simple answer to that, he didn't; not because he couldn't he just simply sat at his desk in the front and read a book called "The enemies of Rome by Stephen B. Kershaw", it was a good read but even he had to admit that it was terribly dense.
And if a student did cheat then it would most of the time be noticeable, because not even 10 percent of all his students actually cared about his class and only took it as a secondary class after their major, so if a student that constantly gets an f suddenly gets an A on a very big test then he will just give them an F, meaning they either have to drop the class, retake it or confront Thomas; however whenever confronted he just asked them one of the harder questions on the test and without fail 99% of them couldn't answer it, and any who did he would carefully review the security footage and evaluate from there.
"The allotted time for this assessment is up any further writing will give you an f, please pass your test forward" after 2 ½ hours the time had passed therefore he told everyone to pass their tests down to the next person, which they did. "Alright now that every test is passed forward, please turn in any extra credit essays that you may have, then you may have free time".
After the incredibly long 30 minutes of taking essays and watching the folder that held the essays get bigger and bigger, while also looking at the huge bag full of tests that will probably take all month to grade he got up and started to carry the 15 pounds of paper along with his regular bag, he firmly decided he was retiring this year.
Once he made it to the entrance the old black man once again called out with that same slur "Good byee thomass".
Without even responding he walked out of the building and straight to his car.
"Lookss like someone is in a pissy mood" for the first time David lowered his newspaper and looked back at the doors in shock as this was the first time in 26 years that Thomas hasn't replied the same old "goodbye David".
"Ohh shut up David we both know that you would be in a bad mood if you had to grade as much as that man will in the next month," another security guard said will sitting and reading a book titled "The majesty of the Roman legion by Thomas Alpin".
"I can not deny that".