Exam time

Examination time: I'm sure every one of us have dreaded this moment at some point of our lives. But along with this dread lives many other moments that we seldom fail to register because we are so tightened by the grip of dread for exams. 

Well! Now I'm an adult and a teacher for that matter, people might think I've lost that dread for exams. But, to be candid I dread the exam time more than I used to as a student myself. 

Before, as a young student, my only fear was just for one individual self. But, now every exam time I ve to live the fear for my daughter( she won't worry a bit about her exams and immerse herself in her games. Yes! even during exam time). 

To add to it, looking around hundred plus of my students whose successes and failures reflect a large part of my own state as a teacher, I dread examination time with a multitude of hundred fold. 

Take away these larger fears and coming to my selfish reasons to dread exam time is the invigilation duty hours. I guess being silent for more than two hours at a stretch is some kind of a punishment. That is when weird thoughts jump into my brain, jostling with the silence of the room and almost bursting my very sanity. 

Another big reason I detest the exam time is because it brings out the cruel crafty side of our otherwise happily -playing, innocent students. 

The first kind of behavioral change I loath is the usage of the daily greeting  culture. Students who never even caste a second glance at you would come running down from the first floor verandah just to say," good morning madam." ofcourse we do teach them to conduct this daily ritual but where is the sincerity when the over zealous students pounce on you with these greetings only during the exam time?

The other reason is the fact thatfew students have to resort to malpractices simply because their brain won't accommodate the information required to pass the examination.  This practice, if successful on the part of the student,is a deliberate bane on those who have sincerely prepared for their exams. 
And if that student is caught, it is a sad fact that the student loses one solid year of schooling. 
Either ways, the outcome is unpleasant and the direct repercussion falls on the young minds whose sentiments are then geared towards negativity. 

So, at the end I am left pondering " do I really detest exam time so much?" Well, all I can do is shrug my shoulders, pick up the bundle of papers and walk into the exam hall.