When a unit on The Inspector General ends, essays arrive all at once. A teacher with five sections may face over a hundred papers, and each deserves careful reading. Fatigue sets in quickly, and it affects the quality of both scoring and comments.

Grading fatigue is not a personal failing. It is a predictable result of doing repetitive cognitive work for long periods. Recognizing it allows you to design a process that works with your energy instead of against it.

The consequences are real for students. Essays graded late in a session often receive shorter comments and harsher scores. Protecting quality throughout the stack is a matter of fairness.

Structuring Your Grading Sessions

Break the stack into blocks of eight to ten essays and take a short break after each. Vary the order in which you grade sections so no class is always at the tired end. These small changes reduce systematic bias.

• Grade in short blocks with breaks in between
• Rotate the order of class sections and alphabetical lists
• Re-read the rubric descriptors before each new session
• Set a time limit per essay and stick to it
• Stop when your comments become noticeably shorter or vaguer

Making Feedback Lighter but Better

Limit yourself to a few high-value comments per essay. A note on the thesis, one on analysis, and a closing suggestion often do more than a dozen scattered marginal notes. Students are more likely to read and act on a short, focused response.

Use a consistent comment structure so that writing becomes faster. Beginning with what worked, then naming a priority, then suggesting a next step gives your feedback a rhythm. You waste less energy deciding how to phrase things.

Sharing the Load Wisely

Not every task must be done by you. Peer review, self-assessment, and structured checklists can handle some of the early feedback. This leaves your time for the most important judgments.

Technology can serve as another form of support. AI-assisted drafting of rubric-based comments can reduce the repetitive writing that drains energy. You keep authority over the final feedback while gaining time and freshness.

Protecting Your Own Sustainability

Plan ahead by scheduling grading time on your calendar and communicating turnaround expectations to students. Realistic promises reduce pressure. When students know what to expect, they are less likely to send anxious emails.

Reflect after each unit on what made grading harder than necessary. Perhaps the assignment could be shorter, the rubric clearer, or the schedule more staggered. Small adjustments over time lead to a more sustainable career.