Hey, it's always exam week/day here. It
> seems I am always either preparing for exams, giving exams, or
> grading exams.

Tell me about it Rheno! It's been exactly the same for me. Although I've taught in a college before, this has been my first experience teaching writing.

I have about 160 writing students spread over four classes. Including the exam assignments, I must have marked about 800 papers over four months. I gave three in-class exam assignments. I didn't finish grading all the exam papers until sixteen days after the final exam. Next semester I'm going to focus more on PEER REVIEW. Also, the school required that the grade scores had to show not just the total marks but each students grade for each assignment. I had five criteria for both my oral and writing classes( different for both, of course ).

Mind you it's all been worth it. The students have been great,and that's no exaggeration. Virtually 100% attendance and participation. Only 3 out of 320 students had poor attendance records. It was a real pleasure teaching them. Definitely the best school I've taught at in China.

I focused on in-class assignments to avoid plagiarizing, and copying. For out of class assignments, what do you recommend for the students? I plan on setting them a composition or two about their lives, families, ambitions and goals etc. They can't cheat on that can they? You sound ready for a holiday Rheno! Have they set you free yet?