The final ritual of a long semester may well feel that way. Pressed to wrap up other jobs, uncertain about teaching successes, and having to find energy for one more big job, grading papers and exams can become a thankless chore. Yet, your responses to students' work is the last contact you will have with many of them.
Effective teachers use grading as one final teaching moment.
Here are some suggestions for easing the drudgery while enhancing the learning aspects of grading. It is easier to grade well if the task is made more doable. You will work faster if you stay fresh. Divide the stack of papers or exams into piles that can be handled in 20-30 minutes. When a stack is complete, take a break or change activities.