Vacation-Time Distortion Equation
Hey, Everybody-
Congratulations on making it through another week and another month. Don’t start your countdown calendar yet. But it’s mighty tempting, isn’t it? It’s a little bit of a problem that Thanksgiving was early this year. That obviously makes the spread between then and the Big One longer.
Oh, so much longer…Here we are, more than a week after Thanksgiving and there’s still more than three weeks until Christmas? Really?
So we cope. Here’s something that won’t really help with that, but it’s become a bit of a tradition. I have run this equation three years in a row now. See what you think.
When there is a break coming up, the amount of time every minute seems to take, from the teachers’ perspective, is a function of how many days until the break and how days instructional days of respite the break offers. For my math homies, I suggest the following:
f(x, y) = z
Let x = the number of days remaining until the break.
Let y = the number of days of instructional respite.
Let z = the number of minutes every minute in school feels like to the teacher.
(It’s sort of like wind chill. It’s 28 degrees, but it feels like 4.)
The simple equation I have worked out is as follows:
5/x + 2(√y – 1) = z
What do you think?
Stay strong. The break is coming, even though it sometimes won’t seem like it.
Mr. Teachbad
Oh no. This year it is actually much worse for both New York and New Jersey teachers. Due to the havoc that Sandy wrought (wreaked??), the week long February break has been cancelled. You might want to recalculate your equation for those affected. To know that the winter wonderland or tropical paradise that teachers planned on enjoying in Feb. will not happen, is absolute and utter emotional torture.
In addendum. For those of you who don’t even get a February break in addition to the Spring or Easter Break in March or April, I hereby, on behalf of all New York and New Jersey teachers, apologize profusely for both sounding whiny and being greedy. Teaching is tough. God Bless all.
“February break”? Really? In all my years I NEVER had (or heard of) a February break. It’s a great idea . . . prevents all those March murders and/or breakdowns (especially in years when Easter camne in April).
Graycie, I guess it is a big inner city thing. The February Break, somewhere between 15 and 20 years old, is also known as an Energy Saver week. No matter how you slice it, it is a VACATION! However, in 2013, it is gone due to Sandy.
Problem: In our NJ district February break is affectionally known as “ski week” or “cruise week.” There is NO WAY the 1% in our community would tolerate having vacation time spoiled by education.
Solution: Our calendar has been extended to FRIDAY JUNE 28. Of course, the last day is not for students. It is scheduled just for teachers to be in-serviced on the new bazillion dollar teacher evaluation that will make us all better teachers come September 2013. YEAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can’t think of a more appropriate way to end my 24th year of teaching.
Until June 28th? Good Lord! Well, though that’s rough, just think of the future teachers who’s last day each year will be JULY 28th, not June. Yes, I see it heading in that direction. The signs are evident everywhere. I’m seeing/hearing mandated PD during summers in some areas/schools, longer school hours, and longer school years. 11-month school years are on their way…just wait and see.
And that will kill the Summer Camps.
My NJ district ALWAYS got out around the 26th or later. I wonder if they’re working til August!
Ha! Ha! July 28th is our first day of school. Scheduling sucks in some way for each one of us.
Having worked in NYC, I can say that that week off in February is awesome. Until June hits and you realize that you still have a month of school left. I would have given up that break to get out of my non-air conditioned 3rd floor class room on June 6th instead of June 26th!
I hear ya loud and clear Jen. There’s nothing like dripping sweat and gasping for your last breath in an non – air conditioned room in June while trying to teach at the same time. After 30 Mays, Junes and Septembers, I had the years, age and I got the heck out.
Stress: i took a half day today. I couldn’t move this morning. I came in and received a memo that morning half days are during the heavier part of the instructional day. WTF? Last Friday expensive items were stolen from me, and no one cares at all. Also, it appears that even with zero electric, I am supposed to run a computer lab with groups of 30 7th graders. I am exhausted. I don’t think I can make it to Friday let alone Xmas or June. I have other stressors that have nothing to do with teaching. Well, i guess everybody needs this break. It’s nice to know I’m not alone. It seems like everybody else is fine.
Happy hump day, TeachBaby! I took a halfsie, too….the second half of the day because that was my heavier half of the instructional day, obvs. That’s called getting more bang for your buck.
Consider returning the memo with one of the following:
1. Well, duh.
2. No shit, Sherlock.
3. Good to know. I’ll remember that next time I take a 1/2 day. Which from now on will be the first half.
Thank you. This made me laugh and brightened my overall crappy mood. What can you really say if the boss doesn’t like morning half days? If I do it, then they will start finding fault with my instruction, sending memos about crap on my walls, and overall misuse of their systemized and legitimized ‘can’t do sh-t about’ methods of harassment. People really don’t know zip about what our jobs are really like.
I have a school I go to on one day and week and at that school there is a teacher who made it onto the leadership team. Now he is practicing being a DIC on me. The computer lab was down and it was his room I was working in that day, so I told him I would use the local accounts to get the kids on something. He looked boldly and aggressively at me like he has done so many times in the past and asked “what is your game plan and didn’t you bring and alternate plan in case?’ In case your f’n lab is broken!?!? I have learned to not respond at all these days. If I had, I would have allowed myself to argue with a tard and teachers should know not to do that if they’ve been in the bus for awhile.
11 more days and then? When I was a kid, I wish I knew that it was the teachers who prayed for snow days and counted days till Christmas.