Not quite there yet.

[sister_luck]

I've spent most of yesterday mending broken sentences and as always I'm amazed at the creativity of my students in coming up with unique sentence constructions and vocabulary. I might have a couple of really baffling ones to throw at you to help me fix them.

We still have a light dusting of snow in some places, like on my car, and unlike yesterday, when we woke up to white light and snow, the sun is out and the sky is blue. If I make good progress with my marking (but lunch comes first, naturally), I might walk over to the park to see the frozen ponds.

The year still hasn't started properly for me yet, it's like I'm suspended in a bubble of time full of lazy afternoons and evenings with the odd bit of marking thrown in. I'd better get busy with that - there are still a couple of piles left!

Next week, with school starting on Wednesday, that bubble will most definitely burst.

Comments

[kazzy-cee.livejournal.com]

I have been very naughty and not done any of the large piles of marking that I have sitting on my kitchen table! I am at work on Monday so I need to get going and sort it out, but I think I shall tackle it on Monday afternoon... ;)

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

I have to hand in all my marks on the 12th, but I really need to get all the marking done before the 7th for various reasons.

It's going to be a busy weekend...

[gillo]

Me too. I'm in school on Tuesday for exam marking, but the kids return on Wednesday and I have a set of essays to correct for then. I'm not looking forward to them, as I know they will be boring to read and littered with technical mistakes, but I need to gear myself up to attack them.

One of these days I'll share with you some of the sentences broken, nay mangled, by my class of native speakers!

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

This afternoon I got through the first batch of marking, 29 essays about some short story. I had started that ages ago, before the Christmas break!

The other three piles are a little less work, but on the other hand, I haven't finished my marking scheme for them...

But all this is small fry compared to the marking marathon that will come my way in early summer... I'm trying not to think about it.

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

My bubble will burst the day after tomorrow for I teach all day long on Monday, and I have been as naughty as Karen.I shall spend Sunday in Marking Hell but it won't be enough to get it done.

Oh well, students will wait for their papers.

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that I've got Monday and Tuesday off - I'll definitely need them, as there is also some other stuff that I have to attend to.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

The year is something funny for me. I don't have to go back to work just yet, but there is still lots to be done. I might start thinking about lessons again and I want to go back to singing class next week. That'll bring some organising as I'm breast feeding Little Bit.

I hope the New Year brings less ignorant students for you.

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

You're going back to work in March, aren't you?

I've got at least two colleagues who came back full-time after the mandatory six weeks at home and both were breastfeeding at the time (which reduces their lessons somewhat, because they get time off for that). At one time, one office became sort of the pumping room!

Oh, now you're making me defend my students. They're a great bunch mostly, and I'm quite hapy with them.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

Only six weeks? That would mean I'd have to return in two weeks time (not counting the four weeks I got before the birth). I don't think I'd be able to do that. We don't get time off for breast feeding. I can only take extra leave if need be, but without pay. So I'm only planning to breast feed till March and we'll see after.

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

The six weeks is the minimum mandatory maternity leave - you can take more of course (with reduced pay, I think) or reduce your hours. I haven't really looked into it, but it's very flexible, especially in the teaching profession.

Going back full-time after just six weeks is something I can't really imagine - and the colleagues who did only managed because they had family at home who helped out.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

The teaching profession is one where it's not flexible at all. I've got my 15 weeks of maternity leave, but loose any days off that fall inside it (so Christmas break was maternity leave). And since I'm not a civil servant yet, I fall back on wages, as does everyone else who isn't working for the government.
I also can take parental leave (three months), but unlike other professions we aren't allowed to take it part-time, or only take a month and take the other two another time. If I decide to take a month parental leave, I loose the other two months: it's three months or nothing. I believe this non-flexible system was started because of the difficulties to find substitute teachers for part-time and short jobs.

On the other hand once you are a real civil servant one of the perks is that there are several sorts of leaves you can take as long as your kids aren't 12.