Pocus

[goodwood]

When does he return from holidays?

[Generalisimo]

When he wants to ... he is currently having a well deserved rest...

Why?

[Pocus]

I'll return to work Monday 25 July. Right now I have very limited internet access plus my spouse has hired mercenaries to prevent me from using a PC except for some games

(and yes, we lazy Europeans have 5 weeks per year!)

[Ingtar]

Please have a wonderful, stress free time. I know I do my best work after some time off.

[berto]

(and yes, we lazy Europeans have 5 weeks per year!)

The American standard 3 weeks per year for me.

But never mind us. Enjoy your vacation anyway!

[Hohenlohe]

I'll return to work Monday 25 July. Right now I have very limited internet access plus my spouse has hired mercenaries to prevent me from using a PC except for some games
(and yes, we lazy Europeans have 5 weeks per year!)

Ouchh, sometimes you can have around six weeks vacation/holidays per law as a simple worker and as a postman if you got some depression illness like it happened to me after some nice mobbing you will get even seven weeks, but do not try to use it because your collegues will be not happy...*sigh*

But that was nothing as I know because if you are a german teacher you will have without joking 13 weeks vacation per year(sic!), no wonder why so many people think that all teachers are very lazy...*grin* I think that those teachers need that time to rejoice from their pupils...*grin* I only remember my own school days...Especially if I remember myself to that dirty jokes we did to our female french teacher...Imagine what you would think if your car suddenly parking in the school aula and that was a VW "Käfer" or if you could not start your "Käfer" and it was not the motor but some bananas in the outpipe(sry, if wrong described...) or some special articles we usually use as a man...*ähmm* which made a sudden noise...or if your car would not drive away because we had it placed on some bricks and as it started it encountered a wall and all people (pupils) talked about the alcohol abuse of this teacher...WHY?? She made only her lessons with those pupils which had ever made holidays in France all other got very bad notes...*grrr* thus a german teacher needs necessarily his holidays because he always should fear the revenge of some pupils...*grin*

But nethertheless, dear Pocus, I wish you and your family a very nice vacation and good time for refreshment and rejoice...

heartly greetings from a very "evil" school boy who had hate it to learn french in those days until he encountered some nice french girls from Beziérs (our partner city) *sigh* but it was too late to learn it, or isn't it.. .


Hohenlohe...who thought that Bart Simpson was designed after him...*grin**smile*

[Hohenlohe]

The American standard 3 weeks per year for me.

You have my deep feelings for you, but I thought that the US trade unions were once mighty enough to secure a worker/employee some necessary vacations to rejoice from work...

Nethertheless use it to your best with your family...your country offers a wonderful landscape as I know from my american relatives and some friends which were sometimes in the US for holidays as tourists...

heartly greetings...

Hohenlohe...

[berto]

You have my deep feelings for you, but I thought that the US trade unions were once mighty enough to secure a worker/employee some necessary vacations to rejoice from work...

In the U.S., the unionized sector is down to only about 7% of the total workforce.

And I'm okay with that!

But it's probably against Forum rules to discuss politics, isn't it? So 'nuf said.

[vaalen]

You have my deep feelings for you, but I thought that the US trade unions were once mighty enough to secure a worker/employee some necessary vacations to rejoice from work...

Nethertheless use it to your best with your family...your country offers a wonderful landscape as I know from my american relatives and some friends which were sometimes in the US for holidays as tourists...

heartly greetings...

Hohenlohe...

Actually, Hohenlohe, America has changed. The unions are very weak, except for the government unions. Many workers have no union. The corporations rule. Many Americans work seventy hour weeks with no overtime. Some get three weeks of paid vacation, some get two weeks, some get none. On the other hand, many government workers get eight weeks paid vacation, and teachers get even more time off.

I have my own business, so I usually take one week a year.

Pocus deserves the break, but you cannot blame us for missing him.

Vaalen

[John Sedgwick]

Releasing a game is hard work! Both the Phils and everyone else who made PoN possible deserve some nice long European vacation time, so give these guys a break, sheesh!

And about teachers being lazy - my wife is a teacher and I can say that is certainly not true. First of all, many teachers still work during the summer (either at another job, or doing personal career development type stuff). Second, teaching can be very, very stressful, and they do a lot of unpaid work at home and school, so I think they deserve that summer break. There've even been studies suggesting that teachers experience stress levels similar to that of soldiers in combat - having talked to some combat vets, I have my doubts, but it's probably not too far off - some days she comes home looking like she's been through the wars.

[Hohenlohe]

Actually, Hohenlohe, America has changed. The unions are very weak, except for the government unions. Many workers have no union. The corporations rule. Many Americans work seventy hour weeks with no overtime. Some get three weeks of paid vacation, some get two weeks, some get none. On the other hand, many government workers get eight weeks paid vacation, and teachers get even more time off.

I have my own business, so I usually take one week a year.

Pocus deserves the break, but you cannot blame us for missing him.

Vaalen

Dear vaalen, please do not misunderstand me I do not want to blame ANYONE, and in my country the situation is even as bad in work hours as in yours...in nearly every branch besides any administration and government job...for example a postman which has worked at the old Bundespost was once paid for around 40 hours in a six days week but his works started usually even in Munich at 7a.m. and was fininished lately around 1 p.m. most time 12a.m. but nowadays you must start 6a.m. and have to work until ready with all and that could be in a city like Munich in good city areas with any bureaus around 6.p.m. with some luck on a five day week...but you get usually a payment for maximum 42 hours nothing more...*sigh*

a postman earns since around 1995 about €1250.- netto after taxation, but an older one as my own got luckily €1650.- netto nowadays if he was not fired due to some bossing/mobbing because he is to expensive...but had usually a better working morale and experience...times are changing...
my sister opened a woman fitness studio in my hometown and is working nearly 80 hours a week...although she is a workaholic since ever she is not happy...
but I do not want to be too offtopic as I was often rightful critisized in my german forum...
I have some respect for every free lancer and entrepreneur especially if he starts a company in these times...and not only in behalf of my sister but I even know how useful a good postman could be for a young freelancer who looks for new customers because you can give him support with mouth propaganda as I often did without any payment...

Especially in the early Nineties I tried to be helpful if any lawyer office or architecture office or any other bureau from a company needs a good specialist/laborer because I know about 80% of a certain post office area in the East of Munich and so I suggested certain people to others one especially in "Bogenhausen" as not many people had any pc experience and they needed some help for which I had no time or enough own experience...

Please do not think that I want to bother anyone...sry for so much offtopic...

heartly greetings

Hohenlohe...*smile*

edit: evereyone deserves his hard earned vacation especially Pocus who works in a branch where it could be very difficult to earn more money because of the concurrence(Konkurrenz(sic))...if you work less than 80 hours a week...*sigh*

[caranorn]

Releasing a game is hard work! Both the Phils and everyone else who made PoN possible deserve some nice long European vacation time, so give these guys a break, sheesh!

And about teachers being lazy - my wife is a teacher and I can say that is certainly not true. First of all, many teachers still work during the summer (either at another job, or doing personal career development type stuff). Second, teaching can be very, very stressful, and they do a lot of unpaid work at home and school, so I think they deserve that summer break. There've even been studies suggesting that teachers experience stress levels similar to that of soldiers in combat - having talked to some combat vets, I have my doubts, but it's probably not too far off - some days she comes home looking like she's been through the wars.

I actually like that comparison between teaching and warfare. Though maybe it should be made for a complete career stress level, 35-40 years of teaching compared to 15-20 years (I'd guess an average of military careers) some of that in combat (teachers are in combat most of their work time, never know where the next ambush lies, a water bucket trap on that door? a booby-trapped blackboard? (can't quite remember all the tricks I used to play to teachers ;-) )). Anyhow, one of my sisters and her husband, both teachers for ~35 years can hardly wait for retirement in respectively 2 and 1 years, their son on the other hand is still fully motivated after just 3 years as a teacher (his gf just survived her 1st year)...

[montgomeryjlion]

I actually like that comparison between teaching and warfare. Though maybe it should be made for a complete career stress level, 35-40 years of teaching compared to 15-20 years (I'd guess an average of military careers) some of that in combat (teachers are in combat most of their work time, never know where the next ambush lies, a water bucket trap on that door? a booby-trapped blackboard? (can't quite remember all the tricks I used to play to teachers ;-) )). Anyhow, one of my sisters and her husband, both teachers for ~35 years can hardly wait for retirement in respectively 2 and 1 years, their son on the other hand is still fully motivated after just 3 years as a teacher (his gf just survived her 1st year)...

Well, having spent my early years as a soldier and then 10 years as a teacher, I can safely testify that I will gladly take teaching 99.9999% of the time.

There is just no comparison IMHO and only those who have never been in combat would try to make one.

Now, for those "soldiers" who never go into combat, yeah I think teaching is more stressful. But even if you spend one week in combat, it far outweighs 5 years of teaching.

[berto]

Our eldest son Michael is a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps now into his 15th year in the service. For the previous two years, he was a motor transport instructor at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. Last April, he shipped off to Afghanistan, his third combat tour of duty after two previous tours in Iraq. I am certain that Michael finds combat more stressful than teaching! (Just joking. Teachers in the Chicago Public Schools system have a much harder job than Marine Corps motor transport instructors, no doubt.)

Just to clarify: Even non-union workers in the U.S. often get 4 or 5 (or sometimes even more) weeks of vacation per year. But only after being 10 or 15 or 20 years at the same job. My wife, a bank employee (personal banker, a desk job) has 5 weeks vacation per year, for instance. We also typically get two personal holidays, regular holidays, and usually 5-10 sick days per year (I almost never take any sick days), among other leaves for really special circumstances (maternity, bereavement, family illness).

It's a mixed bag here; it all depends on the job, and where you work. But all in all, it's not too bad. Beats not working at all, that's for sure!

[Hohenlohe]

Releasing a game is hard work! Both the Phils and everyone else who made PoN possible deserve some nice long European vacation time, so give these guys a break, sheesh!

And about teachers being lazy - my wife is a teacher and I can say that is certainly not true. First of all, many teachers still work during the summer (either at another job, or doing personal career development type stuff). Second, teaching can be very, very stressful, and they do a lot of unpaid work at home and school, so I think they deserve that summer break. There've even been studies suggesting that teachers experience stress levels similar to that of soldiers in combat - having talked to some combat vets, I have my doubts, but it's probably not too far off - some days she comes home looking like she's been through the wars.

In past years I studied catholic religion paedagogue from autumn 1984 until summer 1987 until a priest stopped me unfortunately. In the last year I had my usual practice year in school and parish and then I know what it means to be a teacher in elementary school it was very stressful in the higher classes because not many pupils were really interested in catholic lessons thus this lectures did not really matters related to the notes in those 80ies...

but in the lower classes I was very happy. In my school we had only four classes because it was the socalled "Grundschule". And I was someone special for these young pupils because besides me there were ONLY TWO men at school - the director and the housekeeper and as usual only female teachers and at those school there were nearly no children with migration background as nowadays but even that would had been no problem to me. But even those young pupils especially the boys were not willing to listen all the time to the female teachers. I think that the main problem was the socalled laissez-faire principle and the wrong-doing with it. I was able to get the classes under control without any much effort by my personality and with some basic rules and due to the fact that some fourth of them were in children groups active at the catholic parish were I was a group leader called "Uncle Michael" but this was even my main problem because the little ones made simply no difference between school and parish...*grin* and I did in those parish children groups nothing else as I had learned as a boy scout leader leading by your personality and showing them what they could do for themselves for their future...

Thus I know something about a teachers job and how hard it was...Just imagine a well figured young blonde female teacher in religion classes and what then would happen if you have 15 years old boys around you...I got this experience as I was a hospitant in an higher elementary school in a neighboured city. And only I was able to stop those pesty boys...*sigh*
this female teacher stopped teaching some years later due to some problems with their pupils...

And thus I know the situation from different viewpoints...

To be a teacher is something like a steady warfaring against unwilling pupils which mostly knows their rights but often forgotten their duties until the latest class if their notes are getting really worse...*sigh*

but nethertheless it could be the right job...*smile*

heartly greetings

Hohenlohe

edit: as a teacher I would not want to change with any soldier but if someone decided to be a good soldier he has my total respect...

[Hohenlohe]

I actually like that comparison between teaching and warfare. Though maybe it should be made for a complete career stress level, 35-40 years of teaching compared to 15-20 years (I'd guess an average of military careers) some of that in combat (teachers are in combat most of their work time, never know where the next ambush lies, a water bucket trap on that door? a booby-trapped blackboard? (can't quite remember all the tricks I used to play to teachers ;-) )). Anyhow, one of my sisters and her husband, both teachers for ~35 years can hardly wait for retirement in respectively 2 and 1 years, their son on the other hand is still fully motivated after just 3 years as a teacher (his gf just survived her 1st year)...

Oh, I remember the usual soap trick with the wall table(uff, forgot the right substantive) thus the teacher was not able to write on it...Luckily I knew that as it happened to me in those practice year in higher classes...*grin*

greetings

Michael aka Hohenlohe...

edit: now I want to go off because I want to see NAVY CIS on TV...*grin*

[vaalen]

Dear vaalen, please do not misunderstand me I do not want to blame ANYONE, and in my country the situation is even as bad in work hours as in yours...in nearly every branch besides any administration and government job...for example a postman which has worked at the old Bundespost was once paid for around 40 hours in a six days week but his works started usually even in Munich at 7a.m. and was fininished lately around 1 p.m. most time 12a.m. but nowadays you must start 6a.m. and have to work until ready with all and that could be in a city like Munich in good city areas with any bureaus around 6.p.m. with some luck on a five day week...but you get usually a payment for maximum 42 hours nothing more...*sigh*

a postman earns since around 1995 about €1250.- netto after taxation, but an older one as my own got luckily €1650.- netto nowadays if he was not fired due to some bossing/mobbing because he is to expensive...but had usually a better working morale and experience...times are changing...
my sister opened a woman fitness studio in my hometown and is working nearly 80 hours a week...although she is a workaholic since ever she is not happy...
but I do not want to be too offtopic as I was often rightful critisized in my german forum...
I have some respect for every free lancer and entrepreneur especially if he starts a company in these times...and not only in behalf of my sister but I even know how useful a good postman could be for a young freelancer who looks for new customers because you can give him support with mouth propaganda as I often did without any payment...

Especially in the early Nineties I tried to be helpful if any lawyer office or architecture office or any other bureau from a company needs a good specialist/laborer because I know about 80% of a certain post office area in the East of Munich and so I suggested certain people to others one especially in "Bogenhausen" as not many people had any pc experience and they needed some help for which I had no time or enough own experience...

Please do not think that I want to bother anyone...sry for so much offtopic...

heartly greetings

Hohenlohe...*smile*

edit: evereyone deserves his hard earned vacation especially Pocus who works in a branch where it could be very difficult to earn more money because of the concurrence(Konkurrenz(sic))...if you work less than 80 hours a week...*sigh*

Dear Hohenlohe, I took no offense at anything you wrote. In fact, you are one of the most considerate people ever to post on a gaming forum, and I appreciate your kindness and courtesy very much.

If I sounded angry, it was at how my country has changed for the worse, at least in working conditions for many people, though some, like Berto and his family, are still doing fine. When I was growing up, nobody worked more than 35 hours a week, and one income was enough to support a family comfortably. Now, many people are struggling although there are two wage earners, both working 70 hours a week or more. I know many people in the world are worse off, but it is still sad to see how things have become for so many people here in California.

[caranorn]

Oh, I remember the usual soap trick with the wall table(uff, forgot the right substantive) thus the teacher was not able to write on it...Luckily I knew that as it happened to me in those practice year in higher classes...*grin*

greetings

Michael aka Hohenlohe...

edit: now I want to go off because I want to see NAVY CIS on TV...*grin*

I actually meant sabottaging the black board (de.: Tafel) by unscrewing some of the mobile parts ;-) . When the teacher tried to adjust the board's height it would come crashing down. Though of course we'd also do smaller stuff with less risk of serious punishment (though I wonder whether we weren't angels back then, today I saw a friend's daughter posted on facebook that she just received 8 hours detention after the last day of school, I was wondering what she might have done as even with the worst misdeeds I could imagine I never got more than 4 hours back then)...

Back to the topic of vacation. Until now I felt bad because I in theory have 6 weeks per year (plus public holidays), it's always seemed like so much. Though last year I voluntarily waved 2 weeks of vacation, simply because some of my coleagues are fairly incompetent (I'm being kind) and I felt like I couldn't desert my two bosses and only took time free when I really needed it. This year I'll probably end up in the same situation, I took two days off this week as it should have been a quiet week, only to come back to work on wednesday and find the mess the others had created in my absence...

Note, it seems to me that the condition of working people is degrading world wide. For a while it was worse in the US (I studied there and have a lot of relatives there as well), but it's started to cross the big pond. First in England, as early as the 1980's and now it's wide spread on the continent as well. Out here in Luxembourg conditions are still pretty good for the locals (but much worse for migrant workers who make up about 1/3 of the work force iirc), but if government, parliament and the unions cannot fend off outside pressure things will degrade rapidly (we have a general index for wage compensation to inflation, but several international institutions have started to pressure government to topple this system and the unions are at their weakest in history and might not be able to fend things off)...

[yellow ribbon]

sorry for offtopic:

well, since Hohenlohe speaks for my mother country (germany) i would like to intercede a ´lil...

first, we got "GESETZLICHER MINDESTURLAUB", means lawful minimum vacation of 24 days, everything more is luxury and / or depending on the company you are working for (what they grant ye and whether they are bound to labor union agreements)

second, lately, labor unions lost influence not only in USA, but most over the world, aint the 1970s anymore, where Germany experienced a huge lack of manpower as a consequence of 30% losses of labor power of the 2WW generation.

in late 1980s and early 1990s we got some major crisis in metal working business sector and though in our major export business sector.
labor unions avoided layoffs of a great many (ten) thousands by decreasing the work hours per week to 35h with a disproportional high loss of wage. Was fine for the bosses, they could save wage and more important, social costs.

Nowadays, all people in all kinds of business are yelling and crying for working again in 40h per week and even more and not having their old rights back, including proportional higher wages. (pirice-wage-spriral)
meanwhile extending interim staffing, dis-regulating it, lowered the absolute wage per hour inmost jobs, including academical jobs to nearly twothirds of original payments.
Thus, we are only lacking a nominal minimum wage like US got it for tens of years, but have the very same problems.

fellows from secondary school mourning about their 40h work week, meanwhile i, added an apprenticeship, a matura, and a degree from the university, am happy in project management while coming home after 50-65h, in case of major problems even 80h per week. having a disproportional low net wage, due to own responsibly of insurance and lawfully disproportional high taxes.
by the way, working in Belgium with worse conditions regarding holidays and temporary work than germany, but far higher net wage.


still off topic:

regarding to all members and relatives of members from serving or out of duty military members.

I DO HAVE A HIGH RESPECT for every military member serving in a hot combat zone and staying with clear conscience and clear hands, as well as staying mentally sane.

But where i studied in southern Germany, it was the largest active american garrison. Brigade Combat Team and supporting troops, mostly Airborne and airborne 10th Mountain.
Recreation, Combat breaks and refilling the companys with replacement and training them on large scale operations happend there, before they were send back to dusty places in no mans land

i have seen far to many simple, but honest men going on their (repeating) tour of duty and coming back mentally wrecked.
Experienced this with close friends COs, NCOs and enlisted mens, during my studies
even with German, French and Belgian troopers, since i was a officer candidate for brief time (accidentally hurt my spine jumping out of a plane and counting to 4) and we had exchange training programs...

NO ONE SHOULD EVER claim to know what that means, unless he was in a combat zone. NOR SHOULD HE COMPARE IT to civilian jobs.

The civilian has a choice most military staff do not.

and yes, i do know, teachers can work in a hell of environment and especially in USA additionally problems with low payments drains fun out of the highest motivated.
Dont need to watch "One Eight Seven" for knowing that.

Anyway, make room, let the poor fellow Pocus breath. If he is not already clubbed to death by having sneaked in here today.

[McNaughton]

nm

[yellow ribbon]

nm

Hey, why u r restricting yourself?

To summarize,

no one here is living "from a daily a cup of rice" !

and buying the game is more money 2/3 of worlds people have to live from for 16 -18 month. (less than 1 Dollar a months)

This is not the moral point of attention of a fable. No need to discuss.

problem is, if the economic system cuts most people down for years again and again, you can hardly cut down style of living as fast and as deep as necessary. and certainly you cant use your receipt of living not for 20 to 30 years, meanwhile external costs rise.

hard to cook your pricely meals, if you spent 50 hour and more in one or two jobs and 10, 15 or more hours commuting to work. Also, most people in industrialized world are living in single apartments only with casual partners. Drives cost up in most countries, especially cities.

Loose 30% of payment, e.g. by loosing a job and doing same job as a time-work staff or project based, for longer period working hours, cutting down expenses, dissolve savings and maybe you are even.

but inflation is eating your substance.

Opportunity cost to be unemployed is far to high, than deliberately stop working in "job A" for not getting an equivalent pay, like in job B.

PS however, doesnt have to start with consumer goods or bulk ware. Stopp eating meat more than once a week and you doenst even have to plant a tree anymore.
scientificly prooven apy:

in this sense, i am going off and stop preaching like Chamberlain to the mutineers

greetings from old Europe, there is a job to do tomorrow for you can sleep all well in future... hacker, ye be warned!

PS: ERIS, good point, i give u that, but unfortunately in an international PMO u r waiting for PMs from all over the world.

Either sitting in the office playing games (i even have green light from my boss, who is more in AGEODS American Civil War and brought me to that kind of games) before necessary information flows in or sitting home like a lame duck and being disturbed by half of the world with messages and calls which cannot even wait till next morning. thus, ordered a second monitor and having fun, two or three turns per hour is ok.
I am not ordered to stay at work more than 45h, but i am ordered to be available for project managers and customers liaison PO members. if u have to work with them again and again, ye dont like to have hot blood on neither side of the phone.
After office hours, phone is out. as long i am in the office, well... I can play

[ERISS]

i am happy in project management while coming home after 50-65h, in case of major problems even 80h per week.

Work only 35h, and you will have time to play Ageod games other than during work time.

About unions, in US the few fighting ones were mainly suppressed during WW1 when US acted fascist.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Workers_of_the_World#Government_supression

[Hohenlohe]

@All thx for your understanding, although I am a fascinated pc gamer I am not blind for what happened around me or in the world, but I even know what could happen to someone if you appear on some special radar either doing a joke or to be somehow serious about certain things, but I do not want that anybody maybe harmed for someone else like me...*sigh*

But enough offtopic from me besides one thing I am happy and a little be proud that I am able to help other people, especially poor retirees and such else, even younger mothers with only some social income here in East Munich by cooking for them as I had learned it in my former civil service time in a catholic youth hostel. It is better than nothing besides caring some relationships online...

heartly greetings

Hohenlohe, who wishes all taking a "Good Path" in their life...*smile*

former catholic boy scout from around 1980 until 1987...

[Hohenlohe]

Anyway, make room, let the poor fellow Pocus breath. If he is not already clubbed to death by having sneaked in here today

I hope the good Pocus has survived...

heartly greetings

Hohenlohe...*smiling*

[John Sedgwick]

Heh, boy, this thread got hijacked fast for two very different unrelated topics, but the OP got his answer so I guess it doesn't matter.

There is just no comparison IMHO and only those who have never been in combat would try to make one.

I just wanted to add that I agree completely - teachers may endure a ton of stress, but combat is something else entirely - it is like comparing apples and oranges, only one of them contains a live grenade. But try telling that to my wife when she comes home with a new story about the girl they call "the teacher eater" who has made it a personal mission to ruin her career and make her life a living hell. You just gotta grow a thick skin. I have heard of teachers suffering from PTSD, but spend too long in a combat zone and you're pretty much guaranteed permanent psychological trauma. I do know one fellow who actually had a great time in Afghanistan - up until he got shot. But he was a sniper, so maybe that's different. Frankly the idea of enjoying that sort of work chills and sickens me to the core, but he was an otherwise decent guy, I don't understand it but I guess sometimes you need people like him.

[Greybriar]

I'll return to work Monday 25 July....

Enjoy your vacation, Pocus. You earned it.

And be prepared to release PON Public Beta Patch 1.01i when you return.

[Adlertag]

Enjoy your vacation, Pocus. You earned it.

+1

And slightly offtopic but concerning the discussion about teachers; for those of you who have children, you know that raising a child is the hardest job in the world, so if we think that teachers should also educate the children of others (due to increasing resignation of their own parents), they also deserve their vacations, as long as they are.

[John Sedgwick]

Well put, Adlertag. Unfortunately many parents these days defer an unreasonable amount of responsibility onto the teachers' shoulders. I understand the pressures that lead to this phenomenon (e.g. single income family just doesn't cut it anymore), but teachers can't be expected to be miracle-workers. If and when I have children, if at all feasible, I would like to be a stay-at-home dad and homeschool them for the first few years of education. Unfortunately that appears increasingly unlikely in current economic climate change

[alpha117]

I start my six week holiday next friday

Yes, I'm a teacher and after dealing with some of the behaviours of our young people, we need the long holidays to recharge our batteries.

My questions is are we just teachers now or are we also social workers

[Hohenlohe]

My questions is are we just teachers now or are we also social workers

I cannot resist to answer your rhetoric question...

Since a long time a teacher is always a social worker too, because in times where many parents are working very hard to supply and support their families and there are no real common rules anymore which define the way a society is living together you are necessary to compensate the failures of any parents and the society to secure the future for the young children.

Thus your job is filled with hardship and social struggles to improve the abilities of our children to survive in this harsh times...

And yes you are definitely necessary and should be well-paid...
A good literacy and access to schools and jobs for the young generations will be worth any effort that we need at the other side not more policemen as really necessary...

that is my holy opinion sofar...

heartly greetings

Hohenlohe...*smile* an old boy scout leader...

"learning by doing and leading by example..."