Withdrawal Symptoms

June came to an end with that the smiley (to be honest- sometimes cranky) students’ faces.  

What does one do when the withdrawal symptoms start to creep up:  anxiety, headache, nausea, sweating and as my sons point out – major irritability and confusion? One would say that these symptoms belong to alcohol withdrawal but I am certain that it is caused by sudden abstinence from students.

So what does one do in such difficult times?

Well, finds a new bunch of happy faces - I would say!  Please say hello to:

 JACKIE CHAN

MYSKA

NESSIE

ODDIE

GASPRO and BABE

 and my favorite EVIL LADY GREY

I am certain that I have taught them how to properly meow in English, both in British and American accents. Not to mention the fact that their knowledge of past, present and future tense is more than adequate for the cats' all 9 lives.

After all, there is a very big difference between:

Past Simple           I ate a mouse

Past Continuous    I was chasing a mouse when bird flew in.

Present Perf.         I have eaten several mice

Present Perf Cont. I have been eating a mouse hence don’t have any room for a bird.

Present Simple      I eat a mouse every day.

Present Cont.        I am eating a mouse now so please don’t bother me.

Future                   I am going to meow all day till I get a mouse. 

                              Vs. I will eat a mouse no matter what….

I haven’t gotten as far as teaching them passive tense- so “The mouse has been eaten by me” will just have to wait till next summer. J

One tried many things to calm withdrawal symptoms  and just in case the patting, snuggling and curling up doesn't help there is always a nice visit with DORIS the PIG

Have a lovely summer holiday!

Summer Holiday – no way, teachers work hard

When I tell someone that I work as a teacher I often get an enthusiastic and somewhat sarcastic comment “great you have free and long summer holidays, I wish I did.” 

Without a doubt, being a teacher has many perk, one of which is the summer holiday. However, it is a myth that we teachers don’t work over the summer holiday. I, for one, am working extra hard this summer especially since I will be teaching an all new course for me “English Literature.” One would think that I am sitting by the computer day and night typing syllabus or worksheets or collecting information about which writer lived when and where….

Nope.

To better explain my hard working summer I would like to post a few illustrations describing the sweat that I must go through.

Is there a better relax than reading George Orwell's 1984 with your feet in Orlik Dam.

 Or dreaming of Robinson  Crusoe on Croatian shores

and discussing Brave New World during and all American barbecue. 

As it is so clear, my summer holiday has a perk… I get to do what I enjoy! And after all that is the purpose of life, isn’t it? Of course, I didn’t have to make a promise to myself that I will reread every book that I have on the syllabus…but I did. And as I am reaching for book number 5 I realized one thing and that is the fact that I really like my job, summer or no summer.