how slow will they go?
By Elizabeth
@Poppylicious (11133)
June 21, 2017 1:16am CST
I feel as if I am just going through the motions, day in, day out, a never-ending cycle of getting up, doing stuff and then going to bed. Including today, I have six and three-quarters working days till my summer holiday starts.
And yes, I am counting down the days. I will soon begin counting down the minutes. Maybe even the seconds.
I still have an appraisal to get through. I suspect that that will be worthy of a whole post of its own.
This week is a bizarre mixture of an occasional class still happening and no classes happening. College is quiet, unfilled mostly by students who still have coursework and assignments to wade through. We are given paperwork and admin to complete for those times when our timetabled classes have already finished. Tedious, repetitive and mind-numbingly dull. Too hot to be sitting at a computer in a stuffy office which lacks air-conditioning, but too anxious to leave and grab an ice cold drink for fear of being accused of something.
Next week is Taster Days for our new September intake. It will be busy. We will run around like headless chickens looking for students and tutors and rooms, reassuring the anxious and making sure our students' needs are met, whatever they may be.
I am unable to enjoy this week and relax. The atmosphere at work is not conducive to this. But never fear ... only six and three-quarters working days to go!
How slow will they go?
8 people like this
10 responses
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
21 Jun 17
Unfortunately, while there is legislation governing minimum workplace temperature, there is currently no maximum temperature enforceable. The TUC has been calling for the introduction of an upper limit of 30C for years but nothing has been done so far.
Thankfully, the Met Office is promising slightly cooler weather (and thunderstorms, though Cambridge is just outside the yellow warning area) for the next few days.
It's very strange that the days leading up to a break seem to slow to a crawl but then they make up for it by going incredibly fast during the holiday so that, when you get back to work, you wonder where your holiday went!
5 people like this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
21 Jun 17
I know! Time is weird!
My friend went to Facilities today and asked if a fan could be sourced because the room we were in was so stuffy, hot and airless. The guy who's in charge of Health & Safety said no, they don't do that. They had four huge fans blowing in their room!! Grrr ...
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (458176)
• Switzerland
22 Jun 17
@Poppylicious This is the only way not to see the time pass too slowly. 
Good luck.
Good luck.1 person likes this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
21 Jun 17
I'm hoping that I'll be so busy that they might actually fly by. :)
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
21 Jun 17
they should let you have drinking water at your desk and some breaks from extreme heat
3 people like this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
22 Jun 17
@Poppylicious I have had bosses like that - not nice at all
1 person likes this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
23 Jun 17
@arthurchappell I got the sweet version for my appraisal. Phew!
1 person likes this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
21 Jun 17
Water isn't an issue. I carry water with me constantly, even in the darkest days of winter. Breaks is another thing entirely ... our Line Manager is a truly weird and draconian dictator. She's like a bag of sweet and sour sweets; you just don't know what {response} you're going to get and she is fond of making accusations. *sigh*
2 people like this
@Shavkat (137215)
• Philippines
22 Jun 17
@Poppylicious I know what you feel right now. I've been there working in previous companies. I am so eager to have day offs.
1 person likes this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
21 Jun 17
I know ... It's just such a heavy feeling to know you're nearly there, but not quite there ... :)
2 people like this
@xFiacre (12597)
• Ireland
21 Jun 17
@poppylicious My Teaching assistant son gets to paint the school on such slack days.
4 people like this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
21 Jun 17
Does he get to put displays up? That was one of my favourite jobs when I was actually teaching. I could never have let a TA do it in my classroom, even if the government said I had to get them to do it! But as a TA in my last school, I loved doing them. I was pretty darn good, too.
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
21 Jun 17
The students are counting minutes, too. I know The Boy is counting that he has two days of school left, when the calendar says it is one week left to go. But he's dismissing partial days, days with one exam, etc. And, for the third year in a row, no one is required to show up for the last day. I am not sure why they have it at all, unless it is to meet the requirement for a minimum number of school days. Time can move so slowly. I predict these last days will last and last.
2 people like this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
21 Jun 17
Nooo! Please, no! I want them to whizz by and then the next seven weeks to go slow and last and last ...
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
21 Jun 17
bless yer heart, hon. i'm countin' the days with ya.
2 people like this
@Fleura (29128)
• United Kingdom
22 Jun 17
@Poppylicious Well that's one step closer!
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
21 Jun 17
The days will go slower if you keep thinking about it and tracking the minutes.
2 people like this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
21 Jun 17
I know. I shall try not to think about it. I won't succeed, but I will try. :)
1 person likes this
