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Otterman Ollie · Posted: Wed May 26, 2004 9:50 am Post subject: Out with a BANG!! or a whimper ?

Hi

As we come to the end of yet another academic year ,the question is how do you mark it ?
A celebration perhaps ? Do you and your collegues feel the need to sit down and break bread together and wash it down with too much of what you like to drink or is it something more muted ?
I ask the question because in my old place it was a good excuse to let your hair down and get ready for a well earned break ,these days however,that mindset is changing . Should we ? Could we ? Asking the administration to let you and your charges have an extended lunch, just to say good bye,seems over here at least ,asking for the moon .

In some places the thought of spending any extra time with workmates or students is just a none starter,sad but true ,outside the work place we have very little in common . But having said that I have enjoyed a social gathering with older students in the past ,more so than with work mates . How about you ? Does the year finish with a bang or a whimper ? Comments !

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

The academic year in Japan starts in April. We "celebrated" in March with weeks of exams, study support courses, orientation for students and teachers, and the ever-popular last-minute notification of what classes you were to teach to give you a whopping 2 weeks to plan for the next year.

We also had goodbye drinking parties for teachers who left, and we will have welcome drinking parties for the new teachers. Pretty skimpy as they are scheduled to the very minute for activities within the prescribed 2 hours.

Will. · Joined: 02 May 2003 Posts: 783 Location: London Uk

Normally celebrated in small groups or departments where everyone has a b.... about the other departments or the next person up the ladder. We have a big campus so there is not a big enough venue for all the staff. generally it is a whimper as staff wander off to recupperate before the next years starts.

enigma · Joined: 22 May 2003 Posts: 68

At our school, we've been celebrating the end of the year for about a month already. Pissups, silly antics, burning bridges every night... It's been a terrific year for some of us, and I'm sad to see it end.

I'm in China. Kind of like being at camp as a teenager or something. Does that explain?