Job Discussion Forums

Laoshi1950 · Joined: 22 May 2004 Posts: 198 Location: Australia

As you know, this year the arrangements for the May "Golden Week" holiday have been changed.

We were advised last week by our public university in Beijing that the 3-day May holidays for our campus this year would be held on Thursday 1 May, Friday 2 May, and Saturday 3 May.

Classes will be scheduled on Sunday 4 May to "make-up" the Friday 2 May classes that will be missed. Fortunately for me, I have no classes scheduled on Fridays this semester - so I will actually get a 4-day break.

Have any other list members been advised of their local school/college arrangements for the Labor Day holiday yet?

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Yes, the same here. Show of hands, please - - How many of you would RATHER work the Saturday before (April 25, I think) and then get May 1, 2, 3, and 4 off (that is if you're not so lucky as to have a class-free Friday)?

malu · Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 1344 Location: Sunny Java

It is alleged we will work Sunday 4th to make up for it but I am taking the 'we' as being exclusive because I've no intention of teaching that day.

Adeem · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:27 am Post subject:

Luckily, I work for a self contained English (as in nationality) company within my university, which sets it's own timetables according to it's needs over the whole semester. They have jigged it around so that we have a full 7 day holiday at the start of May, beginning on Thursday 1st, and the university have helpfully scheduled the spring sports days to precede the new Qingming festival holiday on April 4th, giving us a five day holiday at the start of April too.

I would advise all teachers to start putting the pressure on for that one!

AussieGuyInChina · Joined: 23 Nov 2006 Posts: 403

Mei Sheng · Joined: 15 Oct 2007 Posts: 177 Location: With Yunqi!!

I'm not sure of my future schedule at this point, but, for those of you who have Friday/Sunday classes, it is quite easy - simply cancel your Friday classes.

I'm sure the student's won't mind. Keep it quiet though.

Have Fun!

ispeakgoodenglish · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:05 pm Post subject:

I will most likely find out about my May holiday on the last day of April. I'm usually the first to ask and last to know about these things....

arioch36 · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 3589

I try not to know, because my contract says they must tell me three days in advance.

Don't do Sundays. only do Saturdays if convenient.

The truth is, if the class is scheduled for a Sunday (thursdays class now on Sunday so you can enjoy a holiday) , just talk to the class monitor DON'T ASK THE SCHOOL FAO, and reschedule the class.

I follow the well known rule that every laowai must show his students at least one movie if they are good. Movies now last over two hours, plus down time. So I make the movie day class worth two actual days of class, and this is my rescheduled class from the sunday

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Yeah, we always do movies when they screw around with holidays and the weekends before/after. Throughout an entire school year, they only happen two or three or four times so it's not like I'm just always showing a flick every other day!