The "Gravy Train"

In my past life - ten years ago - it was usually this time of the year that I would begin to hear the comments about how easy teachers had it with three months off. Now actually it was more like two months off (mid June to mid August) minus up to two weeks worth of required in-service days, probably a few weeks of grad school classes, and a few days to set up your classroom before the start of school. And people forgot that I couldn't ever take a cruise or a vacation to Florida in the winter and that I couldn't even count on other scheduled days off during the year because they would generally be replaced by making up snow days. And snow days weren't that great - what could you do but shovel snow knowing that the days would need to be made up. As far as sick days, to take one I would have to spend many hours in preparing detailed lesson plans for a probable non-math substitute - it was a pain to take a sick day. But rather than argue the point of how easy a teacher had it, it was just easier to say, "If it looks so great to you, then get on the "gravy train" (a very lucrative or rewarding situation or arrangement, likely to continue for some time) like the rest of us." Now I guess everybody feels that their job hours are tough and often inconvenient. But when you do the math most other jobs aren't quite as bad as one thinks. So you want a day off??? Let's take a look at what you are asking for: There are 365 days per year available for work. There are 52 weeks per year in which you already have 2 days off per week, leaving 261 days available for work. Since you spend 16 hours each day away from work, you have used up 170 days, leaving only 91 days available. You spend 30 minutes each day on coffee breaks, which counts for 23 days each year, leaving only 68 days available. With a 1 hour lunch each day, you used up another 46 days, leaving only 22 days available for work. You normally spend 2 days per year on sick leave. This leaves you only 20 days per year available for work. We are off 5 holidays per year, so your available working time is down to 15 days. We generously give 14 days vacation per year which leaves only 1 day available for work and there's NO way you're going to take that day off! So there you are. Maybe you better work harder today to earn your salary. Or, better yet, just retire. Except for the many days you have doctor visits and tests, you can then get up with nothing to do and go to bed with it half done. Maybe you want to join that "gravy train".