hh, martle - thanks, that's good to know!



< naive >seriously? < /naive >

I went for a walk in the nearby woods today and there was a big tree lying crashed into the foliage at the side of the path, thereby blocking the rest of it off. It looked very healthy. There haven't been any serious winds around here of late (hardly any, actually). A mystery.   

I just came back from my lesson. The person I tought is a talented man of 43. In one year I taught him to the level of Chopin Nocturns. I charged discount rate to him and I stayed longer that two hours that he paid me for.
At the beginning of our lesson he said that he has a headache. I said it is fine we can have one hour. He started to sight read (which he did badly). I stayed not for one hour, but for !:45. He paid me 25 euro and I said, but I did not stay one hour, but one hour and 45 min. (I had to drive there too).

He gave me another 20 euro. He is a very rich man with B and B that is very popular. My rate is 30 euro an hour, but he bargained for a special rate for 2 hours 50 euro. I was touched by his desire to learn, but the money as good as it is to have were not the major factor, a specially if after a while he bargianed for me to come to his house.

After I came home there was a message on the computer that he wants to take the summer off because I am tired of him and he is busy with his job. After he wants to come back if I will have time.
What I am telling is a fate of all teachers. It is a lesson for me not to give much of my soul to teach anybody. As disappointed as I am I am glad I don't have to drive anywhere in the middle of the day for money that are not so significant anymore. I did it because I wanted to help. Unfortunately he did not understand.
I hope I expressed myself clearly for people to understand and my spelling behaved.

Is your phone working now?
The whole thing is strange.

Morticia,
Thank you very much. You have many good points to your post and your simpathy is valuable to me now.
I find it is hard to live and to know what is right and to try to be decent person, but not let people use you. I really find it very hard. And to know where is the line that one should watch for.

I am kind of dispondent and I don't think that in my advanced age I can understand something that will make it at least easier for me.
I am very greatful to you for your post.

In my utopia ( retirement) there no longer are any evaluations to be done ....... bliss ...

A

I didn't grade anything myself, but I have experience of watchinig somebody do it for many a year.
Gr....
And not there are plagiary committees. That is a joy that is hard to describe. And the amount of time it all takes. And when do people do their research, at night? I know now when, during their vocation times and no Saturdays or Sundays.
Somepeople take this better than others, but academic life did not turn out the way I thought.
However, there are pluses as well. Going to conferences, meeting interesting people, doing your own research or teaching is interesting and sometimes exciting.

I think there are kind of rules of civilized beheviour, namely, one should not say badly about some other teacher's work in front of a student. We have people just moved to the area who (I suppose in their despairation to get students) tell bad things about other teachers and this way lure students away.
The incident I go through at the moment is a first experience of a kind in my 30 years of teaching. I am still in contact with students that I thought when I was in my twenties.

But everythings passes and this will pass too. So I am just waiting for it to pass.

On of our (inconciderate) neighbours children has had a party going on for 2 whole days.  This always happens when he goes away.  Still, one of our other neighbours got revenge by mowing the lawn at 9.30am.  Prior to that, we considered getting the chainsaw, the hedge trimmer and the garden shredder out as well but then decided not to bother.