you get 2 hours? wow.

Just kidding. When she is older and stays up later, and i am not gone 12+ hours a day i will get to see my daughter for more than 45 minutes a day....

may i interject here 'scuso moi'
i don't know if your system is the same as it is here in nz...but..from a teachers perspectve..this is the full breakdown:and depending on your stature
7.30 am ..arrive at school..coffee..staffroom gossip..meeting with principal
who gives you the rundown on the days events and paperwork.

8.am head off to classroom..set out books..prepare classroom..organise paperwork..head off to resource ..get the days equipment.

8.30/9am ..classes begin..roll calls..the days learning is put into action
this carries on untill 3 pm...(including sports..field trips..etc)

4pm..back into staffroom for meeting..now depending on stature again..your sent
to refresher courses..these go on ..normally till 7 pm..depending.

8.30 pm..start marking homework...more paperwork...

try and fit family into your schedule..not always happens..(dependant)

1 am ..fall into bed after showering.

get up at 5 am..recheck paperwork..homework books..breakfast.

(in between all of this your student contact is ongoing)

school holidays...children leave on the last day at 2.30 pm..
we leave at 5 pm
our holidays last one week during term breaks (usually 2 weeks off)
the final week of holidays..we go back to school...are given a breakdown of the following terms curriculum..
messages and demands from the education dept..
what they expect us to achieve within that new term.etc
We do not get the running of the system,.we are dictated to by the dept
as well as the board of trustees.

As the head of senior staffing ,,i can't complain about my duties or wages as my job is pretty cushy...
but thats because i have earned it..however..those below me ..(junior staff members)
are not so lucky as they are always scrutinised etc.
Also student teachers..auxillary staff (librarian..resources etc) do not get paid during holidays..we do.

The schools here are bulk funded..we depend on parent donations (fees are abolished)...the schools get extra money for every child that enrolls in your establishment...soooooooo...the more children that are taught..and 'scuse the pun'..sent along the conveyor belt..processed then packed off to thier next school...the more money the school gets.

If a student is having problems..they will get help ..IF its available thru the system..if its not..then parents have to find and finance it themselves.
If a student is slow..the teacher will try thier best to get him/her up to speed..but this child will get moved on whether they meet the standards or not..sad to say but ..its true..as its all required from the education dept..as so ordered by the govt. :o


its not so much thankless..it can be rewarding when one of your students
achieve thier ultimate goal...13 out of a class of 23..is better than a 0/0

when you figure in the commute, getting dinner ready and getting the cleanup done ..and bathtime .. there isnt much time before bed ...

we always make sure to read .. some nights we watch movies ...

thats why we never make plans on the weekend .. we do everything together.

thats so so neat..!!!!
its a pity this doesnt happen in many homes anymore. :D

The reason why the wife and I decided that one of us would always stay home - even if it meant having less money - not being able to buy a house (10 yrs later we're still renting an apt) and everything else that comes with this kind of commitment.

NO ONE spends more time with the kids than me.:) And no amount of money is worth placing the job of raising my kids in anyone else's hands.

but you can stay home because your job allows that flexibility ..

most dont .. my wife and i both had careers and expectations when we met.
there are other things that come into play as well ..
if one of us did stay home .. what would they do all day when he's in school ?

we do want a certain standard of living .. we do want the house ... i would be miserable in an apartment - i feel confined. We like the combined income that gives us flexibility (with our kid) in other ways.

its our path and although it's not perfect - it works so far .. hopefully the sacrifices we make now will pay off later .. in the mean time we try to make the best of the time we all have together ..

i'll say this .. my kid is happier at 6 years of age with his parents than i was with my own for my entire lifetime..

once again,,,very nice.
I regret not staying home with my children as they were growing up..
money wasn't needed in the household..but needing to follow my dream of being a teacher meant more to me than being a stay at home mum.
My children never suffered because of it..'thank heavens'..but i did lose alot of quality time with them..
sometimes weekends were too busy for me to enjoy them..
i would put down my pen at nights ..play dumbass games with them with thier toys..etc..read..but these were sparadic..
sadly ..i missed alot of thier growing years...n they grew up without me. :(

i work at a university (data entry - joy) and the running joke is:

why does someone major in psychology?
to find out why they are insane!

why does someone major in criminal justice?
to find out how get away with it

why does someone major in education?
to find out why after eight years of schooling they are still so stupid!

and the sad part is they are all TRUE

How realistic is it, inoyur opinion, to be a screenwriter and NOT live in the LA area? Do you think that would end up being more or less economical?

My wife has degrees in both :eek: