Este verano en Buenos Aires????

[laepelba]

Muchos de Uds. saben que soy profesora de matematicas en una escuela secondaria en Virginia. En Virginia, los profesores necesitan obtener "recertificación" cada cinco años. Mi recertificación se debe en enero de 2011. No he hecho los requisitos para mi recertificación todavía. Uno de las maneras mejores para obtener recertificación es tomar cursos en la universidad. Pero, para mí, es muy difícil de hacer cursos de noche en la universidad durante el año escolar. Entonces, necesito tomar cursos en el verano. Este verano, en 2010.

Quiero tomar cursos españoles. Tengo dos opciones. El primera es tomar dos cursos en una universidad local, probablamente George Mason University. Pero, el año escolar para las escuelas secondarias en Virginia termina el 23 de junio. Las tres sesiones de verano en GMU serán en mayo, junio, y julio. Las dos primeras serán durante mi año escolar. Ugh!! No tengo la energía para trabajo de cursos en las noches mientras enseño. Otra posibilidad es tomar un curso en la historia de América Latina en línea. Una amiga es profesora en una universidad en Nueva York y enseña este curso en línea. Si tomo esta curso en línea (cual probablamente será durante junio), solamente tomaré un curso de español a GMU. Sin embargo, será mucho trabajo hacer durante el año escolar. (suspira....)

¡La segunda opción está muy maravillosa! GMU tiene un programa para estudiar al extranjero. Sus programas de español están en España (Grenada) y en Argentina (Buenos Aires). He hablado con una secretaria del programa para estudiar en Buenos Aires. Estoy muy emocionada para esta oportunidad. Pero, tengo algunos problemas. La orientación para el programa empieza en Buenos Aires el 21 de junio. Tendría que viajar el 20 de junio. En mi escuela, graduación es el 20 de junio. Y tenemos tres días de escuela (para los estudiantes que no gradúan) después. No sé si mi jefe me consentirá faltar esos días. Él está un poco rígido sobre algunas cosas. Si no llegaré en Buenos Aires hasta el 24, faltaré toda la orientación y los dos primeros días de clases. Incluso si podré estar en Buenos Aires por el 20 de junio, el programa está muy caro.

Mi sueña está que mi jefe me permitirá faltar los últimos días y que llegaré en Buenos Aires el 20 de junio. El programa es por 4 semanas. Tomaré una prueba para ver en qué nivel de español será para mis cursos. Mientras en Buenos Aires, quedaré con una familia cerca de la universidad. El programa incluye tres excursiones para ver los puntos de interés. Y, cuando el programa termina, podría visitar mis amigos en Uruguay. ¡Montevideo está muy cerca de Buenos Aires!

¡Qué dilema! Tengo que hacer algo para recertificación. Y me encantaría ir a Buenos Aires...........

(Por favor, Uds. no necesitan corregir todas mis equivocaciones. Tengo algunas preguntas, y sé que hay muchas equivocaciones... Solamente quiero discutir mis planes para el verano....)

La pregunta que me interesa la más está: ¿Usaba la palabra "faltar" correctamente aquí?

[Here4good]

Lo mejor que puedas hacer es hablar con el director para ver si la posibilidad de ir a Argentina existe o no. Si él no te da permiso para faltar los últimos días de clase, ésta posibildad no cuenta y !tienes menos cosas en que pensar!

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by Here4good

Lo mejor que puedas hacer es hablar con el director para ver si la posibilidad de ir a Argentina existe o no. Si él no te da permiso para faltar los últimos días de clase, ésta posibildad no cuenta y !tienes menos cosas en que pensar!

Gracias, Here4good, pues estoy un poco lenta. Incluso si el profesor me permite faltar los primeros días en Buenos Aires, no creo que puedo alcanzar con los estudios.

[CrOtALiTo]

Really I believe that it's a great opportunity to grow more in your career, because when a teacher takes more certifications in the university, they tend to have more chance to gets a good job.

Animus.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

Really I believe that it's a great opportunity to grow more in your career, because when a teacher takes more certifications in the university, they tend to have more chance to gets a good job.

Animus.

Well, I already have a good job, and I don't intend to let go of it any time soon! But, like I said, I have to become recertified every five years. Or else I would lose my job!

[irmamar]

Congratulations, Lou Ann for your long Spanish writing.

Four weeks are a long time and don't forget that it'll be a total linguistic immersion. Don't think so much and act. Ask for a permission to your boss now (not tomorrow ), tell him that you haven't got your certification yet, and a year passes so quickly! I'd complain a bit: you don't have enough time to get it along the scholar year. Tell him that that would be a great advantage for you, since you have many Spanish speaker pupils and in this way you'll be able to have a better communication with them. You could offer to work some hours to make up (? I'm not sure, I want to say recuperar el tiempo que estés fuera ).

If you don't have your permission, ask GMU what problems there would be if you don't arrive in time. Maybe they can give you a summary or a guide about the course.

But I'm sure you'll be able to get your permission.

And don't forget your best smile.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Ask for a permission to your boss now
..
You could offer to work some extra hours to make up (? I'm not sure, I want to say recuperar el tiempo que estés fuera ).
.

If you don't have your permission, ...

You ask for permission, not a permission:

Ask for permission from your boss...

[laepelba]

Well, my boss may want to let me take those days off. The problem really is that he can't let everyone take the last few days off, and it's difficult to differentiate between "legitimate" and "illegitimate" reasons for wanting the last week of school off. AND, I don't have that many personal leave days, which means that I'd have to take at least one without pay. AND, now that we're going to be missing a lot of days because of the snow, we're going to have extra days added at the end of the school year that last week of June ... which only worsens my case.

[elviraverdugo]

I am crossing my fingers for you, that you'll be able to go! It sounds like such a fantastic opportunity.

(I also want to thank you because I almost understood everything you wrote in Spanish, only having to look up a few words! My Spanish is very rusty, but this forum is already helping me remember . . .)

[laepelba]

I'm glad you could follow me, Elviraverdugo! Either your Spanish is becoming good, or my Spanish is super basic. LOL!! Thanks for your good wishes for me ... the more snow we have here in DC, the more my hopes for this wonderful opportunity are fading away..........

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Well, my boss may want to let me take those days off. The problem really is that he can't let everyone take the last few days off, and it's difficult to differentiate between "legitimate" and "illegitimate" reasons for wanting the last week of school off. AND, I don't have that many personal leave days, which means that I'd have to take at least one without pay. AND, now that we're going to be missing a lot of days because of the snow, we're going to have extra days added at the end of the school year that last week of June ... which only worsens my case.

Maybe the situation will be even more credible if you present your request accompanied by a flight ticket?

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by chileno

Maybe the situation will be even more credible if you present your request accompanied by flight ticket?

I have offered to do that. BUT ... that would require that I get the ticket BEFORE I have permission. What if he says "no"? That would totally stink!

Anyway - I'm not the one who has to ask him. I have to ask my immediate supervisor (who would probably say "yes, no problem" if it were up to him), and then he has to ask the principal. I don't go to the principal directly.

I asked my immediate supervisor if having plane tickets would help. He told me just to photocopy the information for the program and give it to him.......

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

I have offered to do that. BUT ... that would require that I get the ticket BEFORE I have permission. What if he says "no"? That would totally stink!

Anyway - I'm not the one who has to ask him. I have to ask my immediate supervisor (who would probably say "yes, no problem" if it were up to him), and then he has to ask the principal. I don't go to the principal directly.

I asked my immediate supervisor if having plane tickets would help. He told me just to photocopy the information for the program and give it to him.......

Exactly, you have to have it on hand, and not to be a "promise" of buying one" later. It has to be verifiable.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by chileno

Exactly, you have to have it on hand, and not to be a "promise" of buying one" later. It has to be verifiable.

Schools don't quite work that way. Buying a ticket before getting permission would be seen as "overconfidence" in assuming a positive answer. The more likely route that would be offered to me would be tentative permission, with the expectation that I will provide proof when I have it in hand.

In fact, I have to add that my integrity/honesty would NOT be the question here. Both my immediate supervisor AND my principal know that I would never ask for something like that and then not use the days for what I received permission for. They know I would never do that.

The question really is about overarching policy. If they say "yes" to me, they have to give permission to everyone else who wants to get out of those last few (wasted) days for whatever reasons they may have. And who am I to say that my reason is the best reason of thousands of teachers that teach in our district? If they say yes to me, they have to consider every single other request separately. They really do need to have a consistent policy, no matter how wonderful my reasons are for requesting the days off.

AND, having said all of that, with all of this snow, they WILL be adding MORE days in June. And I simply do NOT have that many personal days, which means that I would have to take those days without pay...... Don't know if I can do that, either.....

[Perikles]

It does like a very reasonable request, for the benefit of the school. It's not as if you were just going on holiday. I think you have a very good case (which might make no difference, of course).

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by Perikles

It does like a very reasonable request, for the benefit of the school. It's not as if you were just going on holiday. I think you have a very good case (which might make no difference, of course).

I absolutely agree with you ... and with everyone else's comments here in my favor. We'll have to see what the school thinks about it all.........

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Schools don't quite work that way. Buying a ticket before getting permission would be seen as "overconfidence" in assuming a positive answer. The more likely route that would be offered to me would be tentative permission, with the expectation that I will provide proof when I have it in hand.

In fact, I have to add that my integrity/honesty would NOT be the question here. Both my immediate supervisor AND my principal know that I would never ask for something like that and then not use the days for what I received permission for. They know I would never do that.

The question really is about overarching policy. If they say "yes" to me, they have to give permission to everyone else who wants to get out of those last few (wasted) days for whatever reasons they may have. And who am I to say that my reason is the best reason of thousands of teachers that teach in our district? If they say yes to me, they have to consider every single other request separately. They really do need to have a consistent policy, no matter how wonderful my reasons are for requesting the days off.

AND, having said all of that, with all of this snow, they WILL be adding MORE days in June. And I simply do NOT have that many personal days, which means that I would have to take those days without pay...... Don't know if I can do that, either.....

Maybe I was too literal.

If you write your plan, explaining about the certification and possible benefits to the school, along with an itinerary of flights and prices for the time your are going to B.B.A.A. then most likely, you are going to impress them.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by chileno

Maybe I was too literal.

If you write your plan, explaining about the certification and possible benefits to the school, along with an itinerary of flights and prices for the time your are going to B.B.A.A. then most likely, you are going to impress them.

I see.... That's a good idea. They won't care about the prices of the flights (they would see that as MY problem....) But to do a write-up would be a good idea. Thanks, Hernan....

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

I see.... That's a good idea. They won't care about the prices of the flights (they would see that as MY problem....) But to do a write-up would be a good idea. Thanks, Hernan....

You're welcome.

[laepelba]

Actualización: todavía no sé sobre los días al final del año escolar... Perdimos tanto días a causa de la nieve .... es posible que se añadirá dos días al final de junio. Mientras espero a saber, continuo a aprender sobre el programa en BBAA. El miercoles, reuní con el profesor de GMU quien conducirá el programa en Argentina. El profesor estaba entusiasmado sobre mi participación en el programa. Voy a continuar el proceso de solicitud para el programa.

Voy a escribir más cuándo sé más....