Bring back the sabbatical

[Walt Zingmatilder]

As a spin off from extending shopping hours, Celebrate another disappeared feature of our 24/7 society, the sabbatical. What ever happened to that? It was useful in refreshing workers and opening organisations to new ideas.

Bring it back along with the Manpower service commission(renamed of course), retraining centres and everything else the 24/7 has taken away......This country has a skills shortage. There were ways of sorting this out rather than leaving it all to chance.......llor.

[Hope]

As a spin off from extending shopping hours, Celebrate another disappeared feature of our 24/7 society, the sabbatical. What ever happened to that? It was useful in refreshing workers and opening organisations to new ideas.

Since our pastor started work as our pastor 14 years ago he has had 1 sabbatical, and is about to take a second.  Many of our church leaders have also taken sabbaticals (enforced).  They are elected to leadership roles for a 3 year term, and can then stand for a second contiguous term, after which they have to stand aside for at least 1 year.

I suspect that people are loathe to use the term, especially within government, because of its religious (specifically Jewish) connotations.   

[Nearly Sane]

As a spin off from extending shopping hours, Celebrate another disappeared feature of our 24/7 society, the sabbatical. What ever happened to that? It was useful in refreshing workers and opening organisations to new ideas.

Bring it back along with the Manpower service commission(renamed of course), retraining centres and everything else the 24/7 has taken away......This country has a skills shortage. There were ways of sorting this out rather than leaving it all to chance.......llor.

Fuck me, the middle class idyll merchants return. Yeah, my parents had sabbatical s galore, along with their gap years and their career breaks, they never actually worked at all.

[Rhiannon]

I don't think I know anyone who has ever taken a sabbatical.

[ippy]

As a spin off from extending shopping hours, Celebrate another disappeared feature of our 24/7 society, the sabbatical. What ever happened to that? It was useful in refreshing workers and opening organisations to new ideas.

Since our pastor started work as our pastor 14 years ago he has had 1 sabbatical, and is about to take a second.  Many of our church leaders have also taken sabbaticals (enforced).  They are elected to leadership roles for a 3 year term, and can then stand for a second contiguous term, after which they have to stand aside for at least 1 year.

I suspect that people are loathe to use the term, especially within government, because of its religious (specifically Jewish) connotations.   

Couldn't you get him to shut up shop and take a permanent sabbatical then?

ippy

[Owlswing]

As a spin off from extending shopping hours, Celebrate another disappeared feature of our 24/7 society, the sabbatical. What ever happened to that? It was useful in refreshing workers and opening organisations to new ideas.

Since our pastor started work as our pastor 14 years ago he has had 1 sabbatical, and is about to take a second.  Many of our church leaders have also taken sabbaticals (enforced).  They are elected to leadership roles for a 3 year term, and can then stand for a second contiguous term, after which they have to stand aside for at least 1 year.

I suspect that people are loathe to use the term, especially within government, because of its religious (specifically Jewish) connotations.   

What Jewish connotations?

The religious origin comes from Greek "of the Sabbath" - you are getting your Greek mixed up with the Hebrew "Sabbath" - used by a large number of Xhristians for Sunday - the Hebrew Sabbath is a Friday evening to saturday evening.

The more usual meaning is an academic one in that it refers to a period of paid study leave given to university professors.

[Hope]

What Jewish connotations?

The religious origin comes from Greek "of the Sabbath" - you are getting your Greek mixed up with the Hebrew "Sabbath" - used by a large number of Xhristians for Sunday - the Hebrew Sabbath is a Friday evening to saturday evening.

Precisely, the religious connotation has everything to do with the Jewish Shab(b)at, which was translated as 'Sabbath' in Greek.  Very few Christians refer to Sunday as the Sabbath.  As you say, the Jewish Sabbath occurs every 7 days (Friday 6pm to Saturday 6pm in English terminology).  As for your rather naff attempt to misspell 'Christian', the Greek letter chi χ is often transliterated as 'ch' in English - as in Χάος.  You've effectively spelt it Chhristian!!

The more usual meaning is an academic one in that it refers to a period of paid study leave given to university professors.

Actually, the usual meaning is far broader than academia. 

[Owlswing]

What Jewish connotations?

The religious origin comes from Greek "of the Sabbath" - you are getting your Greek mixed up with the Hebrew "Sabbath" - used by a large number of Xhristians for Sunday - the Hebrew Sabbath is a Friday evening to saturday evening.

Precisely, the religious connotation has everything to do with the Jewish Shab(b)at, which was translated as 'Sabbath' in Greek.  Very few Christians refer to Sunday as the Sabbath.  As you say, the Jewish Sabbath occurs every 7 days (Friday 6pm to Saturday 6pm in English terminology).  As for your rather naff attempt to misspell 'Christian', the Greek letter chi χ is often transliterated as 'ch' in English - as in Χάος.  You've effectively spelt it Chhristian!!

The more usual meaning is an academic one in that it refers to a period of paid study leave given to university professors.

Actually, the usual meaning is far broader than academia.

Oh bloody Hell I can't even make an honest typo now - X is next to C on the bloody keyboard you arrant arse!

The dictionary definition - Oxford English specifies academia!

But I forgot - as I have pointed out before no-one must argue with Hope he knows absolutely every-bloody-thing!

I have, really I have, tried to look at the world from your point of view, but I am physically incapable of getting my head that far up my own arse!

Goodbye Hope - we will not talk again!

[OH MY WORLD!]

Good grief such drama little matty. You just can't take correction at all. Tisk, tisk. You need a cookie and time out!!

[Owlswing]

Good grief such drama little matty. You just can't take correction at all. Tisk, tisk. You need a cookie and time out!!

And you JC need to learn to recognise when you are being very deliberately ignored. Rather like ignoring a huge zit on the face of a friend - you = the huge zit - this forum = the friends face!

[OH MY WORLD!]

But I'm not being ignored matty, my dear friend. I couldn't care less your not responding, just knowing you are reading my comments to your posts is satisfaction enough. Oh and thanks for the reply. Too funny you.

[ippy]

What Jewish connotations?

The religious origin comes from Greek "of the Sabbath" - you are getting your Greek mixed up with the Hebrew "Sabbath" - used by a large number of Xhristians for Sunday - the Hebrew Sabbath is a Friday evening to saturday evening.

Precisely, the religious connotation has everything to do with the Jewish Shab(b)at, which was translated as 'Sabbath' in Greek.  Very few Christians refer to Sunday as the Sabbath.  As you say, the Jewish Sabbath occurs every 7 days (Friday 6pm to Saturday 6pm in English terminology).  As for your rather naff attempt to misspell 'Christian', the Greek letter chi χ is often transliterated as 'ch' in English - as in Χάος.  You've effectively spelt it Chhristian!!

The more usual meaning is an academic one in that it refers to a period of paid study leave given to university professors.

Actually, the usual meaning is far broader than academia.

Oh bloody Hell I can't even make an honest typo now - X is next to C on the bloody keyboard you arrant arse!

The dictionary definition - Oxford English specifies academia!

But I forgot - as I have pointed out before no-one must argue with Hope he knows absolutely every-bloody-thing!

I have, really I have, tried to look at the world from your point of view, but I am physically incapable of getting my head that far up my own arse!

Goodbye Hope - we will not talk again!

Don't be too hard on Hope it's a very common complaint that most teachers seem to acquire.

I have had to deal with all sorts of people in my professional career from millionaires to Joe Bloggs that drives a roadside drain cleaning bowser, it can be a pain, it can be very interesting and you do get to notice the behavioural trends of those doing various types of jobs or professions.

On passing their final exams and becoming qualified teachers, a large number of them, suddenly think that they have by coincidence acquired all of the knowledge in the whole of the universe and this happened to them on the same day they qualified.

Another thing very common to the teaching profession is that their homes are either extremely tidy but a lot more often you can't sit down because of the stuff all over the seats and you can't clear a seat to sit down because there is nowhere to put the the stuff you would like to remove from the cluttered seat so that you can sit down and there's very few fit between the tidy or the tip preference.

I know this post of mine does sound a bit strange but I do assure you this has also surprised me over the past 45 years of my working life how true to form these living habits of teachers are.

ippy

[BashfulAnthony]

What Jewish connotations?

The religious origin comes from Greek "of the Sabbath" - you are getting your Greek mixed up with the Hebrew "Sabbath" - used by a large number of Xhristians for Sunday - the Hebrew Sabbath is a Friday evening to saturday evening.

Precisely, the religious connotation has everything to do with the Jewish Shab(b)at, which was translated as 'Sabbath' in Greek.  Very few Christians refer to Sunday as the Sabbath.  As you say, the Jewish Sabbath occurs every 7 days (Friday 6pm to Saturday 6pm in English terminology).  As for your rather naff attempt to misspell 'Christian', the Greek letter chi χ is often transliterated as 'ch' in English - as in Χάος.  You've effectively spelt it Chhristian!!

The more usual meaning is an academic one in that it refers to a period of paid study leave given to university professors.

Actually, the usual meaning is far broader than academia.

Oh bloody Hell I can't even make an honest typo now - X is next to C on the bloody keyboard you arrant arse!

The dictionary definition - Oxford English specifies academia!

But I forgot - as I have pointed out before no-one must argue with Hope he knows absolutely every-bloody-thing!

I have, really I have, tried to look at the world from your point of view, but I am physically incapable of getting my head that far up my own arse!

Goodbye Hope - we will not talk again!

Don't be too hard on Hope it's a very common complaint that most teachers seem to acquire.

I have had to deal with all sorts of people in my professional career from millionaires to Joe Bloggs that drives a roadside drain cleaning bowser, it can be a pain, it can be very interesting and you do get to notice the behavioural trends of those doing various types of jobs or professions.

On passing their final exams and becoming qualified teachers, a large number of them, suddenly think that they have by coincidence acquired all of the knowledge in the whole of the universe and this happened to them on the same day they qualified.

Another thing very common to the teaching profession is that their homes are either extremely tidy but a lot more often you can't sit down because of the stuff all over the seats and you can't clear a seat to sit down because there is nowhere to put the the stuff you would like to remove from the cluttered seat so that you can sit down and there's very few fit between the tidy or the tip preference.

I know this post of mine does sound a bit strange but I do assure you this has also surprised me over the past 45 years of my working life how true to form these living habits of teachers are.

ippy

Good grief!! How many teacher's homes have you been in?        Or is it just another wild and unsubstantiated generalisation?

[Hope]

Oh bloody Hell I can't even make an honest typo now - X is next to C on the bloody keyboard you arrant arse!

Your 'honest typo' is an extremely common intentional spelling, Matt.  Think of Xians, Xmas, ...

The dictionary definition - Oxford English specifies academia!

Thanks for that, I'll contact the Oxford Dictionary and point out their error.

But I forgot - as I have pointed out before no-one must argue with Hope he knows absolutely every-bloody-thing!

It's very kind of you to believe this, but it simply isn't true.   

I have, really I have, tried to look at the world from your point of view, but I am physically incapable of getting my head that far up my own arse!

Matt, a suggestion - just don't try to get you head into your arse.  I studiously avoid such silly behaviour.

[floo]

I know a number of people, including relatives, who have taken sabbaticals.

[Hope]

Don't be too hard on Hope it's a very common complaint that most teachers seem to acquire.

It's less a complaint, and more of a skill, ippy.  As a teacher one needs to have the ability to both make correction and do so fairly light-heartedly.  Unfortunately, when the same person(s) keep making similar mistakes, the 'light-heartedly' bit becomes increasingly difficult.

On passing their final exams and becoming qualified teachers, a large number of them, suddenly think that they have by coincidence acquired all of the knowledge in the whole of the universe and this happened to them on the same day they qualified.

Interestingly, ippy, one of the things that trainee teachers are told quite regularly is exactly the opposite - 'don't be afraid to admit that one doesn't know the answer to a given question'.  The trick is then to turn it into a homework exercise, both for the class and for oneself, so that you do know the answer by the next time you meet the class.

Once one has done that over 40-odd years, you begin to pick up knowledge and information from a surprisingly wide range of areas of study.  If, like me, one intersperses teaching with other jobs outside the education world, one gets to understand other aspects of life as well.

I know this post of mine does sound a bit strange ...

No stranger than most of your posts, ippy 

[ippy]

What Jewish connotations?

The religious origin comes from Greek "of the Sabbath" - you are getting your Greek mixed up with the Hebrew "Sabbath" - used by a large number of Xhristians for Sunday - the Hebrew Sabbath is a Friday evening to saturday evening.

Precisely, the religious connotation has everything to do with the Jewish Shab(b)at, which was translated as 'Sabbath' in Greek.  Very few Christians refer to Sunday as the Sabbath.  As you say, the Jewish Sabbath occurs every 7 days (Friday 6pm to Saturday 6pm in English terminology).  As for your rather naff attempt to misspell 'Christian', the Greek letter chi χ is often transliterated as 'ch' in English - as in Χάος.  You've effectively spelt it Chhristian!!

The more usual meaning is an academic one in that it refers to a period of paid study leave given to university professors.

Actually, the usual meaning is far broader than academia.

Oh bloody Hell I can't even make an honest typo now - X is next to C on the bloody keyboard you arrant arse!

The dictionary definition - Oxford English specifies academia!

But I forgot - as I have pointed out before no-one must argue with Hope he knows absolutely every-bloody-thing!

I have, really I have, tried to look at the world from your point of view, but I am physically incapable of getting my head that far up my own arse!

Goodbye Hope - we will not talk again!

Don't be too hard on Hope it's a very common complaint that most teachers seem to acquire.

I have had to deal with all sorts of people in my professional career from millionaires to Joe Bloggs that drives a roadside drain cleaning bowser, it can be a pain, it can be very interesting and you do get to notice the behavioural trends of those doing various types of jobs or professions.

On passing their final exams and becoming qualified teachers, a large number of them, suddenly think that they have by coincidence acquired all of the knowledge in the whole of the universe and this happened to them on the same day they qualified.

Another thing very common to the teaching profession is that their homes are either extremely tidy but a lot more often you can't sit down because of the stuff all over the seats and you can't clear a seat to sit down because there is nowhere to put the the stuff you would like to remove from the cluttered seat so that you can sit down and there's very few fit between the tidy or the tip preference.

I know this post of mine does sound a bit strange but I do assure you this has also surprised me over the past 45 years of my working life how true to form these living habits of teachers are.

ippy

Good grief!! How many teacher's homes have you been in?        Or is it just another wild and unsubstantiated generalisation?

No B A, it's not an unsubstantiated generalisation, it's first hand experiance of must be at least a couple of hundred teachers or there abouts.

ippy

[ippy]

Don't be too hard on Hope it's a very common complaint that most teachers seem to acquire.

It's less a complaint, and more of a skill, ippy.  As a teacher one needs to have the ability to both make correction and do so fairly light-heartedly.  Unfortunately, when the same person(s) keep making similar mistakes, the 'light-heartedly' bit becomes increasingly difficult.

On passing their final exams and becoming qualified teachers, a large number of them, suddenly think that they have by coincidence acquired all of the knowledge in the whole of the universe and this happened to them on the same day they qualified.

Interestingly, ippy, one of the things that trainee teachers are told quite regularly is exactly the opposite - 'don't be afraid to admit that one doesn't know the answer to a given question'.  The trick is then to turn it into a homework exercise, both for the class and for oneself, so that you do know the answer by the next time you meet the class.

Once one has done that over 40-odd years, you begin to pick up knowledge and information from a surprisingly wide range of areas of study.  If, like me, one intersperses teaching with other jobs outside the education world, one gets to understand other aspects of life as well.

I know this post of mine does sound a bit strange ...

No stranger than most of your posts, ippy 

Thanks Hope, the example that proves the point, oh by the way the last two lines of your post as follows: 

"I know this post of mine does sound a bit strange ...

No stranger than most of your posts, ippy" 
[/quote] [/u]

they're another example of your dishonest way of quoting out of context.

ippy

[jeremyp]

Good grief such drama little matty. You just can't take correction at all. Tisk, tisk. You need a cookie and time out!!

It wasn't framed as a correction but as an accusation of deliberate mis-spelling and delivered in a pejorative manner.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Daddy,

What's a sabbatical

Gonnagle.

[Hope]

Good grief such drama little matty. You just can't take correction at all. Tisk, tisk. You need a cookie and time out!!

It wasn't framed as a correction but as an accusation of deliberate mis-spelling and delivered in a pejorative manner.

You can take it in that way if you wish, jeremy.  The term 'sabbatical' comes from the Jewish word Sabbath (whether that is a Greek transliteration/translation of the original Hebrew word or not is actually irrelevant).  As such, it has a religious connotation.  Matt questioned by comment to this effect - which was rather a throw-away comment in the first place!!  I simply pointed out that his suggestion that there was no religious connotation was erroneous.  See http://www.etymology-online.com/sabbatic%2C%20sabbatical

I challenged Matt's spelling of 'Christian' because he has, in previous posts, been disparaging of  Christianity and the use of the X for Ch is something that a number of such posters here have done over time.

[ProfessorDavey]

As a spin off from extending shopping hours, Celebrate another disappeared feature of our 24/7 society, the sabbatical. What ever happened to that? It was useful in refreshing workers and opening organisations to new ideas.

Bring it back along with the Manpower service commission(renamed of course), retraining centres and everything else the 24/7 has taken away......This country has a skills shortage. There were ways of sorting this out rather than leaving it all to chance.......llor.

Is this yet another topic in which you have no idea what you are talking about.

The sabbatical is alive and well in academia - where this allows an academic to spend time completely devoted to their research and is relieved from teaching and administrative duties.

But beyond that I don't think this was ever a prominent feature in other areas of UK employment. You were either employed (and expected to be doing that job) or you weren't. Today there is a much greater consideration of more flexible working, including career breaks where return to the same job is guaranteed following the break, which is, in effect a sabbatical. I know a few people who have done this, for example to go traveling and in another case to devote time to writing a book. I think the notion of taking time out from your job and career to engage in something else but with guaranteed return is much more common now than say 20-50 years ago.

[jeremyp]

Good grief such drama little matty. You just can't take correction at all. Tisk, tisk. You need a cookie and time out!!

It wasn't framed as a correction but as an accusation of deliberate mis-spelling and delivered in a pejorative manner.

You can take it in that way if you wish, jeremy.

Considering you wrote "As for your rather naff attempt to misspell 'Christian"

I am pretty certain it is the correct way to take it.

The term 'sabbatical' comes from the Jewish word Sabbath (whether that is a Greek transliteration/translation of the original Hebrew word or not is actually irrelevant).  As such, it has a religious connotation.  Matt questioned by comment to this effect - which was rather a throw-away comment in the first place!!  I simply pointed out that his suggestion that there was no religious connotation was erroneous.  See http://www.etymology-online.com/sabbatic%2C%20sabbatical

I wasn't taking issue with that part of your post.  I agree with it.

I challenged Matt's spelling of 'Christian' because he has, in previous posts, been disparaging of  Christianity and the use of the X for Ch is something that a number of such posters here have done over time.

I also wasn't taking issue with that, funnily enough.

What I was taking issue with was Johnny Canoe's criticism of Matthew's response to your challenge.

[BashfulAnthony]

What Jewish connotations?

The religious origin comes from Greek "of the Sabbath" - you are getting your Greek mixed up with the Hebrew "Sabbath" - used by a large number of Xhristians for Sunday - the Hebrew Sabbath is a Friday evening to saturday evening.

Precisely, the religious connotation has everything to do with the Jewish Shab(b)at, which was translated as 'Sabbath' in Greek.  Very few Christians refer to Sunday as the Sabbath.  As you say, the Jewish Sabbath occurs every 7 days (Friday 6pm to Saturday 6pm in English terminology).  As for your rather naff attempt to misspell 'Christian', the Greek letter chi χ is often transliterated as 'ch' in English - as in Χάος.  You've effectively spelt it Chhristian!!

The more usual meaning is an academic one in that it refers to a period of paid study leave given to university professors.

Actually, the usual meaning is far broader than academia.

Oh bloody Hell I can't even make an honest typo now - X is next to C on the bloody keyboard you arrant arse!

The dictionary definition - Oxford English specifies academia!

But I forgot - as I have pointed out before no-one must argue with Hope he knows absolutely every-bloody-thing!

I have, really I have, tried to look at the world from your point of view, but I am physically incapable of getting my head that far up my own arse!

Goodbye Hope - we will not talk again!

Don't be too hard on Hope it's a very common complaint that most teachers seem to acquire.

I have had to deal with all sorts of people in my professional career from millionaires to Joe Bloggs that drives a roadside drain cleaning bowser, it can be a pain, it can be very interesting and you do get to notice the behavioural trends of those doing various types of jobs or professions.

On passing their final exams and becoming qualified teachers, a large number of them, suddenly think that they have by coincidence acquired all of the knowledge in the whole of the universe and this happened to them on the same day they qualified.

Another thing very common to the teaching profession is that their homes are either extremely tidy but a lot more often you can't sit down because of the stuff all over the seats and you can't clear a seat to sit down because there is nowhere to put the the stuff you would like to remove from the cluttered seat so that you can sit down and there's very few fit between the tidy or the tip preference.

I know this post of mine does sound a bit strange but I do assure you this has also surprised me over the past 45 years of my working life how true to form these living habits of teachers are.

ippy

Good grief!! How many teacher's homes have you been in?        Or is it just another wild and unsubstantiated generalisation?

No B A, it's not an unsubstantiated generalisation, it's first hand experiance of must be at least a couple of hundred teachers or there abouts.

ippy

I suggest that is an exaggeration, or worse!  You must think people on here are very easily persuaded.  I'll warrant you couldn't name even half a dozen teachers whose homes you have been in.. I worked all my life as a teacher, and could only name a handful whose living conditions I was au fait with.  Are you prepared to revise your assertion, or perhaps substantiate it?

[floo]

I have first hand experience of many teachers/head teacher's homes including our own, my husband being a teacher and a head teacher before he retired. We must have had a well over one thousand books, and loads of scholastic papers all over the homes in which we lived. Whilst we have downsized the books, we still have several bookcases full of them. My husband has kept most of his academic files which adorn his study. He is quite tidy and cannot abide things not in their proper place.