Unterrichtsfreie Zeit

May 15-August 15 is our "vacation" as I have heard several non-academics call it. People in academe know that it is an outside-of-contract time during which you do not get paid but yet work even harder. So in Germany this time period is more accurately referred to as “unterrichtsfreie Zeit” (i.e. non-teaching time). And really all summer means is that I do not have teaching commitments and there typically are only a few committee meetings. Yet, I still am writing letters of recommendations, answering questions from students, reading various milestone papers (comprehensive exams, QRPs, Capstones, ….). Naturally, I have to plan my courses for next year (three of them are new to me, and the fourth I need to really rework). Of course then I also help with the camp, hopefully even camps. On top of that is working on data analysis, new IRBs, setting up new projects, writing up completed projects, revising articles, etc…. But the great advantage is that since I do not have to teach, I can simply be anywhere doing this work. Right now Benni and I are in Germany. This is my last attempt to collect the kind of study abroad data that I really want. If it does not work out this time, then I just give up, I think. Of course Benni is being entertained by all my family and my mom’s kindergarten kids. So, I actually have some time to work. Today I even had an initial meeting with a student who will be doing her Capstone with me in the fall. She is currently doing her study abroad here in Freiburg. This weekend, I will set up my work plan for my four weeks here. This year I timed it so that we are here while my mom and my dad have their vacation/unterrichtsfreie Zeit. That will give me some very good work time and free child-care.