You dont contact teachers when theyre on annual leave do you?

[SurlyCue]

Im on a course with all adults and we have a piece of coursework due in early next week. We have been on easter break since 27th of march. Tutors have been off since wednesday last week. (wednesday was last day) We have a group chat on whatsapp and some members have posted that they have emailed subject tutor with some questions regarding the assignment. They have had no response (could have told them that would be the case) so one member who happens to have tutors personal number from something they worked on a while ago has said they will text her on the personal number. I suggested she wont have seem her emails and is on her holidays so possibly will ignore a text too. He then suggested he would email the course co-ordinator to "chase her up" if he got no response from a text! Am i being silly or is it completely unreasonable to pester a tutor while they are on leave regarding something that could have been asked at any point up til wednesday of last week?

I would never give my personal mobile number to a student (I work in HE), and if a student emailed me over the university vacation, about something that they should have checked with me during teaching time, frankly I would answer it if & when it is convenient for me. I may not be on annual leave, but I have a LOT of other things to do, and outside of term time, I try to work only a 45 hour week, rather than a 60 hour week.

So I wouldn't necessarily answer.

And your coursemate is very unreasonable to make the intrusive demands he is making. Shows rather a lac of respect for your tutor's expertise and work, frankly, referring to him/her as someone he can "chase up." Very rude.

We once had a student call on boxing day they had - without being asked - done a practise essay emailed it on 23rd Dec and were chasing up feedback - so this sort of thing makes me unreasonably grrrrrrrr-y

Indeed! I once had an email from a student on Christmas Day, with a question that could have been answered by reading the bloody course handbook. I didn't answer it.

One colleague of mine has a sign on his door: "Your lack of planning is not my emergency." If the assignment was set two weeks before the end of term, then there was ample time during the teaching time to ask questions about it.

But not if students only start doing assignments 2 days before the due date. I feel no great compunction to answer them about anything other than a genuine emergency, and I am the judge of what that is. We're teaching employabilty & life skills in HE, as well as standard knowledge.

Upthechimney I may have to make one of those signs for DP!

There is a strange mind set that makes people assume that people will be available 24/7 for their convenience, its not isolated to HE/FE when I was still teaching Primary in a small village I had parents knock on my front door for utterly trivial things just because they knew where I lived (no I was not living on site) - once at 10.30pm to ask for that weeks spellings, because it was not as if I was available in my classroom from 7.30am to 5pm 5 days a week to address questions/queries or receive messages. In all fields I accept emergencies happen and exceptions have to be made but grrrrrr again, respect the work/homelife balance small as it is.

I occasionally receive emails from parents of the children I teach during the holidays. I'm very happy to help them if I can. It doesn't bother me tbh.

I would not like it if they came round to my house though!

Well, I have a chase email from my student sent 9am on Tues as I did not reply to their email of 9am on Mon (Bank Hol Mon this week). Bloody hell. I had actually replied 20 mins earlier on Tues am but was v cross. We have families and don't work 24/7.

It's much harder in today's world of immediate responding. I need a sign like the one mentioned above in the thread. I like it!

I don't mind helping out if I can but I do object if people chase me in what I think is an unreasonable time frame (e.g. less than 24 hrs over a bank holiday!)

"We have families"

Having a family makes no difference. It is unacceptable regardless.

Our tutors are available 24/7 as they do pastoral work, but contact out of hours is made by staff via home numbers and personal mobiles, not students. Vacation messages on e-mails work well if a tutor is not able to reply to a message from a student within a reasonable time span.

However, if an assignment was set two weeks before the end of term and the whole of the vacation is available to do the work, it's really not surprising that many students don't look at it until the vacation has started.

Not all HE staff go on leave once term-time stops. We find it quite charming to be wished a happy Christmas/Easter/summer holiday by students immediately term finishes.

just in case I'm coming over as a bit if an arse - emailing my work email no problem - if I'm on holiday I will respond as soon as I'm able - prob not within 24hrs!! Work phone - again no problem I will try to return the call as soon as I can if I cant take it immediately. Turning up on my doorstep getting me out of bed and then trying to recall the spelling list to you and your child whilst I'm half asleep and resplendent in my piglet pyjamas - not so happy about.

Most people who are working in education are willing to go above and beyond for their students as posts indicate and undisturbed holidays are a rarity, but hounding someone outside of work access because you have not bothered to get organised is not on.

OP you sound very reasonable and all the best with your assignment

Fair point clam, it would have annoyed me pre children too. Most students are not like this though ( this one has form). It is changing though in terms of availability and expectations. I do use out of office if away but not for bank holidays.

Good luck op. I agree with queen, you sound v reasonable. Hope you do well with your assignment. ?

What's a Bank Holiday? The only day our college is officially closed is Boxing Day. It does mean, though, that we can use the bank holidays at any time of the year when we want to take time off.