Any primary teachers here with 2 or 3 children ?

[fuschia]

I wonder if there are any teachers here ( particularly primary ) that would be happy to pass on their experience to me about how they juggle their career and their family ?

I'm under no impression that teaching is an easy profession and because you have school hols off its a doddle - but I hear conflicting things about how manageable it all is ?

I am about to embark on a 4.5 year primary teaching degree part time and I plan to have a 3rd baby within this time ( ensuring that I'm not going to be on a teaching placement with a newborn/ mega pregnant !)

Thank you in advance xx

 

[krissie328]

I am no longer a primary teacher (I taught K-5 special education). But I still work in the schools and have one child.

Honestly, I think the beginning and send the school year are really hard for the first few and last few weeks. But in between I find it manageable. I enjoy the breaks we have because it allows me way more time with my DS and his future sibling.

I kinda view it similar to any other job. I have had some after school work but I try to teach in a way that isn't focused on worksheets and papers to grade. And that cuts down a lot on my work load. The hardest thing is the first year and any time you switch grades just making sure you lesson plan. That is very time consuming.

Honestly, if you want to do it I would go for it. I find my work life balance is really nice and my DH has even started his path to becoming an English teacher.

 

[fuschia]

Thanks for your reply krissie !

Are you in the UK ?

What hours on average would you say a teacher works ? Assuming school finished at 3.30pm - will you be leaving by say 5pm ? I'm also trying to get my head around how much child care will be required !

Xx

 

[george83]

I work part time at the minute doing an awful job share so I'll share my current work habits and then my various past ones:

At the minute I'm doing 3 days a week teaching year 2. My job share does not pull his weight with paper work so I know I'm doing more than I should which increases my workload. I leave my house at 7, get to work for half past, spend an hour setting up lessons, completing paperwork. I only take a short lunch break so pretty much work through then until 3.15 when the children leave. Monday we have a staff meeting so I have to stay until 5, Tuesday I have an after school club which is 4.30 by the time the children have left, Wednesday I have a planning meeting which typically goes on until 4.30. I try to leave school at 5 at the latest and get home from picking the children up at 6. Once they are all in bed I typically spend another hour to 2 hours completing more paperwork/marking. As I don't like to do any work on Thursday or Friday (my days off) I often work crazy late on a Wednesday to get everything finished.

When I worked part time but doing PPA cover I had more marking but a lot less paperwork so things weren't quite so crazy. I stayed at school until 6 each night but had much less to do at home and wouldn't need to work every night even.

When I was full time it was easier in that I could juggle my jobs around and had more flexibility with what I did when. I also made a point of leaving school begore 4 one day a week so had a decent afternoon with my son.

This holiday ive not changed classroom so ive been lucky and have only had to work for maybe 8 days so far but when ive changed its been more like 3 weeks to sort the rooms and get your head round paper work. At easter and over half terms I typically spend at least half of them working.

The worst thing for me is I probably work more hours than all of my friends but they still make comments about me working 9-3 and having all the holidays off

 

[fuschia]

George83 thank you for your helpful and honest post !

When I am a qualified teacher , my children will be at school . Although the 3rd may be at pre school for 1 further year potentially .

We will have to consider options like a nanny to help us for sure although only part time .

I have found some of my friends who work as TAs to be quite negative about it all saying I I'll be working every evening and then weekends too . Of course teachers don't just have to work school hours but I would hate to think that I wouldn't have any time with my children anymore !

On the other side , I have spoken to some techie professionals / lecturer who said that teaching really is a career you can develop whilr having a family too .


It's interesting the comment you made about full time teaching being easier to manage . I guess that's true for a lot of jobs. I know I found it more stressful dropping my hours to 3 days per week in my previous role and ended up opting for a demotion as I found a senior role quite hard part time! I too was job sharing - it was really difficult !

Xx

 

[zorak]

I'm also a Primary Teacher. I've had a career break of about 6 years and am currently getting everything organised to go back to it.

When I worked full time I aimed to be at school for 8.20am. It gave me enough time to get anything I needed to done or sometimes we had staff meeting before school opened. I'd do some work over break times and usually left no later than 4.30pm. At certain points, usually new terms end of term I'd have more work to do doing things like reports and forward plans. I preferred to do that in the evening at home. No teacher I know goes in over holidays unless it's the few days before the start of the school year.

Do remember placements van be demanding. It's like being at uni and having a job.

My personal predicament is I will probably have to do supply for a good while before securing a permanent post due to my break from teaching. How do people manage childcare in that example?

 

[george83]

I'm also a Primary Teacher. I've had a career break of about 6 years and am currently getting everything organised to go back to it.

When I worked full time I aimed to be at school for 8.20am. It gave me enough time to get anything I needed to done or sometimes we had staff meeting before school opened. I'd do some work over break times and usually left no later than 4.30pm. At certain points, usually new terms end of term I'd have more work to do doing things like reports and forward plans. I preferred to do that in the evening at home. No teacher I know goes in over holidays unless it's the few days before the start of the school year.

Do remember placements van be demanding. It's like being at uni and having a job.

My personal predicament is I will probably have to do supply for a good while before securing a permanent post due to my break from teaching. How do people manage childcare in that example?

Where do you teach?

 

[george83]

George83 thank you for your helpful and honest post !

When I am a qualified teacher , my children will be at school . Although the 3rd may be at pre school for 1 further year potentially .

We will have to consider options like a nanny to help us for sure although only part time .

I have found some of my friends who work as TAs to be quite negative about it all saying I I'll be working every evening and then weekends too . Of course teachers don't just have to work school hours but I would hate to think that I wouldn't have any time with my children anymore !

On the other side , I have spoken to some techie professionals / lecturer who said that teaching really is a career you can develop whilr having a family too .


It's interesting the comment you made about full time teaching being easier to manage . I guess that's true for a lot of jobs. I know I found it more stressful dropping my hours to 3 days per week in my previous role and ended up opting for a demotion as I found a senior role quite hard part time! I too was job sharing - it was really difficult !

Xx

I hope it didn't come across as negative, the paperwork side of teaching has got to a ridiculous level but being in the classroom with the children is the best job ever. I tend to teach younger ones and they are so honest yet naive it keeps you on your toes.

I think you have to set your self limits and stick them, this coming term in determined to not stay later than 5 unless it's for a specific reason and I won't work at home until my kids are asleep and that includes not getting them to bed early if I have loads to do, otherwise it does just eat into your family time.

 

[zorak]

I'm also a Primary Teacher. I've had a career break of about 6 years and am currently getting everything organised to go back to it.

When I worked full time I aimed to be at school for 8.20am. It gave me enough time to get anything I needed to done or sometimes we had staff meeting before school opened. I'd do some work over break times and usually left no later than 4.30pm. At certain points, usually new terms end of term I'd have more work to do doing things like reports and forward plans. I preferred to do that in the evening at home. No teacher I know goes in over holidays unless it's the few days before the start of the school year.

Do remember placements van be demanding. It's like being at uni and having a job.

My personal predicament is I will probably have to do supply for a good while before securing a permanent post due to my break from teaching. How do people manage childcare in that example?

Where do you teach?

I'm in Scotland, the central belt so there is still an awful lot of competition for permanent Primary posts.

 

[nessaw]

Am interested to see how people manage their time as teachers. I am going back as Assistant Head on the 5th. I teach year 1 in London and I have an 8 month old. My husband is looking after her and working from home so luckily I don't need to worry about that side of things. I usually get into school for 7 and previously I'd leave as soon as I was able to-I have a 45 minute journey. Now however I will probably be sorting issues with parents out etc after school. I am teaching 4 days and have management time on the 5th we have a staff meeting on a Tues til 5 and I have a management meeting on a Thurs til a similar time. I always go in for at least 5 days in the summer holidays. Generally my busiest time is May half term when we do reports. It is rare that I have a weekend without some kind of work. I try and get marking done as we go and over lunch-I normally sit for about half an hour of a 75 min lunch. Am hoping that I can get home by 5 at least one day and am trying to decide if it's better to stay really late one night in order to have less on the weekend.

 

[Dinah93]

My mum is a primary teacher in the UK, she works from around 8am until 5pm most days, but at least one night a week will be closer to 6 or 7pm. She also dedicates one day a weekend to lesson planning and admin. I've had 4 friends train to be teachers in the last 5 years, only one is still doing it, it is very hard to have a life and teach in the UK at the moment.

 

[DreamCatcher_]

I have just finished my probation year after doing the PGDE and secured my first permanent post.

Both times I have found myself busy for about a week during the summer holidays prepping for going to school (looking at plans, class lists and gathering resources). I have then spent a further 3ish days in class sorting it. So roughly 1.5 weeks of the 6 week summer holiday done.

Over Christmas, Easter and October I barely get time as forward plans are due for going back and they can be time consuming. I also have normal prep work to do.

During actual term time I find myself leaving at 7.45 to get to work for 8.15/8.20 to set up the class and run errands, then I work until almost 5pm each night (if I work through lunch it's about 4.30pm). Once I'm home I have two to three days where I work for another hour and a half/two hours once DS is asleep. Possibly the same for one day over the weekend.
We've just been inspected and I worked 7 hours for the Saturday and Sunday before it, in school.

Any meetings etc obviously affect how long I stay after school/work at home. Parents night's I typically don't get home until 9pm and I don't get to see DS at school events.

If you have a good class then it can be a breeze to teach but I have a multi-composite difficult class and I have went home crying almost every night for two weeks and my voice has almost gone - we're only 3 weeks in.

Teaching is very rewarding but even though DS and I go to school in the same authority I feel like I barely get to see him. I spend more time with and worrying about 24 other children. I am seriously considering a career move. I love teaching and working with children but the paperwork and bureaucracy of teaching is getting out of hand. When you add up all the extra hours over the contracted 35 hours you work, then take time away from your holiday, I spend about 4-5 weeks a year on 'on holiday': the same as any other parent I know.

I'm in Scotland.

 

[goingforit]

I am a UK primary school teacher and am just pregnant with my first. There is no way I can continue my current lifestyle with a child. I get to work for between 7-730 and leave at 6pm daily.

Sadly I think the expectations have continued to grow over the years and this ultimately means you live to teach. Even when I finish at 6 I am at home planning, assessing or even marking.

I'd love to know how parents juggle their families as this is a real concern of mine. I've struggled to get to this stage and want to make the most of it all...not squeeze them in around my busy schedule.