Any teacher mums returning full Time?

[Izzie74]

Are any of you teachers and returning to work full time? Have you got any tips or ideas on how you are going to manage workload, preparation, planning etc? It would be so nice to spend time in the evenings when lo is in bed not doing catchup!

 

[Prinny_1]

Hiya! I'm going back part time this time, but with DS1 I used to work in evenings so I had the weekends free to hang out with him. You just get a bit more efficient when you have a lovely small person to go home to! Xx

 

[Cattia]

I went back 4 days a week after both my oldest two and will be doing the same this time around, so not quite full time. I agree that you get much more efficient and also less perfectionist. It isn't that you don't care as much, just that your priorities are different, so a lot of the extra stuff you take on before having kids (extra curricular activities, extra responsibilities etc) takes a back seat for a while. I always find it hard when I hit the pressure points like coursework deadlines or exam times, but generally I have managed to make it work. I work most evenings but never at weekends. I only start working once the kids are in bed. I find the hardest thing actually, is not doing the marking / prep, but more balancing that with getting the school uniforms, sandwiches etc ready for the next day. This time around, I am going back into a management role which will be more responsibility and extra hours, but hardly any teaching. I am wondering how that will be in terms of time spent working at home. Hopefully better!

 

[Cattia]

The other thing I forgot to add is that having the school holidays is a MASSIVE bonus, especially when your own kids are in school. Not only do you save a fortune on childcare, you get to spend really great quality time with them.

 

[Izzie74]

The other thing I forgot to add is that having the school holidays is a MASSIVE bonus, especially when your own kids are in school. Not only do you save a fortune on childcare, you get to spend really great quality time with them.

This thought is what is keeping me going. Holidays have always been a bonus, and now I will be able to spend them with my DD.

 

[Izzie74]

My plan is to work through break times and eat lunch at my desk/computer if no duties. Was organised before, now I'm going to use old resources as much as possible and galvanise my ta who thank goodness is already very supportive.

 

[Cattia]

I definitely use a lot more old resources than I used to. Tbh, it's made me realise how much stuff I have. I used to design a new resource for everything, now looking back I realise I have three or four versions of essentially the same thing! Guess I felt like I was doing it properly by always doing new stuff but why reinvent the wheel x

 

[Tattoo]

I went back full time after my first baby. I'm asking for a job share this time.
I used to work through lunchtime. I'd hook myself up to my breastpump and express. I'd mark books with one hand and eat with the other. I'd finish my marking and prep in the afternoon before I went home. Planning was all done in my PPA time (I recycled a lot of old planning!). I became a lot more efficient in my work. No spending time drinking coffee after work; I'd whizz back to my classroom to mark or prepare for the next day. I'd make lists of things I needed to achieve in my non-contact time, and just plough through the tasks.
I work in a private school, which has massive advantages for a working mum. Our maximum class size is 16 children, so my marking load is half what it'd be in most schools.

My big tip is to volunteer to host trainee teachers as often as you can! If you get a choice, ask for trainees in their final placement. There is a fair bit of paperwork involved, but it frees up your time. You won't have as much day-to-day stuff to do, because the trainee will be planning and marking most stuff.

 

[ferozi12]

Yes, went back to work when DS was 6 months old. I'm a lot more efficient now, I think. I don't know what level you teach (IMO primary school is harder because you teach them all day long with no breaks) but I teach 12th grade so I have free periods between classes. I use those to add to my resource file, prepare notes, grade, etc. I also used a lot of old resources this year, didn't realize how useful they were. I suggest using the summer to get organized. I know it's easier said than done when at home with a baby, but I have a babysitter for an hour a day during which I work on next year's lessons, day by day. I plan to be all set by September. Good luck!

 

[Izzie74]

I went through my cupboard yesterday and sorted it all out so at least it is easy to access everything. I teach Year One, but have several non contact lessons when they have music, pe, French and art. I will definitely be utilising these. Topic lessons can be recycled quite easily, but in my absence a new English and maths scheme has been introduced so a lot of time will be needed on that. I also have a new head which will be interesting, although an internal candidate so at least we know each other already.

 

[george83]

I went back full time after having ds1 and was there for 4 terms before going on maternity leave again. Organisational wise I found I just had to be super organised and not waste any time. I got in to good routines and stuck to them - didn't waste any non contact time, worked through lunch etc. the main thing I found was that I totally didn't want to be there full time (my part time request was turned down) and I lacked motivation massively