Teachers - when did/will you tell your students?!

[Angel5000]

Hello Ladies!

I'm 8w pregnant, and am a high school teacher. I'm looking for fellow teachers to get some advice/thoughts.

I've missed a lot of work in the last couple months because we started the process with the RE, and had to miss a lot of afternoons for testing. Due to previous losses (all early, before 6 weeks), I'm considered a high(er) risk and my RE did blood work every 48 hours from my BFP until my levels reached over 1600, and is doing weekly US until I complete first trimester. Because of all the missed work I've told some coworkers and my principal,all of which are incredibly supportive. I hvae not told any students. My morning classes aren't affected but my last two afternoon classes have had subs a lot more than others because of late afternoon appointments.

They are starting to ask questions. I've managed to brush most of them aside, and blame it on my asthma/lungs (I've had pneumonia twice this year, so that isn't a stretch) but they're getting suspicious. I've heard from other teachers and students that the rumor going around is that I have cancer.


So here's my question: The school year ends June 16th. When did or do you plan on telling your students. I would prefer to wait until after 1st Tri, but I won't be done with 1st trimester until well after school ends. Should I tell my students during the last week of school, or not tell them anything and when the school year starts fresh next year I can start the year by telling my classes in teh beginning (because they'll need to know they'll have as sub for a chunk of second semester).

I actually feel kind of bad for lying to them so much but I don't want to have to explain to them what happened if something goes wrong either.

So . . . . now that I've written a book what did you do or do you plan to do in terms of telling students?

 

[lemsz]

so I am a teacher and I am not going to tell, please G-D it should all go well with you , they will see you next year ( unless some are graduating). but there is enough pain in loss without having to involve children. I wouldn't say anything. you could just say that for now your afternoon schedule has changed a bit and that whenever you can you will be there, and when not you are in good contact with the sub. its really hard , we view these kids as our kids too, and we care about them, and subs usually dont do the things the way we want them done, so I really undestand your feelings

 

[george83]

I'm a teacher but only teach primary so it's a bit different, some of them only asked if I was having a baby the day I went on maternity leave at 38 weeks pregnant. I still wouldn't say anything to the children until I was comfortable in doing so but maybe just try to settle the rumours that you have cancer by saying something, for example you've heard the rumours you're not ill but are having tests and if you feel you need to just say it's for your asthma. Children aren't stupid I'm pretty sure some of them will guess fairly quickly anyway

 

[loeylo]

I'm a secondary teacher too and I managed to hide it to 26w. Met a pupil during summer (who I taught every day) wearing a fitted top and she was shocked I was pregnant - I was maybe 30 weeks. I had an obvious bump really early, I'm average framed but all ym weight gain was bump. Id personally not tell as once the kids knew it was a total distraction.

 

[krissie328]

I taught elementary school and I waited until third tri to tell them. I would personally wait until the beginning of next year.

 

[ser523]

I'm an elementary teacher. I would wait until next school year to tell them. And as a pp said, try to quell the cancer rumors, don't want kiddos thinking that.

 

[Angel5000]

Thanks for all the advice! I'm bloated enough at 8w that I actually look pregnant in some days and I had just lost quite a bit of weight prior to my BFP so I look like I just gained back a ton but I'm trying to hide it with "flowy" tops and what not. I have 2 students who do know, they overheard a teacher and the teacher tried to make it very very clear that it was imperitive they stay quiet and so far I haven't heard any more kids talk about it so I think they are dojng a decent job of keeping quiet (impressive and almost impossible for HS girls)

I live in the town I work and it's a small town so I'm sue that over the summer lll run into kids and they'll start to figure it out. But I think I'll try to avoid sayin anything until next year. They will see me in passing next year.

Thanks everyone!

 

[malia]

I also teach high school and i am so bloated that quite a few have asked me. I'm hoping to hide it until the summer holidays in 4 weeks and by the time I return I should be about 24 weeks and it should then be pretty obvious!

 

[stxcamh]

I would definitely definetly wait until next year. I'm on my 3rd pregnancy and I waited until a decent way through 2nd tri until I told my classes.
Although you are noticing the changes to your body kids are way too preoccupied to notice if you've gained a few pounds. If you are getting a bigger belly then here more likely to think you've been eating too much as I don't think it looks like a 'baby bump' until later iykwim😂 Also, if you tell them now you may find that some pupils will be disappointed to have you as their teacher at the beginning of next academic year as you'll effectively be leaving them in the middle of a school year. Particularly your exam sets. Just some observations for you! 😘

 

[Angel5000]

Thanks.

I originally planned to wait until 2nd Tri, which in this case will be the beginning of next school year. The only reason I was even thinking otherwise was the couple students who have already started to ask. High school students are incredibly perceptive, and quite af ew of my students have siblings or parents who are pregnant or recently were, so the many doctor appointments have given them some ideas.


stxcamh - If I told the students now it wouldn't affect next year. None of the students I teach now will be my students this next year. Usually I teach two consecutive courses, so there is a chance of having a group of students a second year in a row but our incoming class is so much larger than normal that I'll only be teaching one course, and it will all be the incoming student class. Therefore, telling my current students would have a minimal influence on the students for next year. And the new students next year will know by day 1 next school year because my district will want to start getting kids prepped for the need for a maternity sub, and will spend some time prepping a new teacher to take over my courses so the kids wll know. I'll end up telling them within the first couple days. Trust me, they won't be disappointed, they'll be thrilled at having a sub for 3 months. I work in a district where our students are certainly not strongly academically motivated and the incoming class I'm going to have is actually one of the worst this district has had in awhile so they will def not be disappointed. lol

I don't know what you mean by "exam sets". But if you mean the kids who have a state exam, I don't have any. Next year I will only have sophomores and with the new state testing set up only our Junior classes will take a state math exam.