better the devil you know?

[Moomin]

sorry if this is boring - yet another employment thread by me in my post-natal state trying to decide what to do about work - ARGGGGGGHHHHHHH!

I'm on maternity leave and should be going back to my 3 day a week teaching job about now, but i've deferred and I'm going back for the last half term after whitsun, 2 days a week.

The way things stand at the moment, I can either:

Return to my old job 2 days a week in sept; 2 days instead of 3 because of the travelling which is 45/50 mins on the bypass and motorway, and i'd have to leave the 2dds at their childminder at about 7.30am. I love the people i work with but there's a new head who has changed the atmosphere somewhat (staff are feeling quite negative); it's a city school, the kids are ok but not brilliant; the school is very supportive and discipline is good; my dept is very hard-working and everyone feels very stressed there - the school is very 'cutting-edge' and desperate to stay that way so it works the staff very very hard. Staff are quite young though on the whole, they're great people, I'm known there (so nothing to prove) and pay is good for what i do.

Alternative has come up - still 30mins drive away but to a school in a very rural area, so no traffic to speak of, much smaller school, part-time post is offered (and they don't come up very often near to where i live); their ofsted is 'outstanding' with kids' behaviour 'exemplary'. I've worked in a school similar to this years ago and it was lovely in lots of ways but staff tend to be older (but there again, so am i!)

I'd stand a good chance of getting it if i went for it i reckon, but can't decide to sit tight and see if anything closer comes up and go back to old job for now if it doesn't, or try this out.

[Expectantmum]

Why don't you go the interview, see what happens and then if they offer you the job, see how you feel then?

[Sparklemagic]

moomin, can you apply, go for interview, etc, and just see how you feel further down the line? This new post certainly sounds a more attractive proposition, but I know what you mean about having nothing to prove in your current post. TBH, going back after maternity leave is hard enough without having to be the new bug....

Though part time is great, cos even if it's hard at first it isn't every day so you can forget work a bit more....

why not go for the new job and see if you get it, then decide from there? You should at least give yourself the opportunity to have the choice I reckon.

[Moomin]

interesting new development: went into school yesterday to see the Head and what the situation would be if i only went back 2 days week in sept. I think i could manage this much better as it woudn't seem such a big chunk of my life spent on the motorway but the downside would be crappy teaching groups probably , in that i'd be teaching odds and ends rather than whole groups for their 3 periods of english a week. HOWEVER, the head asked me if i'd be interested in a new lesson being started in sept which is basically a skills and motivation course for GCSE pupils to help their attainment and this is just the sort of thing i'm into. I'd be helping set the course up and delivering at least 1 or 2 sessions of it a week. he also mentioned a scheme he's starting up to do with the mentoring and support of new staff, which again is right up my street. I'm REALLY tempted now! and on 2 days a week.... i really wouldn;t get this opportunity anywhere else; it'd just be straight teaching.
am feeling quite excited after being so pissed off about having to work there again in sept. what a difference a day makes