ANY TEACHER-MUMS OUT THERE??? question about work-life balance!

[dinkyboysmum]

So i'm on maternity leave at the moment and am trying to decide what to do next! it had always been my intention to return full time as ds&i can have the school holidays together, after all,its not like we only get the statutory 21 days holiday (or whatever it is)!!

However i've kind of 'fallen in love' with the little chap and have serious case of 'nappy brain'. Think it might be more realistic to go part-time. How do i go about this? Can i request to go 0.6 for example? Can i specify the days i want to work, or will school tell me what i have to do?

If i go back full time, can i then change my mind if its too hard and ask for part-time?

Anyone got any advice? How did/does it work for you? Also, how do you get to school on time? My school opens doors at 8.15am, and nursery which is 10 mins away opens at 8am...i would have no preparation time, and dont really want to drop ds and run!

ANy advice welcome!

[minigirl]

I am also a teacher and went back to work after 6 months. I was open and honest. I booked a time to go in and see my Head in person. I put my cards on the table. I asked for 0.8 and for a Monday off. This was before the timetable had been written and so he was very helpful and said that that would be fine.

As I said, my personal experience is to be honest and talk things through. I know you do not have to tell them what you are thinking, and perhaps not all headteachers are quite so accomodating as mine was. But, if you don't ask, you will never know!

I love having Mondays with my DS, but I do seem to do the same amount of work, for 20% less pay and 20% more stress on a Tuesday! It is worth it though!

[dinkyboysmum]

thanks...that was my reasoning for going 0.6. i figured 0.8 would be the same stressload as full time but less pay! sounds like your head was great...not sure what response i'd get.

[Judy1234]

I think it depends on the school and what works and what doesn't. There is a right to request flexible working. It isn't always feasible if you would be the class teacher who needs to be there every day so they can legally refuse the request. But may want to keep you if you're good.

Also I think once you go back you can't change once something is arranged but I may be wrong.

[katiebell100]

I went bacl part time when ds1 was 6 months old. I did 0.5 and it wasn't too bad, I had a class share with another teacher and the preparation was manageable, I used to do it all before I left at night and in my lunch hour (I never went to the staff room as it was more important to me to get home). However, when I had ds2 I gave up completely and did 1 day a week supply from when he was just over one. I'm going to be doing 2 days from September and at this stage, my boys are 2 and 4, I think that's all I want to do. I'll go back full time when ds2 is at school.

Be honest with the head about what you want, my head wasn't keen to have me work part time, but someone else had already come back part time so she had to let me. First she offered me mornings, but then I got a class share, which was better. I still had to do all my co-ordinator's stuff as if I was full time, I didn't get to do that part time.

Are you primary or secondary?

[bozza]

I think you could change once you go back but would have to be at a convenient point - like end of school year or whatever. I think drop and run is the usual procedure at nurseries TBH. Also have you a DH/DP who could do the drop and then you could presumably finish at a reasonable time to pick up? That is how we work it.

[sAurorhal]

Dinkyboysmum,I went back full time when DS was 6 months, mangaged a month and ended up in tears in the Head's office!! He did however offer me part time which at the time was surprising as he had always been very anti part timers. I did however have to carry on for another two terms full time.

I changed jobs in January and have just done two terms full time (going part time again in Sept hurrah ) It has been hard work and I did get a bit sad at times but you mangage and something has to give ( for me marking )


I think that more and more teachers are going part time. When are you due to go back? I would have thought you will have to see out the school year on the full timetable unless you have a very accommodating head who would perhaps try and find a job share?

Hope you can sort something out!

[Nymphadora]

lots of the teachers at my school do the prep in the evening befre they leave so in the am they just have to turn up before the kids!

[hannahsaunt]

Part-time with teachers sharing a class seems to be quite common here (NE Scotland) and certainly works for the children. Hope you get something worked out.

[dinkyboysmum]

thanks for all your advice...its nice to hear how other people work it out. i'm primary - reception - due to go back in april, i think, but need to go back earlier for finances! was hoping for december (just before xmas hols!)
dh leaves early for work so cant do nursery drop-off.

[Judy1234]

A teacher couple (their boy is in my son's class) used to drop the toddler at nursery at 7.30am and then the son at the school's 7.30am breakfast club so they could both be in their different schools at 8am and then the boy stayed in the after school club until 6pm. Both parents were teachers and they alternated who did which of the runs - to this school (where they didn't teach - they teacher in senior schools) or the nursery. That seemed to work well for them.

[dinkyboysmum]

i work in an independent school - say no more.

[peachygirl]

I'm going back 3 days a week in september. DD was born in Feb and I work in a SEN school. I did 3 weeks full time at the end of term to get my holidays paid for - easy peasy work and well worth it. (Lucky though as Dh was able to do childcare)
I've also been lucky in that one of the parent from school is going to be my childminder so for two of the days. She will drop off DD whan she picks up her son. I will bring him in in the mornings as I drop off DD.
I wrote to my head and to the chair of govenors stating what I wanted to do I am moving from class teaching to teaching music to the whole school and covering another class and before I left I set this idea as a seed with my head.
For me the most important thing was writing to che chair of govenors seperately as I felt that it meant that my wishes would be taken seriously.
Bit of rambling sorry

[lubeloo72]

I'm returning in September 0.6- my head was extremely accommodating to my needs and I even got to choose my days. Mind you, our school has had a grand total of 5 maternity leaves to deal with in two academic years so there are are already plenty of part time teachers at the school to put me in a job share with!
There are loads of job share posts out there which suggests that there are more and more teachers with young children wanting to work part time. But yes, like others have said be honest as it's better for everyone and you might find your headteacher to be more flexible that you thought. Are there any other part timers at your school?

[jerrygirl]

i'm a teacher in a primary school and from next sept (08) i am going to ask for jobshare. can't afford it until we pay few debts. i agree that it is so hard to find work/life balance. I teach reception year and have to be in early to be oragnised before the children arrive. I try to do as much as possible in the evenings and then make list of wht needs to be done 1st thing in the morning. this helps to clear my head. i also set aside one evening at home (tuesday) where i'm allowed to do necessary work and my dh takes care of my little girl. Buti'm strict that this is the only evening i do work as there can always be more to do and it takes over your life. two teachers in my school jobshare and it works brilliantly. one does mon/tues + half wed and then other takes over. on wed there is overlap of half hour where they can discuss problems etc. once a month they meet up at each others homes to plan. both say it ahs changed their lives completely.