Teachers- Ainu to be miffed about this?

[Moulesfrites]

Basically, I had a thread here last week. I informed the secretary at school that I am taking the full year of mat leave and so going back at Christmas not September. My head of department took the hump as I hadn't told her first. I have apologised about this to her and am meeting her next week as she wants to talk about it. She has a new job so won't be my head when I go back anyway.

Today she has emailed next years' timetable and I feel I have been penalised for my decision to take the year off. Basically, I have been given set 9 in both year 10 and year 11, and no a level classes. My hod has told me if I had gone back in September I would have had a level, but as I am not she has had to gave it to someone else. I have always taught a level, ever since I was an nqt, and have always had excellent results.

As for ks4, generally it works that if you have a higher set y10 you get a lower set y11, or vice versa, just for balance, but in my case i have been given 2 set 9s. I like teaching this ability level but am just concerned about the lack of balannce (having two set 1s could be equally hard because of the increased marking, bigger class size, etc).

I realise this might be because my tt is going to be taught by supply for the first term and I am only going to be there for 2 terms before I will have a new tt, but I just feel as if innate been penalised for having a baby- . I know my jobis to teach the children i have put in front of me, and i will do so, but in my school this timetable combo would be recognised as a raw deal. I just feel as if I am going to spend the rest of my mat lEave dreading going back to work!

Can someone help me snap out of this? Aibu?

[itisnearlysummer]

Perhaps they just want continuity for the A level students?

[ubigliar]

As someone who's dd has had 3 different teachers this year due to sickness absence and maternity leave - it's just really disruptive for the pupils. I can also see that it's unfair for you but A levels are a crucial time for many pupils.

[olderyetwider]

Hope you're not an English teacher!

[Blu]

You can't really blame them for wanting to plan and manage things so that there is continuity and minimal disruption for th A level students, can you? It will presumably only be for 2 terms until the new school year?

[Moulesfrites]

Sorry for typos! Stupid iPad autocorrect!

[Ormirian]

Do you think any class would benefit from changing teachers at Christmas? I'd be a bit pissed off if it was my DC especially in Yr 11 or at A-level.

[Moulesfrites]

I accept in terms of continuity it might be better, but, at the risk of sounding arrogant, I am a much more capable a level teacher than the one who is taking the class I would have had. He has previously had a level classes taken from him for messing up their coursework etc, so in fact, I think it would probably be better for the pupils if I did take over at Christmas!

I suspect this might be what my hod wants to discuss tis week. I just feel guilty and sad about this, both for my ds and the pupils I should be teaching!

[roomonthebroom]

The same thing happened to me when I went back off maternity leave, but I understood it was done so that the pupils had continuity. The view I took was that I am paid to teach, the level of class did not matter, particularly since I was going back in December too, so it was only for six months.

I'm sure when your child gets to GCSE and A level age you will appreciate continuity for them, rather than constantly changing teachers throughout the year.

Oh, and glad you apologised to your dept head for not telling her of your intentions first. I'm sure you now realise that it was poor form.

[clemetteattlee]

This happened to a friend of mine and although she was cross I completely understand why the school did it. They have to put the students first and need t give the a level students continuity. Conversely I don't like the view that the less able should just put up with anyone which is a view inherent in such a policy.

Try to imagine you worked in, advertising say, and were asking if the agency was being unreasonable by not delaying the start of a project until you came back. They are not penalising you, they are putting the students and the school first.

[clemetteattlee]

Both times I took maternity leave from teaching, I returned realising I was not as indispensable as I had thought...

[roomonthebroom]

Yes, I was a better teacher than the person covering my classes too but I was quite glad I didn't have to go in and re-teach parts of the course or do crazy catch up in the run up to the exams. It was quite nice not to have too much pressure of marking reams of essays when I had a new baby at home to look after, and I couldn't have stayed up marking till midnight as it would have killed me.

[Moulesfrites]

Yes room, there is that. Thank you for helping me look on the bright side!

I think the point about not being indispensable is a good one - maybe I am struggling with that at the minute.

[clemetteattlee]

It is hard, because before babies I would constantly talk about "my kids" meaning the ones at work, and would never take a day off when I was ill because they "needed" me etc etc but kids/colleagues tend to act "out of sight, out of mind" until you go back. BUT it is liberating, because you realise you can just be a teacher in teaching hours, and a mum at home and that it is your job, not your life.

[lostmyjob]

I would be upset if my son's teacher returned in the middle of term just to accomadate their wishes.

I would rather the teacher finished the year rather than swopping half way.

Just because you think you are a better teacher than her doesn't mean to say that is true.
She may be able to relate to them in a different way/present things different. Who knows, but it is unfair for you to think like that.

[Moulesfrites]

Lost my job, I am afraid it is true, it can be proven if you look at our respective track records. I think one of the reasons my hod is annoyed is because she does not really want to give this person an a level class but now has to because of my decision.

[lostmyjob]

Well I stand by what I said though. I've been fed up with the amount of supply teachers and the like that my kids have it would be nice for them to go for a year without interuption.

[Moulesfrites]

Has the supply been down to maternity covers or other issues? I think it is just a fact of life that teaching, which often attracts young females, is going to be affected by those people having children.

[ajandjjmum]

Really Moules - they can't run the timetable around your desires. You are clearly entitled to your full year, and it looks that this will cause a compromise with your timetable - but you can't have it both ways.

I would certainly prefer my DC to have continuity at A level.

[Groovee]

I had 2 years at high school where the teacher went off on Mat Leave within weeks of the term. Got a Mat Cover in for them to go off elsewhere half way through the leave and then another cover coming in until the teacher returned (those were the days when you got 14 weeks). It was very disruptive and I found it better when I had teachers for the full time of my exam work.

The thing is when you take time off in any school type job then what you know you are good at may not what suits the school, pupils or parents.

[IgnoringTheChildren]

Well this is why I've opted to go back in Sept rather than take a full year off I know that if I waited til I had to go back I'd end up with a timetable full of odd lessons as, because I'm part time, the school hasn't employed a maternity cover teacher - they've just spread my teaching load amongst the other staff in my department.

However if your A-level subject is modular with exams in January then I would think this could work as a good opportunity for you to start teaching the class after the Jan exams. I taught an A-level class before going on mat leave, sharing the group with the two teachers who would continue to teach the group once I left. This wasn't a problem for the group as we were all established teachers in the school and made it clear that we were working as a team to ensure the students gained the information and experience they needed to do well.

[Moulesfrites]

Ignoring, it's rubbish isn't it!

I feel like I am doing what is best for my ds by taking the year, but have shot myself in the foot career wise!

I get your point about the a-level. I think my hod might have something like that in mind as she fees so strongly about this other teacher doing a level. But then that might be a headache too, as others have pointed out up-thread. I suppose I just have to accept that it is only for two terms, and only really for one and a bit with year 11, and will probably end up being a lighter workload than if I had a level and higher ability classes.

[reallyshouldnotwearjods]

I did not have the choice for a year off, so tbh be thankfull for that x

I only got 6 months!!

Erm tough tits, your decision NOT to go back in Sept, so you are fully aware of the situation when you made YOUR decision to return in Dec, the decision should be for the best interests for the children and not your career x

[freddy05]

I'm sure there's a little law out there about not being discriminated against for taking maternity leave.

Anyone who would complain about their little darling changing teachers part way through the year is barking mad. schools don't own teachers and they move for lots of reasons and are off for lots of reasons.

Top set students will always cope better with a change of teacher than bottom set because they already have knowledge and confidence.

How depressiong to work in a school where every child matters but some matter more :(

[Moulesfrites]

I know, cat64, the set 9s won't be easy in terms of behaviour, but will be easier in terms of workload, they will be entered for fewer exams, and generally generate shorter coursework pieces than top sets, who write reams! The class sizes are smaller too.

Freddy - do you really think this is grounds for discrimination? I thought in was just having a bit of an unreasonable moan! I think the same about the lower ability kids, it's a shame that they are automatically given to the supply teacher. In a way, it is a little short sighted of the school in terms of results because the tops sets are pretty much guaranteed to pass, whereas if a couple of kids from the bottom sets manage to scrape through, then it can make huge difference to the schools' figures- which seems to be their main priority!