Can teaching ever be 9-5?

[nappyrat]

Is it a good option for fitting work around having a family like a lot of people think...or is that just not the case anymore? I hear of teachers doing such long days and so many extra duties. Just wondering if it can really work as well as people say if you have children?

[stillenacht]

I have two boys, only teach part time (.7) and am struggling. I have colleagues with children who are full time, I have no idea how they cope.

[Fragglewump]

Not in my experience no. I leave the house at 7.15 am and get home between 6.30 and 7.30 pm often stressed grumpy and with loads more work to do.

[sassytheFIRST]

Not in term time but the holidays are fab with small children.

Swings and roundabouts ...

[Littlefish]

I would say that during term time, teaching is one of the least family friendly jobs there is.

[stillenacht]

I did 13 hours of marking over the weekend, have about 7 hours to do this weekend...it's like that every other week (ie I give myself one weekend off out of every three)

[Verycold]

Definitely not 9, school starts earlier than that! I leave home at 8 and get back at 5 twice a week, 4ish the other nights. Work in evening about twice a week, on weekend maybe once a month. 0.8 timetable. Only 15 min commute, very relaxed school.

[nappyrat]

eeek....! Anyone got a more positive experience?

[Wolfiefan]

If the government get their way it will be 10 hour days for all!

[stillenacht]

I do very little marking in the week though....

[stillenacht]

However I still do planning, photocopying, letter and email writing, revision clubs and music clubs in the week over and above teaching.

[ShoeWhore]

My Mum was a teacher. She was in school by 8-8.20 every morning, home at maybe 4.30-5 but then she worked 2-3 hours 4 evenings a week and then all Sunday afternoon and maybe Sunday evening as well.

She didn't work much in the holidays but this was a while ago. The workload hasn't got any lighter.

[MrCabDriver]

I'm on a 0.65 timetable.

Drop my daughter to CM at 8, school is 5 mind away.

3 of my days are half days and I get her at 2.
2 days are full days I get her at 4.30.

I'm dreading going full time once she starts school herself!

Some weeks I'm super organised and don't have much to do in the evenings, but 2 busy days can throw all that out the window!
I definitely think it's a job where organisation is KEY.

[GoodnessIsThatTheTime]

No. It's not about whether its a positive experience or not its simply demands of the job.

If your school lets children in at 8.30/8.40 you need to be there in plenty of time to set up/ log on to the computer/ put resources out/photocopy etc so realistically by 8.

The students might leave at say 3 - 3.15 but you then need to pack away the classroom, collect up books/ photocopy for the next day/ confer wtih colleagues/ meetings after school.

If you're lucky you could be away at 4. So that's 8-4 (Sort of 9-5) actually in school BUT, what are you going to teach all day the next day? When are you going to mark all the books from that day? There will be hours of prep/marking associated with that day/the next days teaching.

You can't just turn up and teach out of thin air. Also there are ridiculous amounts of tracking and proof of planning now. So you can't plan quickly on a notepad, you need to produce a document showing exactly what you will do with each lesson the next day. As well as assesment proof that you've done it.

It's a great job but no, not 9-5 by a long shot.

What exactly did you think it would be like?

[BobPatSamandIgglePiggle]

I teach in FE. I'm out of the house from 7am - 6.30pm. It's a real struggle - preparing my own classes and those of tutors running workshop sessions / additional learning sessions etc takes up lots of my evenings.

Add in marking, admin, meetings, training, child protection, preparing for observations / OFSTED, liaising with parents / carers / hostels, disciplinaries, tutorials....

I work .8 but in reality squeeze a 5 day job into 4. I've just finished marking and it's 10.20.

I need to leave teaching and will be spending a day at half term (we don't get school holidays, just an allocated number of days) looking for a job outside of education.

Sorry - not the answer you wanted.

[BabyMummy29]

It used to be - I can remember my mother leaving school at 3.30 with me and arriving with me at 8.45. I never remember her having after-school meetings of loads of marking and preparation to do.

Nowadays it's a totally different story, Not at all child friendly during term time, but you have plenty of time with your family in the hols, although contrary to what the general masses think, it's not 13 weeks off doing absolutely nothing to do with school.

[defineme]

Dh leaves at 740 am, gets home about 5pm (parents evening etc aside) and does an hour work every other night, sometimes 2 at the weekend. He's a secondary Head of Faculty with outstanding results, but he has been doing this a very long time so has things in place iyswim. He works through every lunch time, you will never find him with a cup of tea in the staff room, every minute at work is used. He refuses to get stressed 'it'll get done in the end' is his motto. The head is human and that is an unusual plus ime!
The holidays are fantastic and he's there for tea and kids' activities. I think it only works because he is a peculiar mix of laid back, conscientious, personable (kids love him) and very good at his subject-so he does things more quickly.

[GoodnessIsThatTheTime]

Bob what are you looking at? I'm teetering.

[ravenAK]

Nope, sorry!

I drop kids off at Breakfast Club at 7.40, am one of the last of my colleagues to arrive at work at 8. Most nights I'm home by 5 (p/t nanny collects dc from school & looks after them until then), but not if there's a meeting - at least twice a week.

An hour marking/prep on a 'light' night, more like 3 hours at busy times.

I worked from 10am-6pm last Saturday, then settled down again at 9pm Saturday night to work through the night; I expect to do this at least twice each half term.

But as sassy said, the holidays are great. I refuse to work during the day in the hols, although I still have to do about 20 hours a week over the evenings in order to write new schemes of learning etc.

[maxpower]

My sil is a 0.5 primary teacher. She gets to work c. 8.30 and leaves about 3.30. I've never seen her or heard of her doing any work at home. Only other thing is parents evenings.

[ThistledownAndCobweb]

Not if you do it well.

I'm out of the house from 7.30am until 6pm most days.

I try really hard not to bring marking home because it depresses me to have to lug boxes of books too and fro but I spend a lot of time at home preparing and also doing stuff linked to my coordinator roles.

[nappyrat]

ravenAK - wow! Is that full time? Thanks everyone, really interesting and insightful

[EvilTwins]

Not 9-5, no. I drop my kids at breakfast club at 8, get in by 8.15 and leave between 4.15 and 5, depending on whether I have to get my kids to a club or activity. Then, once they're in bed, I work for 2-3 hours. I usually work on Sunday afternoons/evenings. At the moment, I'm doing the school play, so am rehearsing at lunchtimes, after school and on Sundays. Then there are parents evenings, option evenings, meetings etc etc.

I totally love my job, but it's intensive and exhausting. Don't go into it because it's famil friendly - it isn't in term time. The holidays, on the other hand...

[BobPatSamandIgglePiggle]

Honestly goodness i have no idea, i just need to leave. I'd like to do something i don't have to think about. I worked in a cafe whilst at college answer would love to do that again but we can't afford it.

[stillenacht]

I had a suitcase on wheels with 200 books last weekend. This weekend it's mostly work that has been emailed to me fortunately

[nappyrat]

Thanks twins. It's not only that I thought it's family friendly that I'm interested, I think it would be v rewarding, and I'd love to pass on my enthusiasm for my subject. But at the same time, my dc are my total priority so I want to be there for them at all times...just worried that would be an issue.