Any teachers out there - need to ask about work life balance

I do 0.65 at 6th form teaching, and I find I manage it by splitting my teaching hours over 5 days. I mostly work mornings, so I am able to take my DD to Breakfast club, and then I am able to pick them up from school most days too. I then do no work at all until DH comes home, and he puts the girls to bed whilst I do my marking / planning etc. I don't do any work at the weekend or during the holidays but I do work quite hard during the week.

In the first few years I worked really hard in developing really good lesson plans, and then spent the time after each lesson evaluating them, writing down alternative ideas etc etc so now I only need to adapt my plans each year and this cuts down a lot of my work. Most of what I do at home is marking (although teaching 'A' levels all the time, you could imagine I have a lot of that!)

It is hardwork, but it is manageable. I think a good timetable helps.

dh did mornings, so i could get in with time to be prepared.
4 days a week i worked til 5/5.30 then went home. once a week dh picked up dd, and i worked til i was done or school was locked up (sometimes with me in it), whichever came first.

i also kept socialising to a minimum, but that is a problem, as then you're sometimes 'out of the loop' on things.

i got the tech.s to block mn for me!!

if i still had to bring work home, i brought home ONE manageable task, and did it asap.

i used days in the holidays to put dd into nursery, and then WENT to work, where i just sat & got it done, no distractions.

otherwise it just stretches on forever, and you never feel 'free' of it.

and we had a cleaner twice a month. the night before she came round dh & i tidied everything up, so it never got beyond possible.

I second getting in early a couple of times a week. It really does help clear your desk.I try to get in by 7.15 twice a week.

I also have a cleaner, and get a shop delivered once a week.

This really helps me to manage everything as a .8 Head of Dept. That and cutting a lot of corners!

I went back full time when smaller son was a year old, he's now four.

I was of the opinion that I'd end up working full time hours anyway, so might as well get paid for it.

I try to do all my long term planning as I can in the holidays. Then I spend the early part of the evening with my family, before marking later on in the evening.

I teach in an independent school, so although we get longer holidays I teach until 4.30 every day, and also have to go in on some evenings and weekends.

One thing that helped was telling myself that not every lesson with every class has to be perfect.
Also "peer assessment" is good, sometimes.

OOO, I am a geography teacher too! I love teaching Geography it is definitely the best.

I used to do a 0.533 (don't ask...) timetable, and found it incredibly hard. I never felt like I knew what was going on at school, and also felt that I was doing a half-arsed job with my DTDs. They started school in September, and I went to FT teaching. I'm actually finding it MUCH easier being FT rather than PT. I do an hour at school every day, after the bell, then pick the girls up from their after-school club. I tend to do 2-3 hours 2 evenings a week after the girls are in bed, and some work on a Sunday evening (or morning when the girls are at their swimming lesson with DH).

We have a cleaner (bliss) and get the supermarket shop delivered. DH cooks dinner as often as I do. I always drop and run at parties and playdates, and use the gained time to get on with stuff (not always schoolwork - sometimes the important business of drinking coffee, eating hobnobs and catching up with Glee...)

I think teachers can let the job take over, but if you insist on prioritising your family, it is possible.

Our briefing messages are emailed out to all staff by 9.30am as staff are missing if they are on duty or in assembly for instance - it is worth suggesting this at your school johnthepong.
Our student messages for registration are passed on this ay too.

Im 0.5 too and one thing Iheartking thistle said really strikes a chord with me. I always miss briefing and I struggle to know what is going on in school half the time.

I work a couple of evenings a week but try to get all the rest done in frees, lunches, before school etc. I am lucky in that I teach a practical subject so there is less marking, although it means lessons can be manic- and I have been known to stay in school clearing up for hours before...

Family comes first, I really make an effort to ensure my kids have time with me after school/ weekends- although there are inevitable times when they watch cbeebies and I am planning.

I work full time. I am trying to work in the evenings for 2-3 hours each night after bed and then nothing at the weekend. I am fortunate I am allowed to take my PPA at home for one afternoon a fortnight and also we finish at 2:45 some days so I leave straight away work at home for a couple of hours and then pick up DD at 5:15ish. This means I get to do bath and bed etc cook tea and have the whole weekend with her. I have a cleaner and quite often make dinner (slow cooker) and/or prepare veg before I leave in the morning. I am determined not to work at weekends!

Problem is, I think teaching often really is a vocation for loads of us so it's really hard to not put your heart and soul into it. I'm actually already worrying about returning from mat leave as I know I won't be able to do as thorough job as I did and I'm not sure if the stress of not doing anything properly will just be so bad that I'm better off not returning. I want to go back but feel quite confused] as to how I'll cope. Sorry for rant OP.

0.6 over 4 days here and I wish I was as organised as you lot!

Prior to DC2 I worked 3 full days and put DD in nursery. I could stay a bit longer after school then to work.

Now DD is at pre-school so I juggle drop-off for her with drop-off at the childminder for DS and then pick-ups. They've given me a lovely timetable in terms of the DC which lets me walk DD to school almost every day and finish after P5 twice a week, so I can't complain about that. BUT that means that I have bugger all time in school to get anything done!

I think a supportive department really helps - I hope you have that OP! I've moved jobs from a department full of experienced mothers to a department where no-one has children and everyone works late. With the best will in the world I am always going to come up short against them and they are never going to understand what my life is like. I got the distinct impression they weren't too impressed when I haad to be off to look after sick DD, for example even though DH takes equal time off when the DC are ill.

Maybe I haven't settled in properly yet but I'm just feeling guilty about everything and seem to be chasing my tail a bit. One thing I would say is make super-sure you're kept informed about everything that is going on in school (I miss morning briefing due to my timetable and it's a nightmare!).

Sorry, that was more a rant than advice wasn't it? I do actually like teaching, believe it or not! Going to get off MN now and plan some lessons / clean the kitchen...

I'm also 0.5 and I too find it difficult to 'not plan all the time' I love my job though and as snowangels said I want to do a job properly, not half heartedly.

All the extra hours was worth it last night at parents' evening when all 60 Year 9 students that I teach said that they want to continue their studies at GCSE and the parents want me to teach them as I make the lessons interesting.

Then again I do teach Geography so it's not difficult to make it interesting and relevant

Frasersmummy: I don't think any teacher could reasonably expect to get all their planning / marking / admin etc done in their PPA time. We do generally send the kids home at 3.30pm and it's not unreasonable to expect to do a bit more when the young people aren't there. (As well as meetings, clubs, parents eves)- but I get the gist of what you are saying i.e if you work ft the expect to spend 5 days a week doing prep at the end of the school day but if you work less than that reduce it accordingly. You do have to be firm with yourself but I'm sure it's the same in any other salaried career.

Great thread, some really useful tips so thought I would share mine.

I work 0.6 (three days) and manage by doing the following:

DH does the morning routine and childminder drop off so I go in early and have at least an hour before school starts to get stuff done - usually admin/organising photocopying, form tutor stuff (whoever said having a supportive DH/DP is essential is soooo right!)

I stay for an hour after the bell goes (can just about manage 1h10mins if needed) before picking up DD. This takes care of planning and some marking.

I then work if needed once DD is in bed BUT only on Tues, Wed or Thurs evenings (I work Wed-Fri).

I am really strict with myself about only working at these times and only ever do work at the weekend if absolutely nec such as coursework/internal exam marking deadlines are looming - I shut my schoolbag away from Friday evening until Tuesday so I'm not tempted otherwise as others said, it can encroach.

I have always remembered something one of my PGCE mentors said to us at the beginning of our course: 'if time is precious and you value your health, good is good enough'. I have taken this to heart as when I decided to have DC the decision was made that my family come first. Once DD (and DC2 coming in May) are at school full time, I'll think a bit more about progressing my career for me (although will prob stay part time if I can :o)

The thing is, in teaching we have PPA (which would be pro rata), directed time for meeting etc (also pro rata), and then all the rest of the stuff we have to do. PPA is not enough time to do all the planning and marking, so the rest of the time is off the clock. And the conversation with a line manager would be about pro-rata non-contact and directed time, not all the other hours.

Most of what I do has been very articulately presented by Clam. The only thing I would add, is to give yourself an easy day every other week, where you try and set the kids work which they can mark, or independent work that spans two lessons, so you don't have to mark it straight away, or even plan to watch any relevant DVDs on this 'easy day'.

The other thing I try and do is only mark non core subjects every 3 weeks. I work 3 days a week, and so mark one day's worth of books over the course of one week.

I also set h/w that they actually need to do in order to complete the following lesson, eg 'bring in a list of powerful adjectives/ descriptive phrases to go in your free form poem next week.' That way I don't have to mark them, as they are soley for the kids to use in the lesson.

Snap FallenMadonna :) I wouldn't change it though. I have one day a week off; Mon - Fri I'm always checking school email and thinking about work but weirdly you do kind of find a way through. You have to have a cleaner and have a relaxed approach to ironing. meal planning and getting Ocado to deliver has also been really helpful in saving time. I work like a crazy lady in my PPAs but I alays take my lunch break - in my role I need to connect with my colleagues and they need to know there's always a point in the day they can see me. One night a week DH is able to be home in time to take over from the CM and I work very late at school - until 7pm usually and this really helps clear the decks. Once a week I usually get up very early to do things which will enable me to have a free weekend marking wise. I hardly ever work at the weekend although it is sometimes on my mind.

I am not a teacher but this does strike a cord with me.

I think sometimes you just have to say .. I'm part time for a reason.. ie to be with my family

You need to figure out how much non contact time you would need full time... then pro rata it to your pt hours.. ie full time you need 8 hours .. part time you should do 4 hours

If (and I strongly suspect in a teaching position) that the pro rata'd time is not enough then you need to sit down with your line manager (head , whatever) and have a conversation

I work FT as the head of a core subject department. I have no work-life balance

I get in half an hour before school starts and leave an hour after my last lesson and use that and my frees (I have a few trapped frees as I am 0.6 spread over 5 days) to do all my planning, photocopying, admin etc, and try to get marking done then too. I don't have any textbooks at home so I can't do any planning at home, which focuses the mind. The only thing I take home is marking and I do that after DS is in bed. It means that when I'm at school I'm manic, but I don't even think about school when I'm spending time with him and my weekends are free.

I am 0.6 after returning following maternity leave.

DD is in nursery so I stay until 5 each evening to do as much as I can in school (less now we have a production on). I also make the most of break/lunch time.

Peer and self assessment is a must.

I missed what subject you are but my planning is easier as I teach RE across the year groups so one plan with necessary tweaks for individual classes.

The fact we can't do everything was a hard thing to learn so I prioritise, my day to day planning comes first, my HOD duties next then assessment. Anything else is done when I have time.

So far, touch wood, the work I have had to take home has been minimal.

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