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If you're a teacher, what does a typical weekday evening look like to you?

50 replies

SeeMoreStars · 12/02/2019 17:18

Just that, really. Married, partnered, single, what is your typical evening like- can you even say you get a 'typical' evening? I see my DC teachers always look (and are) so busy. I'm very supportive of teachers so would prefer teacher-bashers to go elsewhere.

OP posts:
LoopyLoonyLuna · 12/02/2019 18:55

I work full time in a secondary school. I leave school at 4, collect my kids from their school, get home at about 5.15. I then supervise homework, get tea, do bath, reading, bed till about 8. I then start work again (mostly marking) and work till about midnight, sometimes later. Friday night I don’t do any work and am usually in bed straight after getting kids into bed!

Bigdreams · 12/02/2019 19:00

I leave work about 5.30-6pm. I only have a 20 minute drive. Get home, make tea, get into pjs, eat tea, do work (usually resource making) until about 8.30/9pm. Fall asleep exhausted!

Sometimes go home via a family's house for a quick catch up or via the supermarket for bits and bobs. If I do that I have to work a bit later. Occasional swim or walk (Not often enough as no time to do it!)

Stylinit · 12/02/2019 19:30

I teach 3 days a week. Married, 2dc, both at school. Dh also a teacher.

On work days I leave school at about 5, pick up the dc, home to do dinner, reading, bath etc. Dc in bed about 7.30. Dh & I then both on laptops working til around 10 for me, often until midnight for him.

Dh works like that 6 evenings out of 7 in a week. And around 3/4 of a day at the weekend. (He has an additional role that takes a lot of time.)

I ‘only’ need to work 4 evenings then most of one of my days off, more in busy weeks.

I would like to give it up and have a job that doesn’t need so much / any work outside of work hours but the holidays are valuable while the dc are young.

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ShirazSavedMySanity · 12/02/2019 19:43

I’m a 38 year old NQT.
School finished at 3:15 today, I then supervised after school sports activity and dismissed the children, finally getting back to my class at 4.35.
Then I marked RE books and found the mark scheme for the reading assessment the children have done today. Tidied my room, found 4 jumpers and a reading record which had gone missing. Spoke to another teacher about tomorrow’s mindfulness day then left at 5:40. Thankfully DH had collected our DC from their after school club.

Got home at 6. DH cooked whilst I helped a very upset DD with a maths SATs paper, she is 10. We managed to eat together.
DD is now at her club, DH took her. I’m currently waiting for DS to brush his teeth as we need to do his reading book.

In about 20 mins I need to sit down and mark 30 reading assessments then upload the data.

I’ll probably finish that then straight in bed - at 11 if I’m lucky.
Then up at 6 to start the whole thing again.

I work every night at home.
This year, I average about 60 - 70 hours a week, but that is partly as I’m an NQT.

peanutbear · 12/02/2019 20:36

I've just eaten!

I get to school around 715am. I leave anywhere from 430 - 630.
I work in SEN with SEMH so a primary curriculum but not as much marking.

However the reports and tracking and Boxall interventions are a huge amount of the work I do so I often work after dinner. Until 10pm and at least 4 hrs at the weekend.

I have an hours commute each end which is what I really find tiring and it's hard to get back into work once I have stopped. Although it does give me the headspace before I deal with home life.

I really enjoy teaching, I worked in a corporate environment for 15 years the work load and expectations in education are much higher.

Oh and I have annual EHC reviews next half term so will work this half term holiday too.

QueenofLouisiana · 12/02/2019 21:24

I didn’t do much last weekend- a couple of hours marking grammar tests. I am now playing catch up so worked until 9.15 last night. Parents eves this week, so late home with no time to work in the evenings. I’m planning to be in school just after 7am.

My data had to be in last week, so that was an extra 5 hours over the course of the week. I am officially shattered!

I teach yr6.

countdowntonap · 12/02/2019 21:31

Married - no children.
Home at 3.30pm Tue/Thur live 10 mins from school) and 4.15-4.30 Mon/Thur when I have a meeting after school.
I then have a late lunch Mon-Thur 4-4.30pm ish (work through lunch at school).
Planning/admin until 5.30-6ish, and that’s it for the night. I then go to yoga, spin, gym 6-8ish before coming home for dinner and a rest.

Banana770 · 12/02/2019 21:34

I get home around 5pm, play with the kids, do dinner and then do their bedtime. I work between 8-9:30 roughly. I only work three days as I have small DC so it’s only really three evenings like this at least.

Banana770 · 12/02/2019 21:37

Should say I’ve been teaching for ten years and am mostly on Key Stage 3 as I’ve come back mid year - it’s cut down on my planning as I’m teaching straightforward stuff I’ve taught a million times. I’m expecting to be working more in the evenings next year when I’m back up to A-level teaching and have more exam classes.

MsAwesomeDragon · 12/02/2019 21:39

I generally leave school at 4:30, collect dd2 from the cm. Do home stuff like cook dinner, sort dd's homework with her, eat, put DD to bed. By that time it's about 8:30. Then I get my marking out, mark a pile of books, plan some lessons for the next day, etc til bedtime. Sometimes I go to bed about 10/10:30, other times it's after midnight, depending how much I've had to do that night.

Chosennone · 12/02/2019 21:48

TBH after 20 years teaching I rarely do more than answer/send a few mails and reading work related texts.
The first 6 to 7 years pre kids i'd be planning for at least an hour in the evening.
Im a creative subject though so it is very inconsistent. Some weeks im in school for events until 10pm. Weekend rehearsals. Sometimes im not. I try and do most marking after school but wilp occasionally need to do a couple of hours at the weekend or a full day in the holidays.

ChesterGreySideboard · 12/02/2019 21:48

I’m normally home by about 5 - 6 pm.
Most nights I only do about half an hour to an hours work.
Sometimes, perhaps twice a month I will need to work the whole evening, when there is something pressing that needs doing, like reports etc

mineofuselessinformation · 12/02/2019 21:49

In the early years, come home and plan, then mark piles of exercise books - for 2 to 3 hours minimum.
Now, not so much because I've been teaching so long and have built up a bank of lessons plus worksheets that I can use (still adding to it three years after starting, plus differentiated worksheets to go alongside!)! I also plan my arse off for the coming week in my PPAs, knowing that I have 'lesson packs' in place - or I make new ones if needed. Luckily we have a very sensible marking policy.
I used to take part in an ONS survey once every six months, and my average working week in term time was 60 hours plus.

OxanaVorontsova · 12/02/2019 21:53

Secondary HOD, I aim to get in for 7.45am, school day starts 8.40. I do all my marking at school (we have sensible policies which helps!) usually leave around 5, sometimes later, but earlier on Fridays. Do my admin at home, 1-2 hours 3-4 evenings a week on average. Family meals most evenings. I’m lucky to lead a good dept in a supportive and realistic school, I used to be far less fortunate so count my blessings every day!

cpjoli · 12/02/2019 21:58

I got to work at 6.45am. Worked for a few hours. Meeting after school until 5.30. Got in at 6.15pm. Cooked dinner, washing on, make breakfast and lunches. An hour's house admin stuff, then planning on laptop until now when I've got into bed. Im shattered.
That's a pretty normal day, although only meetings are only once a week.

BBCK · 12/02/2019 22:01

Usually work 8 til 4:30 in school. Don’t usually mark at home in the week but do about an hour prep or admin Mon to Thurs eve. Work between 3 to 5 hours most weekends. I have been teaching in an inner city comp for 30 years so my prep may be less than some ( although I teach 4 different subjects) but I am beyond exhausted most nights 😢

MissMarplesKnitting · 12/02/2019 22:04

Part time. On my working days I leave at 6:50am, husband does breakfast club drop.

I pick up at 4:30 and do food and any clubs/activities/reading etc. Housework fits into this slot too.

Bath and bed for kids by 8:30, ideally husband does this a couple of nights and then I can settle down to work, if not it's 8:30-10:30 or so.

I do work Sundays too, usually 2-3 hours.

Xenadog · 12/02/2019 22:57

I work until 4.00pm teaching then don’t leave until 4.30 at the earliest, usually closer to 5.30 if I have a meeting (twice a week) or stuff to do in school.

I bring DD (5) home with me and we get in between 5.15 and 6.00. If Dd has been in aftercare (with tea) she just needs a snack and a bit of TV whiIst I start on dinner. If not, I get her fed almost immediately with something quick such as beans on toast. She has a proper lunch at school so her tea is always easy.

DP comes in around the same time so one of us does dinner, the other sorts out DD’s bag for the next day, gets some Washing on or does a quick tidy. We have dinner/ a quick tea then one tidies away the meal and the other puts DD to bed by 7.30pm.

7.30 - 8.00 I have to myself. Then at 8.00pm I begin working for the following day, marking, prepping, researching. I finish by 10.30 - 11.00pm (usually) and then have a few mins on MN and then go to bed.

If I have a lot of marking/extra bits to do I can work up to and past midnight. This can be 3 times a week at certain times.

Never work on a Friday night or on a Saturday though.

Shadowboy · 12/02/2019 23:02

I leave work at 4.30pm. I collect the children at 5pm. Cook dinner. Eat dinner. Do laundry while they play. Bath kids and put to bed.
Computer comes out at 8pm. I’ve just put it away and just reading Mumsnet in bed. So typically I work 8-10.30pm in the evening. Every sodding day of my life.... even weekends. I teach a level and have departmental responsibility though so it’s quite intense.

LeadMeToTheChocolate · 12/02/2019 23:03

Leave school at 5-5.30
Collect dd drop her to after school activity
Mark books in car outside activity
Home
Dinner
Housework
Get organised for next day/lunches etc
Marking/planning for anything up to midnight
Up at 5.00 to walk dogs
Take dd to school and get to my school by 7
No break until I leave school again
Most days I don’t have a wee at sch till 4.30 and eat my lunch while driving to collect dd at 6.00/5.30/6.00

SheilaHammond · 12/02/2019 23:19

Leave school between 530 and 6.
Home, cook dinner for 3 DC, DH works evenings and he’ll have left already. Dc are teens so let themselves in and have snacks etc after school.
Dinner about 630. Then relax for a bit, possibly have a nap so i can work later and collect DH from work about 11pm.
DC get themselves showered and into bed between 9 and 10. I tidy up and do laundry and lunches, then work for about 30 or 45 minutes. Collect DH then bed about 1130 or 12.
Up at 645 and into school for 8.
Have evenings meetings about once a fortnight til 930 or 10.
I’m HT of a primary school and teach one day a week.

BrizzleMint · 12/02/2019 23:21

Home, dinner, time with the DCs and then start work when they have gone to bed . I marked the books at lunchtime and have just finished lesson planning.

Choccywoccyhooha · 12/02/2019 23:32

I no longer teach, but I was a Head of Department in an inner city secondary school. I didn't have children at the time.

I used to get in for 730 at the latest and do an hour's work before school, and leave school at approximately 4.30 - 5pm (barring mertings, parents evenings, events etc). I would be home for 5.30 usually, cook dinner for when dh got home at 6.30, and then work from 8 -10/11pm.
I always left school at 3.30 on a Friday and did no work that evening, though this did mean having to work for 3 hours or so on a Sunday, far more at the beginning of my career.

123fushia · 12/02/2019 23:33

Get into school for 7.45. Leave when caretaker rattles his keys at 5.30. Husband makes tea for 6pm. Start marking/ prep work at 6.30 until 10 pm.
Job share and do this for 3 days per week. One full day at home preparing lessons and admin stuff. Have been at home today working - received an email from head / lesson obs tomorrow, email from ks2 lead - ks2 meeting tomorrow lunchtime, email from humanities lead - take evidence about PHSE to staff meeting tomorrow after school. Another email from ks2 lead - book scrutiny on Thursday lunchtime, email from head too requesting a CAMS report. 3 hours tonight at job share partner’s house to plan overview for next half term. 30 years in with good reputation/ obs.

Responses appreciated!

clary · 12/02/2019 23:44

No longer a teacher but when I was...

got home 4.30, did some housework, sorted kids out to activities, took marking with me or came home and did it. Made tea, ate tea. Went for run. Went to bed.

Was putting an IKEA desk together with the younger two tonight and they said, yeah, no way would you have had time to do this, or watch Friends with DD (what we did Sunday pm) when you were teaching.

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