Any other teachers crippled with exhaustion every holiday?

[Bobblebasket]

It’s half term, I’m a primary teacher with various areas of subject leadership. Im absolutely exhausted, so much so I feel I’m wasting my time feeling like a zombie. Met a colleague in passing today who assured me it’s totally normal to feel so tired at half term and it’ll be fine because we will all be fresh ready to return next week.

I guess my question is, in other full time roles, do you get to every period of annual leave and feel floored with exhaustion? This definitely isn’t a ‘my job is harder’ type thread, I enjoy teaching, I don’t want to leave the profession but I would like some energy! I have two children myself, both at junior school. I have been a teacher for many years and have always felt bone tired by the time holidays come around, I would like it to change!

I worked in education for 25+ years. Teachers did not get 13 weeks "annual leave" as they were required to do preparation and marking during non term time. Leave was not mentioned in teachers' conditions of service and in the absence of that their legal entitlement was statutory.

I'm not a teacher, but my DP is. And I'm not saying it's harder than ALL other jobs – but definitely as hard as some. I don't think any teacher on this thread has said that either.

I'm not sure why a doctor would stay at the hospital past their shift ending though, presumably for no extra pay? I thought doctors were militant about not doing over their contracted hours. And yes, my DP will be in school for less hours by comparison, but he regularly pulls 14 hour days with all the home working he's expected to do.

Oh, and a reminder that five weeks of a teacher's holidays are unpaid.

I am actually tempted! I am fed up of my sister getting 15 weeks off a year (private school) while I get 5 weeks and we are paid roughly the same

Thank you for pointing out that teachers do not get 12 weeks paid leave. We get the statutory leave that most people get. It is always irritating to hear people moan about our holidays.

I wish more people knew. Teachers get hammered over their long holidays but they get the same paid entitlement as everyone else. Their salary is simply split across 12 months so they don’t go without pay during the holidays summer.

It’s not that difficult to understand!

Okay so they only get twice as much holiday time...

Do you really think a surgeon is going to log off in the middle of an operation because it's time for them to go? Or not bother resuscitating someone because that shift is over? No they stay and get the job done. Maybe they get paid for it, I don't know, but the point is it's not optional.

I don't think you understand the level of unpaid overtime that is expected in many jobs. Lots of people are in reality working a 60 plus hour week for 35 hours of pay, with a lot less holiday. It shouldn't be the case, but teachers are by no means unique.

Staying till the work is done, rather than set hours is literally written into most employment contracts. Again, it shouldn't be, but that's the reality of life for millions of us.

"This isn't a teachers have it harder than anyone else thread"

Responses:
god teachers are always moaning, hate this narrative that they have it harder than anyone else, what about nurses, supermarket workers, bin men, farmers, holidays

It's like some people see the word teacher in a thread title and it triggers some automatic shitty response.

Hopefully you are relaxing into the holiday a bit now OP. I think it's the overstimulation of term time that causes the exhaustion, it really is an assault on all your senses.

I understand perfectly well, thanks. My DP works more than enough unpaid overtime.

I know. The vitriol towards teachers on MN is quite astounding. It's no wonder there is a recruitment and retainment crisis in the profession – who'd do a job where you're so hated? My DP would quit tomorrow if he could.

I won't get into the debate on who works harder as don't think it helps anyone.

But I know for me and OH, banker and lawyer respectively so very different set up, it's pretty common to get ill on the first few days of AL or after a closing a big deal. There is definitely something to stopping after a period of heightened stress and it then hitting you.

We find it best to try to force some proper downtime after otherwise you almost set yourself up to fail.

Agree with this. I love teaching, I love the kids, and the holidays are a real perk (I had a long previous career, so really do appreciate the hols - hols which are available to anyone who chooses to join the profession, btw!). It’s exhausting and the workload is hideous - I’m currently marking during my unpaid holiday - but I can cope with these aspects of the job. The thing that could tip me towards leaving the profession is the absolute vitriol towards teachers among the general public and many parents. The claims that we are moany, and worse, that we are somehow out to get children. It’s really demoralising, exhausting and at times upsetting. I don’t expect praise or thanks. But the overt contempt is gross. Tearing down the people who are trying to make life better for your children is vile, tbh.

It is normal in most higher paid jobs.
i’m exhausted come weekend, i’l exhausted for the first 2 weeks of holidays.
I get 25 days of holidays, so 2 weeks is thr maximum i get. Ever.

I don't think it is a teaching thing or NHS thing either.
I work in an office and get to annual leave and feel exhausted. I have 2 DC so mostly take holidays that align with half term and end of terms. I work in a relatively high pace job and go from work to pick ups, kids activities, dinner, bedtimes and weekends are full of weekend activities.
I spend a good day each time just doing nothing to recoup a bit. Its like my body keeps going until a scheduled holiday, take a down day then we carry on.

Hi OP, I've been teaching 15 years and I do find I need to plan in for a couple of low energy days each holiday. My DH actually joked I should put it on the calendar as it's so predictable!

I definitely feel this more now I've hit my 50s.

Bingo !!! No one. Ever. In the history of the world. Has said teaching is 'the hardest'. Always always the rhetoric. We just say it's hard. Because it is.

Other jobs are hard(er) too.

PS I, and many other teachers, are working today. I've just finished a meeting with alternative education provision. Tomorrow & Thursday I'll be marking A level mocks. At Easter, one week out of 2 (2 days are bank holidays) I'll be leading revision days in school. Long holidays ???? Can't even have a day off when I choose.

@mumsneedwine teacher’s time off is roughly aligned with school holidays , but of course not fully. In many other jobs school
holidays are close to impossible to get time off in. The trade off is that you can’t choose your days off. Fair enough.

@QuickBlueKoala so ? My kids are fully grown so I'd quite like time off outside of school holidays. Much cheaper. But I'm not able to even take a day off for my kids graduations (unless I have a lovely head).

And the safeguarding

@mumsneedwine than you need another job. It’s just part of being a teacher, comes with benefits and annoying bits! Many jobs can’t have time off all summer, or over Christmas - that’s the downsides of specific jobs.

Yup, standard. Luckily DH and I are both teachers and we now appreciate that the first few days of any holidays are very low expectations, almost duvet days. Thankfully, no little children to entertain now so we can indulge that and recharge our batteries. I have had 'normal' jobs before coming to teaching so I know that this is different! Plus, in other work, I used to take the odd day annual leave if I was particularly tired or knew we were away for the weekend or something so I never got to the point of total exhaustion and had a more eventful work/life balance.

You lost empathy because there are teachers and just above minimum wage receptionists and TAs who have had to attempt to resuscitate children? And then behave as though nothing happened to get the rest of the children through it (and probably teach the following period)?

It wasn't saying that is the only job where it happens - but it does happen in schools. It's not all cutting out and sticking pictures into books. It's also all the DSL work with abused, neglected, addicted, ED suffering, self harming, appalling living conditions, mutilated children. It's letting those children see that there is a place that is safe. It's trying to get them safe, housed, fed, with a feeling of self worth. And it's a huge amount of statistical analysis, finance, logistical, technological workload - and everything else that other people are saying makes their jobs hard also going on in schools everyday.

Bingo ! Don't like it then leave (why your kids are being taught maths by a PE teacher). I am leaving, just as soon as we can recruit another person to teach them. Currently my dept is 5 staff short and no one applies. I'm staying for the kids one more year, then A level chemistry will not be an option any longer.

100% - ‘don’t like it then leave’. Cue furious MN posts about why their kids are being taught by supply/non-subject specialists/multiple teachers who don’t know them…

Thing is with teacher / school threads is we have all experienced being at school ourselves. Most of us have kids at school so it’s something we’re more familiar with than say, being a systems architect, or a strategic analyst or a service technician or a logistics manager. So we all feel like we know just enough to have an opinion.

I feel bad for teachers, it often sounds awful. But I also know a few teachers who are very happy and have a great work / life balance and nice lives so I suppose what I’m saying is that with everything in life there are those who are thriving and those who are surviving.

I do wonder though about all this lesson planning as my kids are taught the same things in the same ways as I was 25 years ago <ducks>.