to feel put out about pregnant teacher?

[SoChangingMyNameForThis]

I'm more after a reality check from your lovely ladies than a rant, honest. DD1 is in year 2 and her teachers have a job share, one Mon to Wed and the other does Thur to Fri. No major issues there but we've just learned that the teacher doing Thur & Fri is pregnant, baby due in April. I can't help feeling a bit put out because she knew she was pregnant when she started the job, but at the same time I feel IABU because such is life and teachers are entitled to have children too!!! So, whilst I battle with the different thoughts in my head, could you please help me put this into perspective? I mean, they're going to have a new part time teacher for just three months at the end of the year, it is SATS as well, what value can the children extract from this? Can this change affect their learning negatively?

Actually I think that only unmarried women and spinsters should be allowed to teach. There - problem solved.
Preferably those with no other family at all (elderly relatives and so on) so that they never take any time off, and dedicate their lives to the children they teach...
(sorry OP - I know you weren't being that U, simply raising a concern, but later posters have annoyed me - can't think who!)

Surely the situation here is improved by there being a job share?

3 days a week remain exactly the same, with a new teacher for 2 days a week. Much more stability and continuity for the children than if they had an entirely new teacher for the full 5 days?

As a teacher (as, I suppose, in many jobs), there is NEVER a good time to go on mat leave.
I teache secondary and it's common for most teachers my age to be heard saying "yes, but L can't leave in the middle of a GCSE course", "but I've had my form class for 3 years so it'd be unfair", "it's my turn for the top sets next year"....we all put it off and off for reason to do with the students until sometimes it's too late. Maybe that's just the folk I work with, I don't know.

I waited 4 years then had DD this year and took Jan-Dec off. The school carried on just fine without me

dustwhatdust - I thought the OP was happy enough with the jobshare part, though?

dustwhatdust - but do you prefer the idea of 2 teachers job sharing, or 10% of the time your kids being taught by someone unqualified? Because that is pretty much the option now.

patienceplease

you don't have to be married to have children these days you know!!

that's why it's safest to wait until women are in their 50's before entrusting them with teaching
better still allow them to stay at home and perhaps char if they need extra money

what!!!???? having children out of wedlock? Surely they wouldn't let people like that be teachers thought would they???

though not thought doh.

glad i mentioned it aren't you?

the world is moving on my dear and i'm not sure gentlefolk like we will be able to keep apace

I love reading people who 'don't like the idea of.....' it's never based on fact or experience is it?

I am perfectly happy with the job share idea.
I am perfectly aware of being unreasonable about feeling put out over something like this.
I do have children (obviously), but this is my first experience of education as DSD (step daughter although my very own DD for all intents and purposes) has down syndrome and goes to a special school.
I am a feminist, believe it or not, I have had children out of wedlock myself, not that it's any of your business, I have had my fair share of discrimination at work over being pregnant, I have a very much each to their own kind of attitude in life and some of you are simply mean and have not read my post properly.
I do agree that the bit about 'she was pregnant when she started the job' is utterly ridiculous.
Some of you lovely ladies have actually helped me feel better about this so thank you. Now I'm deffo having a large vodka with ginger ale tonight...

A) Sats are complete bollocks
B) There are currently far more primary teachers than posts so they should have no probs filling the post.
C) Teachers spend half their lives putting the school above everything including their spouses and families. You were happy to take. Now it's time to give a little.
D) Please buy her a nice gift for your child to give her. I have rarely met a primary teacher who didn't deserve a nice present.
E) Nope, wrong guess, I'm Secondary MFL!

A lot of teachers are appointed in spring, so it's likely she wasnt pregnant at that point.

I know it can be tricky and I have taught as a maternity cover in the past. No doubt they'll get a commited teacher who will liaise with the current teachers. In a way, a jobshare is good for this as they will still have one teacher who has been with them since september.

Sats only mean something to the school and ofsted. I really wouldnt worry about the sats results.

Just a small point my baby was due in april and due to sporadic periods I was unaware I was pregnant until late sept and that was with my 3rd child.
Yabu I think.

Am a teacher, pregnant and about to go on mat leave after xmas. I teach A level and feel v guilty about leaving the students but, rest assured, by far the majority of teachers are very professional and, like me, will have organised resources, lessons, trips etc so new teacher can settle in quickly. This will be 3rd dc and I did time the other two so that there was the minimum of disruption (Sept to Sept mat leave = easier to get replacement teacher) but sorry - just didn't plan this one well enough . And I only work part-time... and am Spookily's worst nightmare as, in our department, we choose to share classes as we feel this exposes the students to a wider varety of teaching styles and specialisms. This creates more work for us but is better for the students.
OP - DC will be fine, may adore new teacher and be sad to see her go. However, YABU to post here then complain when you are told YABU!

The advantage of the jobshare arrangement is that they will keep one teacher when the other goes off.

I really wouldn't worry about it - a change of teacher seems unsettling but it will be managed well. DS's teacher went on maternity leave for the last term of Yr2 - it was a relief, actually, because up until then there had been an ever changing parade of supply teachers covering every time she was off with a pg related illness (she had a difficult pg). But it was all fine in the end.

Are you sure the other class teacher wont cover maternity leave for the rest of Y2?

YABVVU.

And I doubt very much this teacher knew she was pg until term started. what was she supposed to do a week into the beginning of term...say "oh, I'm pg, here is a terms notice?

It was announced at the school beginning-of-the-year parents' meeting that one of the nursery school teachers (I'm in France and they start school at 3) would be going on maternity leave at Xmas. This news was greeted with a stony silence! No one clapped or anything and then someone asked about handover period and that was that. Everyone was so obviously concerned that their little one had just got used to one teacher and would have to do it again rather than thinking of the young woman.

I wouldn't worry. DS in reception had a teacher forbthd first term whilst they were mornings only who emigrated at Christmas. Her replacement came for a month or two then had a miscarriage and has been off pretty much ever since so they had a couple of supply teachers, one of them a lovely older lady they all loved. They all took it completely in their stride and didn't bat an eyelid.

By the time our lot are 9 they are in Middle school with loads of different teachers which works just fine.

"You do realise that if YOU hadn't gotten pregnent, you wouldn't have this problem right now..."

Love that!!! lol :)

YABU

Although I do think I timed my drunken Christmas TTC well, DD born in Sept, I returned the following Sept so a full school year off, but then I am middle deemed secondary so slightly different in terms of class set up.

OP - I'm sorry if I upset you - I didn't intend to - and certainly my posts re wedlock etc were not at all serious. I was rsponding more to those who were so critical of teachers in job shares/ getting pregnant.
I understood from your OP that you were simply raising your concerns - which to a certain extent are entirely reasonable.
I'm very jealous of your vodka - I'm a pregnant ex-teacher so no vodka for me - although I would like one!

Even with job shares things go wrong. In yr4 DS had two teachers job sharing. One had a miscarriage and the other lost both her parents in a space of two weeks, this happened in a month or so.

I once got a teaching job starting September-I didn't realise I was going to be pregnant when I took it. DS was born April. These things happen.