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?

My DS is in year one and currently has one teacher for 2 days, one for 2 1/2 days and another for 1/2 day a week. The bit that gets me is when I find him with a supply teacher as the others aren't available!

This is all down to various teachers and their maternity leave but he's still happy at school and doing well so not the end of th world.

How do we know the replacement teacher isn't going to be EVEN BETTER and even more inspirational than the first teacher?

And why the assumption that kids work best when only exposed to one teacher? I think kids of all ages would benefit from having about four or five different teachers for different subjects, even very young ones.

And of course, sats are total bullshit.

How do we know the replacement teacher isn't going to be EVEN BETTER and even more inspirational than the first teacher?

And why the assumption that kids work best when only exposed to one teacher? I think kids of all ages would benefit from having about four or five different teachers for different subjects, even very young ones.

And of course, sats are total bullshit.

I am in full agreement of job shares
job shares rock
[pors herself another vodka and ginger ale (the 3rd this evening so far) and reaches for the stacked away ferrero rocher emoticon]

Why is everyone feeling they have to say the teacher didn't know she was pregnant when she took the job (or justifying that they got pregnant in a new job)?

If a couple want to have a baby, the only choice they have is for the woman to carry and give birth to that baby.

There is no need for women to have to apologise for this biological fact which allows the human race to survive.

(Annya - we had a similar experience at Ds2's maternelle, but luckily everyone recovered enough to congratulate the teacher!)

YABU to drink vodka and ginger ale

GET A GRIP etc etc*

*I am teasing in case you have a vodka-induced SOH failure

"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."

lol... Did you know that teachers in special school sometimes have a shag get pregnant as well?

If the teacher is taking maternity leave in April then she is probably due in May. Most likely she got pregnant in August, before she was appointed.

I don't think it's ideal. It happened to DS and it wasn't great TBH. But there's nothing to be done about it, as you know.

A teacher in my department is leaving at Christmas. He gave in his notice just before the required time. We can't replace him with anyone qualified and competent (so we've gone for competent rather than qualified) until at least Easter. Not great, but again, can't be helped.

SATs are only important to the school, because Ofsted will bash them over the head with it. Thye have no impact whatsoever on your DC, unless of course you are in a school that teaches to the SATs. So don't worry about that.

Also, there are many, many out of work teachers. A post was advertised at a local school - it had over 400 applicants . So the likelihood is the replacement will be great.

Jeez you're still going on about this?!?!

And I've added a slice of lime to my vodka and ginger ale I'll have you know BoysAreLikeDogs

PS. and half a packet of cheesy kettle chips to the ferrero rocher

YADBU
I am a teacher not a nun!
Your DC will be fine, it's only for one term anyway.

As in April till the summer hols.

Burn the witch. How very dare she!

Have read thread.

Just wanted to point out to skidoodly that my BIL is a teacher who works part time . He spends two days a week looking after his DD.

I also remember job shares when I was at primary school. It is not some completely new thing.

DS is in year 2 and has two teachers who job share. It all seems to work very well.

I don't think the problem is the maternity leave per-se (as many others have said, the school should manage this without the children suffering), more (possibly) the time leading up to her maternity leave.

I had two difficult pregnancies requiring a great deal of time off. Also - honestly - when I was in school I wasn't working as hard or as thoroughly as I should have been. I was knackered and worried and distracted (and had a toddler to look after the scond go-round). I just wasn't doing my job as well I expect of myself or as my pupils had the right to expect of me.

If I worked in erm ......a bank or something, me having an "off year" probably wouldn't make much diffference to anything (though it would certainly piss of my colleagues).

But one of my biggest regrets is that my Year 11 classes those years didn't do nearly as well as they ought to have done due to me not being as on top of things as I should have been. My results have always been excellent otherwise. It was a difficult time for me personally but the fact that those pupils had to cope with the fallout of it is very unfair.

It's tricky. That's the thing about doing a job that really matters. It really matters all the time, even when you personally are fragile and stressed or ill or whathaveyou.

Not that there is much you can do about if she does have a problematic pregnancy or is just distracted. I just thought I'd throw my two pence worth in.

Disclaimer - this was true of me, but of course is not true in all (or even most) cases. I know many teachers who sailed through pregnancy working as hard and well as they had ever done. I'm just giving you my experience.

To the OP, my reception dc has a jobshare ad it works fabulously well. Your dc will will still have continuity through the 3day a week teacher who presumably will do most of the SATs prep and if the school is one that does value SATs they'll ensure that coverage is sufficient. Your dc will be fine and in the future when dc is 18, you will look back you will smile at yourself for being worried, if indeed you even remember this.

In response to spidookly permit a p/t slacker teacher (now on mat leave) a boast: my exam classes got the best results this yr in a dept of f/timers.

Being p/t is an advantage to the students, am more refreshed & have more time for them as individuals than when f/t. It also meant I could pick up the slack when a f/timer went off ill.

sorry for typos, am feeding pukey dc3

I am a primary teacher and went back full-time after DC1 was born. It took us 3 years to have a baby and a miscarriage on the way so am afraid I don't see how teachers can possibly plan when they will conceive.

Or anyone for that matter! Unless you are incredibly lucky!

We were very fortunate to conceive very quickly when we were ttc DC2, having DC1 seemed to sort out my endemetreosis. ( I don't think this is the correct spelling but brain dead now)

I had very bad SPD with this pregnancy and could barely walk. Physio wanted me in hosp for bed rest but it wasn't an option with a toddler although I'd have loved it! I didn't have 1 day off with this condition although I sat at home every night, crying with the sheer pain and frustration.

I found out I was pg in November so was there till the end of term, on crutches for the last 2 months and in a great deal of pain/discomfort. My friend had to help me get dressed when she came to look after DC1.

I decided to go back 4 days a week after DC2 was born as my DH works at the weekend and I just felt I couldn't work full-time then look after 2 toddlers on my own at the weekend.

I'm no spring chicken!

I STILL have SPD although DC2 is 2 and a half. I can hardly walk just now.

People's circumstances can change and why shouldn't teachers put their own families first?? I love my job, I work hard and am committed to it, but since I had my own children, THEY are my priority.

My class have the benefit of a different teacher with different skills/qualities etc and I come back refreshed.

When my 2 go to school, I just want them to be happy, have friends and do their best. After 20 years of teaching, this is what most parents ask about at Parents' Night!

I think spidookly has said some outrageous things. I was 21 when I became a teacher, I'm 44 now. My life has changed totally since then. Primary teaching is a JOB! It pays the bills! Yes, you have to be committed to it, but it's not the be all and end all. Well, not to me, anyway.

Nor to 2 relatives who were HT's. They both had a full life outside school and were extremely successful. An article was written in a national newspaper about one of them a few years ago.

(incidentally, the same one ended up with quite bad depression after 30 years of pastoral care of her staff. As she said, " One minute, I've got someone in here crying because they have broken up with their husband, and I support them, then the next, I have a meeting with the Director about attainment levels and targets!")

It is not ideal but such is life unless you wants sterilisation as part of the NQT package. Now is actually an ideal time to have cover for maternity as there is a shortage of jobs out there so there are some very good teachers looking for maternity cover.

We are about to start trying for a baby we have waited partly for economic reasons but also because every year I have said that I cannot disrupt my classes. But there never is a right time, I wanted to see my GCSE class though, but then lots of them had started A Level so I wanted to see them through to year 13 but then I would be 40. We have waited 7 years for the right time!

Beenbeta I would have a baby in the summer as it would minimise the impact at work teachers love their autumn babies, our heads our full of summer born statistics. We actually have a very good maternity cover in school at the moment, I am hoping that I may fall pregnant to coincide with my colleague returning so our maternity cover can stay.

Incidently I would say most of the staff at school do about 60 hours a week. Car park is full by half seven and we mostly leave at 6pm - 5pm on a Friday. Most leave with bags of work.

You mean teacher's aren't virgins? When did this happen?

Teacher training, session one is a mass orgy. We then give each other a star and a wish.

About the same time as apostrophes became attached to any plural noun.
Things just keep getting worse as the fabric of society gently rots.

oh she sounds as bad as DS's teacher who has hurt her shoulder and is going to be off indefinitely. selfish huh?

Sorry if this has been answered as I haven't read the whole thread, but is there any chance the other half of the job share will do F/T for the last term? This happened with DS1 in Y1 but the other teacher just did full time for the rest of the year so no issue at all.

There must have been something about DS1's class because his reception teacher, one of the Y1 teachers and the Y2 teacher all fell pregnant so none of them saw out the year. His reception teacher was a cow who hated boys so I was glad to see the back of her tbh - her replacement was lovely. We were sad about the Y2 teacher as she was great but these things happen - didn't scar him for life.