To think that YES, you can have reasonable hours and a good work/life balance as a teacher

[WistfulForTravel]

I'm 22, a 3rd year Primary Education BEd student, I love my degree and every assignment and placement cements the fact that teaching is my vocation and is what I want to do as a career.

However, I've been getting a lot of negative comments from my aunties and neighbors about how I'll never have a life again, how most of my waking hours will be consumed with thoughts of work, how I'll never even have one day to truly relax during the 13 weeks off, how it'll be a 7am - 9 pm job, etc.

I know teaching is more full on than some jobs, but is it really this intense? I am friends with a few teachers and they seem to have a healthy work/life balance (time for guys/sports/hobbies, at least one full weekend day off, out 1-3 nights a week) They have no kids though. I imagine it would be very different when you have kids.

Is it possible to practice effective time management + work very hard during the week so you can have the weekend off?

As much as I've enjoyed my course and look forward to my first class in September (eek!) my philosophy is more a 'Work to Live' not 'Live to Work'

I was about to post the same thing sarinka It sounds pretty racist to me.

I am a Kiwi, as is my DH - we lived in London for many years in our 20's, both worked as lawyers, me in-house in DH in a top City firm. I can assure you that our NZ education and degrees stacked up very well.

Also - this thread has definitively established that teachers work hard. I think we can all agree on that. But do they work harder than other professions? No.

If I had 12 weeks of the year where I could catch up on admin tasks, with all the usual BAU work not being generated,away from the office and all the work being piling up, perhaps working from home and having some time to quietly work on some contracts or catch up on some legal articles it would be a huge help. I manage a work life balance with a full on sole legal counsel role & 4 weeks' holiday a year so all this banging on about how hard it is for teachers just falls a bit flat to me.

Primary teachers teach things they originally know little or nothing about and have to research to plan their lessons all the time - we're starting Stoneage history next term. I know very little about it as my degree is a very different subject and we didn't cover that period in my teacher training. That is what being a professional is - you research it for yourself before you plan your lessons; so if primary teachers do it, why shouldn't an English teacher teach a new text?

Do you (or would you) catch up with your admin tasks in your unpaid holidays, Gennz?

Gennz - I don't think anyone has suggested that teachers work harder than others. And hey, if you would like to use your holidays to catch up with admin, then why don't you?

X-post Gruffalo!

are you saying that teachers' holidays are unpaid?

And yes I do A LOT of work outside my contracted hours for which I am not paid. It's just part of the gig.

Oh, I agree that other jobs are as hard or harder Gennz. I don't think anyone would disagree.
It's the imbalance of the pressures, and the emotional wear and tear of being invested in your pupils as human beings who deserve the best that is wearying as well.
The intensity of being in the classroom is like a plate-spinning circus act, and then there's the caring in a way that I doubt a contract or a legal issue would raise. Trying to create that illusive link that will enable them to succeed. Wanting them to achieve, despite the many disadvantages and obstacles they have in their lives.

We are paid for a set number of hours Gennz, doesn't cover the holidays.

'FWIW, I think encouraging students to read world literature is a fine, fine thing. Anita Desai is a pile of shite, though. If you're going to give them Indian authors, let it be scumptiously good stuff like Vikram Seth.'

Sarinka, the exam board chose Desai, not us! I'll check out Vikram Seth though. Thanks for the recommendation.

Yes I totally get that Goblin, I know t can be exhausting in a way that corporate jobs aren't usually.

Teachers are currently contracted to work 1,265 hours over 195 days a year - 190 for pupil contact and five allocated for in-service training.

Just looked it up, I can never remember the figures.

Gennz

This thread isn't about other jobs or professions though, it is about a realistic insight into the work/life balance of teachers.

Aaaargh no! . NOT the unpaid holidays argument again...

But yes, teachers are contracted & paid to work 1265 hours a year. These hours are 'directed' by the school during termtime.

The holidays are not part of this directed time, so unpaid, but the salary is divided up by the calendar month for everyone's convenience.

Every teacher I know accepts this as part of the overall deal - the holidays are when you catch up - but it's slightly galling when someone who doesn't realise they're unpaid, starts telling you how lucky you are to have the opportunity to spend them marking...

If it helps, I loved teaching before I had DC. I had plenty of time for my hobby, time to see friends, and a job I really enjoyed. I used to work 7.45/8am-6pm in school every day, plus 6 hours or so at the weekend and a bit during the holidays. I still think it's a great job if you haven't yet got a family.

With a baby, then toddler, it was horrendous. I couldn't work those hours at school due to childcare not being open any earlier than 8am - 6pm (and DH works even longer hours than I ever did, so couldn't pick up/drop off). So I was getting to school at 8.30am, and having to leave at 5pm to be sure I was home in time. Closer nurseries to school were 25% more expensive, and the commute wasn't great. I then had an hour and a half's work to do in the evening, pets to care for and a home to run. At weekends, when I worked, DH had to take DC out or there was wailing and stamping of feet because I wasn't paying DC attention. It was totally crazy, DH felt neglected, the house certainly was, and I never had enough time for DC.

Errr so are most jobs Goblin?

I work beyond my standard contracted hours every day. I am contactable via my iPhone 24/7. I answer emails while I'm lying in bed first thing in the morning and last thing at night. I often catch up on drafting on a Sunday afternoon as I know it's easier to get it done without interruptions in the office. There is never a holiday out of my 4 weeks' allocation where I don't spend time responding to emails or doing some work. On a trip (holiday, not business) to New York last year I took the laptop with me & did an hour or two of work each day first thing because it's just easier to keep things ticking over while I'm out of the office than switch off altogether and face an onslaught when I get back.

I'm not special or hard done-by - this is what works for me so I can have a work life balance, and it's pretty standard for most senior corporate roles.

Jenny my point was that I feel (as a lawyer) that I manage a work-life balance, so I fail to see why teachers are so adamant that they can't.

I'm not complaining about anything Gennz, I was just responding to your post:
'are you saying that teachers' holidays are unpaid? '

by saying yes and giving you some figures to back it up.

"so I fail to see why teachers are so adamant that they can't" - that is what this thread is discussing, so basically you are calling all the teachers that are explaining their workloads liars!

& yes, other jobs are harder. Teaching is, as far as I'm concerned, more fun than anything else anyone has ever paid me to do.

But it is relentless during termtime - which personally I'm fine with - & comes with a toxic climate of fear & denigration at the moment, which - & again, I'm just speaking for myself here - takes far more of a toll than the actual workload ever could.

I'm going to have to leave this thread before I start digging into my fund of lawyer jokes.