To think school teaching is a bad idea for work/ life balance?

[shiveringhiccup]

I'll keep it brief, all opinions and advice welcome!

DH considering a career change into secondary teaching (either a science subject or maths). He would most likely go the uni route for the PGCE.

I am concerned firstly about the number of hours he would have to work (both during the PGCE and beyond), and secondly about the level of stress. Ime school teaching involves 50-60+ hours a week and lots of teachers sign off on stress. However I don't know much about secondary teaching in science or maths so it could be different.

We have a young DC so it would be sad if he had to work zillions of hours.

Any experience/ opinions out there on this?

[elodie2000]

Non teachers will say it can't be that hard, 9am-3pm and loads of holidays. Easy…

The reality is that on average a main scale secondary school teacher teaches 22 classes a week. They get around 3 hours non-contact time between the hours of 9 and 3. They have tutor group responsibilities, do formal assessment admin, marking, report writing, data collection, have meetings (with department, SLT, pastoral and SEN, parents), prepare resources and plan lessons, take part in extra curricular activities, intervention, exam prep./administration etc… He will be expected to mark each student's work fortnightly.

Apart from the actual teaching, everything listed above is done when the children are not there. Before/after school, over the weekend or in the holidays.

It is not a 9-3 job.

[SkafaceClaw]

I teach Maths and would recommend that in terms of marking time!
It is a great job but it is a tough job. It gets easier with time as you build up strategies and resources.
It also depends on your school and team.
Be prepared for very little free time during PGCE and NQT though.
The compromise I have had to make is not socialising much (at all) term time - otherwise I would never see my toddler or partner! The holidays balance this out for me.
Not the best profession for perfectionists - ime they struggle the most when on a full timetable and can beat themselves up disproportionately when a lesson doesn't go quite to plan. Although that is hard for all of us!

[andypandy55]

I don't know about schools but an FE college is a no no. Holidays are limited, working days are long. Resources are limited and staff do the jobs of admin staff. FE colleges are run by business people and now there will be further cuts due to the Brexit vote and a cut in funding from EU, especially for STEM subjects.

[sdaisy26]

Well h and I are both teachers and manage to juggle it during term time. The holidays are a massive plus.

It does require additional work evenings & weekends though and certain times of the year (like now) are just ridiculous.

The way we're managing an okish balance with 2 children is I have dropped my leadership responsibilities & only work 3 days a week. H is in a leadership role (& secondary science teacher) & full time. He works every evening (including weekends) until around 11, often later (he gets home for about 6 & helps with bath / bed), and then at least another half day at the weekend. Every week in term time, and he is not inefficient or unable to prioritise. I work 4-5 evenings a week from 7-11 ish to get my bits done, with the odd weekend here & there. I've cut back a lot and often feel like I'm doing the bare minimum - which doesn't always bring the greatest personal satisfaction.

We just have to accept that we don't see each other really in term time & make up for it in hols. The savings in childcare are a big plus. And it is a great job in lots of ways. But it does impact on family life - just like lots of other jobs can too.

[Phineyj]

The good thing about maths and science is massive staff shortages so he could potentially try quite a few schools till he gets the right fit. They vary a great deal. He should consider independent and grammars (depending on area) too as less behaviour management and industry contacts may be appreciated.

[user1465823522]

the hours won't be crazy but career progression is basically nil

[BigTroubleInLittleChina]

Has he looked at TeachFirst

graduates.teachfirst.org.uk

[noblegiraffe]

I'm a part time maths teacher and work stupid hours. IMO teaching used to be seasonal but stress seems to be creeping throughout the year now. This term used to be a piece of piss but this week I've got a massive pile of exam papers to mark which will take 16+ hours to mark, collate, and now we have to put every mark for every question into a spreadsheet which is an admin nightmare (we scan the results but it's a pain in the arse). That's my evenings gone and that's not even taking into account the usual planning and admin I'll have to do.

Summer holiday is great, but to be honest it's really the only time of the year that I feel fully human.

[hollieberrie]

I'd tell him to think carefully. It really does take over your life. I only manage a good work life balance now because I've gone part time.

[TheFallenMadonna]

Not wishing to encourage dissent in the ranks, but a previous school got legal advice saying QLA by entering each score on a spreadsheet was not a reasonable request as it was beyond the requirement for recording and did not require professional judgement.

[noblegiraffe]

Believe me Fallen there is dissent in the ranks - but the argument is that now levels have gone we've got no other way of recording progress. Like I said it's not by hand any more, we use a scanning app and those sheets where you fill in lozenges, but it's still a time-consuming pain in the arse.

[raviolidreaming]

My annual leave entitlement plus the husband's annual leave entitlement is two weeks short of annual school holidays. So, for that alone, I would love a school teaching husband!

[TheFallenMadonna]

How often do you do it? Like I said, we were advised that it was an unreasonable request and we got admin staff /leadership team (me) to do it. I love a QLA though. Thankful I only teach 30-odd kids in total now!

[noblegiraffe]

3 times a year KS3 and at least twice at KS4.

[Littlegoat123]

I thought about teaching so got a job as a teaching assistant first...I work 9.15am - 2.45pm..and the work life balance is fab (single mum 2 kids) after working in the school environment there is no way in hell I would do teaching until my kids are near end of their own secondary education ....it's just so much prep etc I like my time off to be just that, time off. But I think doing this job has given me a better understanding of what's involved x

[TheFallenMadonna]

I'd be interested to know what the legal advice would be to your school... Given budget constraints now, it would be unlikely that support staff would have the capacit though I suppose.

[noblegiraffe]

Well that's it, I'm sure I could get support staff to do it a week on Tuesday by which point I need to have given feedback to the students.

[shiveringhiccup]

Thank you so much everyone for all of your helpful insights. Certainly given us a lot to mull over.

Also wanted to say to all of the teachers who have posted - thank you so much for all that you do, and all the sacrifices you make to do it.

[bilbodog]

My DH swapped careers about 6 years ago to go into teaching physics. Worst decision we ever made - was not the right job for him and during the first 2 years he was working 12 hour days including weekends and eventually gave up just before having a complete breakdown. We have had to downsize the house with him out of work for sometime and he ended up going back to his previous career at a much lower level and much lower pay. It obviously does work for some people but needs to be a vocation. It is not a job to go into these days for less stress and a work/life balance. It is also very difficult to take time off during term time and even when you do you have to leave lesson plans for who ever is going to cover for you.

DH didnt find it easy to get an NQT placement either - there certainly was no choice of schools he had to go with whatever he could find.

[Noodledoodledoo]

I have been teaching Maths for 7 years now, I still enjoy my job loads although this year has been a tough year for me - just returned part time after having first baby, pregnant with no. 2, a timetable and course which was new and hasn't really worked in the first year, (lots learned in the process!) plus an emergency op thrown in for good measure.

I have considered supply but there is very little demand locally to me for Secondary Supply - lots use in house cover supervisors these days.

As a full time teacher I used to work 8/830 - 6 at school as I am more efficient at school, I still had to do 2-3 nights of work a week but not more than a couple of hours each max. Probably sometime at the weekend - although the time outside of school has dropped as I have got more experience, but then increased again with responsibilities.

As part time I have struggled - its hard to get a balance - this has not been my best year!

I do still enjoy my job but am looking forward to Mat leave!

[Mosschopz]

I've been in secondary school education for 20 years, assistant head level. I'm up at 6 and work over breakfast, at work for 7.45 (after sorting the DC out) and leave at 4.30. Sunday-Thursday I start again once the DC is in bed (8.00 if lucky!) and then work to 10pm. I try to keep holidays and after school free for DC, it's tiring, but probably no more than most jobs.

[Noodledoodledoo]

The school holiday childcare is definitely something that will reduce a lot of stress in years to come.

I see a lot of friends struggling to juggle the holiday care and we have zero family support so its a bit of a plus.

Time off in term time I just don't considered an option - try to fit appointments around this which normally works. 13 weeks off being required to be in work is a bonus - yes I have to work during the holidays but its where and when I choose and can work around it.

[absolutelynotfabulous]

I used to work in FE/HE. It was relentless; 60plus hours a week including evenings til 9 and weekends. That's the reason I didn't go back after dd. Any family-friendly hours were casualised.

I liked the job, though.