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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To feel that this email is intrusive

208 replies

Thornyrose7 · 12/08/2016 12:41

I am due to start a new teaching contract at a new place of work in September. I am not new to teaching, I have been doing it on and off for 15 years with breaks and maternity gaps.
I have my new timetable and some details about the coming year which I am planning to look at the week before my contract starts and do some planning then. My summer is taken up with children's activities, weekends away etc etc.
I have just received an email from a teacher who is also due to start the same time as me. I believe that she is an NQT. We will be sharing responsibility for one course. This teacher wants me to send her my planning and scheme of work and wants to discuss next year.
AIBU to feel really intruded upon?
I believe that teachers holidays are sacred and if you want to work over summer that is a personal choice.I am also annoyed that she has got hold of my personal email, when we have never met.
I don't want our working relationship to get off to a bad start, but I am not sure how to respond!

OP posts:
yoowhoo · 12/08/2016 13:24

Oh please, it doesn't take 2 minutes to reply to her email. Just say how you intend to split that particular course and let her get on with her planning. You might not need to do any work during the holidays, but maybe she'd like to get things planned. Maybe she's going away in the last week of the holidays. She needs to know what parts you intend to do so that she can plan her own. By not replying I feel that's mean, because you might use the week before starting to plan but that doesn't mean everyone does.
And yy to a previous poster who said she thought teachers worked in the holidays, that's what everyone bangs on about (and yes I actually did a teaching degree and have lots of family members who are teachers)

acasualobserver · 12/08/2016 13:26

I agree with pps - be nice but say you'll be doing your planning in September so, at the moment, you've nothing to share. And tell her to enjoy the rest of the holiday!

HerdsOfWilderbeest · 12/08/2016 13:26

It won't be your planning and scheme of work though it will be the school's one won't it? If you are planning on looking at it all in the final week of August, could you not respond to say you are away till then but could set aside a couple of hours on the Thursday afternoon or something?

Strictly1 · 12/08/2016 13:27

I think you're being harsh, as an NQT she will beneath rally nervous and few well chosen words from you could change that.
You're lucky if you're not working in the holidays at all. As a teacher I don't know anyone who doesn't work at least a bit.
I hope you're more supportive once term starts.

Strictly1 · 12/08/2016 13:27

Excuse typos!

ExitPursuedByABear · 12/08/2016 13:28

If you must reply, tell her you look forward to receiving her plan and scheme of work.

Lorelei76 · 12/08/2016 13:29

I won't pretend to know about teaching but I'd be concerned how she got your private email.

Lilaclily · 12/08/2016 13:30

This thread is really interesting
Only on mumsnet do teachers claim to work in the summer holidays
In real life my teacher friends spend the summer back packing ! One of the perks of teaching is the long summer off !

Pettywoman · 12/08/2016 13:31

She'll be nervous and trying to prepare. Just say you're planning to do x by x date and will work loosely around x subject. You don't have to actually do the work now. Surely you've some vague idea what you're planning. Can you tell her a vague thing she can get a head start on just to calm her nerves?

acasualobserver · 12/08/2016 13:34

Only on mumsnet do teachers claim to work in the summer holidays

Bullshit. Teacher workloads - including holidays and weekends- are well documented beyond Mumsnet.

Pearlman · 12/08/2016 13:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 12/08/2016 13:37

Oh, yes, please reply to her! She must just be very nervous and doesn't know the etiquette. This might be her first job, let alone her first teaching job, after all.

I'd just reply saying sorry, you are officially on holiday now, but you're looking forward to meeting her when term starts - ie., just what the first few responses on this thread say!

UnexpectedBaggage · 12/08/2016 13:40

You sound like a barrel of fun to work with.

EverySongbirdSays · 12/08/2016 13:40

Another one saying new and keen and if you are jointly teaching a course I'm assuming GCSE or A Level and you'll do yourself zero favours getting off to a bad start with her now.

Respond with equal, friendly, enthusiasm about future partnership and say you will see her in September as you have family plans.

The HOD may have given her your email because of you teaching the same course - there's no need to get paranoid about it.

I appreciate your school holidays are sacred because you need downtime/family time - she doesn't know that feeling yet.

Don't erode her confidence and enthusiasm before the term even starts!

sonjadog · 12/08/2016 13:41

Teachers do spend part of the summer holiday backpacking. Like most people, they go on holiday. But I bet even the ones you know are back home again the week before the start of term and are doing planning. I have never met or heard of any teacher who just turns up on the first day of term with no planning done.

Donatellalymanmoss · 12/08/2016 13:43

The email is not really intrusive you get to reply to it in your own time. Please remember that she doesn't have your years of experience to fall back on and is going to need to make up for that by putting more preparation time in.

SandyPantz · 12/08/2016 13:44

I don't think her request is unreasonable, you must be rocking up on the first day back with SOMETHING, even if it's re-using planning from previous years, can't you send her that? I've never known a teacher go into a class room on day 1 of term with nothing planned

BestZebbie · 12/08/2016 13:44

YABU - you dont have to immediately sit down and write the material if your plan for it to be done before term starts involves doing it later on. But you should at least reply nicely to the email to your new colleague explaining that and giving her whatever general info she needs to do her planning now. it will surely be better for the students and easier for both of you if you can both arrive ready to go, rather than trying to split up and construct a year's programme with two days notice after a long break?

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 12/08/2016 13:45

English teacher here: can I just ask - how are you planning to share responsibility for one course if you haven't discussed it yet and don't plan to before September?

Of course, you don't have to do anything in the summer break, and before you are employed by the school, but you might want to, as a professional!

I feel incredibly sorry for the other teacher as I always want to discuss what we are going to do with the teachers I share courses with - fortunately, my colleagues like to plan ahead too. As it is, it sounds as if she is going to be going in nervous (as an NQT) and underprepared for the course you are sharing.

Mummaaaaaah · 12/08/2016 13:47

christ I'm glad you aren't teaching my kids. I can't believe you even have to ask. Of course you should respond nicely to your new colleague who is new to teaching. Of course you should be communicating about the course you are sharing and planning how that is going to work. Of course you should be planning and thinking about the teaching you are going to be doing in a NEW JOB that starts in less than a month.

Seriously. YABVU IMO.

tiggykate · 12/08/2016 13:47

I think YAB a bit unreasonable. Whilst you're perfectly within your rights to enjoy the holiday - all new teachers (well the good ones) I know did a lot of planning over the holidays. Would it really be a great inconvenience for you to reply with a brief outline of how the course will be split / ask if she has any specific issues about the course that you are sharing that are worrying her? It's better for you to be sharing with a conscientious NQT than a lazy one.

Original poster
Thornyrose7 · 12/08/2016 13:49

Thanks for all your responses. I do remember what it's like to be an NQT, of course I do. I will be more than happy to help this woman when term starts.
I think it's just that we are in coming from different places. She is an NQT , keen and terrified, I get that. Whereas I have just finished one quite gruelling job and I am about to go into a new one. So this is my summer off!
I think the tone of the email also annoyed me as it was not apologetic at all and quite demanding. I don't think I would have sent that email as an NQT.
I will not ignore it but I will politely ask her to get back to me a week before the course starts. I am not grump and a non team player, just conscious that teacher's time off is precious and I am fully in holiday mode right now.
I value mumsnet for its myriad of opinion. Feeling much calmer now thank you all.

OP posts:
gonzo155 · 12/08/2016 13:51

Give her a break she's an NQT.

If you don't want to sent her planning that's fine. Just a quick e-mail to say I'm teaching xyz topics and you can do a,b,c should be fine. Add a note to say you prefer not to work during the holidays but can answer any questions on the INSET day.

cherryplumbanana · 12/08/2016 13:51

I believe that teachers holidays are sacred

I really thought this thread was a wind-up when I read that. I hope it is!

oldlaundbooth · 12/08/2016 13:52

'This teacher wants me to send her my planning and scheme of work and wants to discuss next year'

SO she wants to pick your brains? Or probably avoid doing any planning herself? Hmm

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