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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to think being a teacher/teaching assistant is worthwhile just for the holidays?

177 replies

MrsCD67 · 16/05/2018 20:42

Just that really!
I'd love to know what teachers/TAs think of their jobs- pros and cons.
Of course it would be unreasonable to take a teaching assistant job just for the holidays but it's just so tempting for me as I want a work/life balance!

What are school holidays like for teachers/TAs in terms of workload?
Thanks!

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 17/05/2018 07:02

Just to change the subject OP, you remind me of another thread recently where someone implied teaching and being a TA are the same job. ermmm... no.

If you want to be a TA and want to know about that, start a thread specifically on this subject. Otherwise, you are going to get a lot of feedback form both camps, and probably more teachers. Both jobs work with children, in schools. But they have entirely different demands, responsibilities, pay , terms and conditions and so on.

I am a teacher , and at the moment, no holidays in the world make up for the day to day shit being thrown at me (fortunately , in my case, this is a metaphor). DH is also a teacher, in a private school, with really long holidays, yet still hates it while he's there.

No one works in teaching for a bit of pin money. There are some people in schools who do - usually women with highly paid husbands. this is more frequently in jobs with no real student contact, such as admin and finance. And even they have to get used to the creaking buildings, dirty toilets , pathetic cleaning, forgetful teachers with stuff that needs doing, working to impossible deadlines, low budgets and job insecurity that go with those jobs.

If you want to TA with SEN, expect tough days, lots of emotional and physical demands, high pressure, a noisy working environment, and very low pay. You have to really want to do it. Time off is not the correct motivation!

FowlisWester · 17/05/2018 07:05

Honestly who are these mug teachers who end up working all their holidays? I've never worked in the holidays... because um you know I'm organised and get things done at work. I honestly spend my entire holidays with my children. I may go in for a couple of hours in the week before we go back to make sure everything's ready or to check exam results but some years I've been too busy. Teaching for 14 years ad nothing's gone wrong yet so I can't see why I'd need to.

I honestly think if you're working evenings, weekends and holidays that you're doing something wrong. I Also don't know of any teachers who work like this.

Stop giving your employers hours of free time

thatmustbenigelwiththebrie · 17/05/2018 07:07

Well I became a teacher for the holidays and I love it! Yes, it's hard work in term time but the masses of time off more than makes up for it. The summer is wonderful. I just bugger off to France for a month. There is no other job where you could do that.

Therewearethen1 · 17/05/2018 07:16

My mum's a head and has just made four of her TAs redundant as the budget doesn't allow for them anymore. Seems to be a trend in my area so not exactly an attractive career right now.

When I was growing up, she taught nursery and reception and only ever did about an hour's work on a Sunday and was finished by 4.30pm everyday.

Piggywaspushed · 17/05/2018 07:20

I don't work during the holidays either fowlis. Doesn't mean I don't work disproportionately hard while I'm at work.

Piggywaspushed · 17/05/2018 07:21

nigel , I am sure you didn't just become a teacher because of the holidays. Come on, now.

Quickerthanavicar · 17/05/2018 07:25

hahahaha, the old ones are the best.

FowlisWester · 17/05/2018 07:28

I have 2 small children so I make sure everything gets done at work or I'd never get it done. So yes I work hard... at work. There's a rare time I would need to do a few hours a weekend but that's during a busy time like reporting. At the moment our kids are on study leave so I'm teaching 2 periods a day out of 6 so plenty of time to develop materials

Yorkshirebetty · 17/05/2018 07:46

Teacher here - all our TAs are being made redundant /given different jobs. Not something to get into at the moment.

vandrew4 · 17/05/2018 07:52

my DH was a teacher and was a second in department in a very large school so lots of responsibility. he never ever brought work/ marking home in holidays / weekends / evenings.
if you're well organised then yes, it's totally worth it for the holidays

Piggywaspushed · 17/05/2018 07:57

We don't get study leave and start a new timetable immediately (it's called rollover) so I don't think your experience is universal fowlis.

I do think people should maybe stop the rhetoric surrounding teachers' holidays and out of hours work and focus on decline in behaviour, increase in class sizes and increase in ridiculous marking policies instead.

amyboo · 17/05/2018 07:57

You might get the Summer holidays off, but my Dad (who was a secondary school teacher) used to work every evening at home until about 9pm, and usually had to be back in school somewhere around mid-August to start getting everything ready for the new school year.... So, not really that great holidays.....

Piggywaspushed · 17/05/2018 08:00

Was vandrew ? When was this?

Fiev to six years ago, I got in at 8 am and left at 3.10 and never took work home (although there were a lot of emails!)

Fastforward only a few years and I am in at 7.40, leaving at 4 - 4.30 and working two to three hours at the weekend, plus bits and bobs in evenings. It may not sound much but it's an incremental increase. And I probably work the shortest hours of anyone in the department and have more frees because of a reposnsibility. The expectations on us are so much higher.

pigmcpigface · 17/05/2018 08:01

Teachers assuredly deserve the amount of holiday they theoretically get. It's a shame they don't actually get it, and that they are working flat out all the rest of the time.

I find this thread offensively goady. The assumption that the job is an easy ride is so ignorant. I'm not a teacher, and not is my DH.

Metoodear · 17/05/2018 08:20

Yes my mate has 4 kids her childcare bill would be huge

Also she finishes at 3 so can pick up the school age ones

She will do TA work until the youngest is in high school by then she will be a level 3

MrsCD67 · 17/05/2018 09:03

Thanks for your responses everyone- it's great to hear from people who have experience.
Serious question though- what kinds of things do you do in your unpaid hours? Some people here have said it's just a case of being organised but is that true?
How have school policies changed and negatively affected working conditions?

Thanks everyone

OP posts:
Jemraw · 17/05/2018 09:46

Teaching is great and the holidays are an advantage.

However some children are a nightmare. I'm a year 6 teacher and was told to f* off yesterday by a girl because I wouldn't let her go to the toilet.

TheDishRanAwayWithTheSpoon · 17/05/2018 10:14

It's tempting, both my parents are teachers and it was great as a child because we went away most holidays (just camping and things) and it was really lovely having your parents around all summer. My holidays were always better than my friends, the only downside was they couldn't come to things like assemblies term time.

Neither has ever done much work during the holidays, one is head of department secondary, the other is primary. They do about 2hrs extra work a day, so about 8-5 as opposed to 9-3.30, occasional sunday and maybe 3 or 4 afternoon/evenings work in the holidays? If it was a rainy day or something they'd get their work out but that's always been it. They can't work that much during the holidays because they've been away for about 8 weeks this year Grin

I think I would love to be able to give my Dc's what I had as a child, we couldnt afford abroad holidays (although I didn't notice as a child) but loads of UK trips etc. Lots of fun always having a parent around. It is tempting but I think it would be very stressful going in as a new teacher now. I would never be a TA , that is stress and no pay.

TheDishRanAwayWithTheSpoon · 17/05/2018 10:15

Also nether of my parents has ever been into the school during the holidays only worked from home!

rainingcats · 17/05/2018 10:22

I think the holidays (esp summer) make up for the fact that teaching is a difficult job. Also the knowledge that I will get to spend Christmas and Easter with my child. Many people don't get this luxury. Its hard going especially with little children and is tough when events such as sports days have to be missed (however it's not just teachers who can't attend events such as this) but it's worth it when the holidays come around

Morewashingtodo · 17/05/2018 10:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

catherinedevalois · 17/05/2018 13:07

This will show how poorly paid TAs are. In my LA we are all getting a 3%+ raise. Not because we are eventually getting what we deserve it but because the new NMW will be more than some people at the bottom of the scale are currently on. So to implement the new NMW every grade on the scale has had to be increased to show differentiation. How insulting for us that all we do (teach, support, care for, nurture, safeguard) and what we put up with (physical and verbal assault, unpaid CPD and overtime, little respect etc) that we are at the bottom of the wages pile? In primary many TAs are taking more and more classes for no extra money or reward. And always with the threat of redundancy hanging over us. Some of my TA friends don't take the holidays, it's a good time to take on extra hours at their second jobs. Many work evenings and weekends in supermarkets to earn a living wage. Not good.

halfwitpicker · 17/05/2018 13:14

If you're willing to work 90 hours a week then let's face it, you need to be at a Big 4, not high school teaching for £40k per year.

halfwitpicker · 17/05/2018 13:17

Ffs.

We all know teaching isn't easy. Pass the violin, again.

We also know front line NHS isn't easy. We also know being a HCP for shit pay and zero hours isn't easy either. Child protection social worker, anyone?

Getting 3 months off per year is a perk whichever way you want to dress it. As a pp said some people fuck off to France for six weeks during summer. Not many other professionals can do that.

MissMarplesKnitting · 17/05/2018 13:22

Oh god yes, the holidays are bloody fantastic. Makes for great summers with your own kids.

The holidays really do make a lot up for the term time shite!!

Anyone messes with those summer holidays with new timetables and it'll have a massive effect on retention.

As for what I do in the holidays: change and make displays, write new schemes of work and make all the resources (digital and physical), catch up on planning and marking, that sort of thing.

Half term I'll be going in both Saturdays to do GCSE revision classes too.