Teacher wellbeing days for shopping

[ForAMinuteThere]

Nope - this isn't a bash. I saw an article in the Fail about it and wanted to add some support for the teachers of this world.

I am a non teacher. It looks hard. One day off for shopping is a nice gesture.

I expect mixed responses but personally, I think teachers staying sane and feeling worthy can only be a good thing.

(This isn't my first post, have NC)

Oh yes.

Sometimes it feels like time has stopped when I’m teaching Y9.

No sonlypuppyfat. Teachers do not finish work at gone 3. Come on do you really think that?! Even if teachers leave by 5 they are more than likely to take work home and do work once kids are in bed and house tidied. So not finishing until fine 9. Trust me I know.

I live really close to my DS primary school and work from home so see the head walking in at 8.30 pretty much every morning, the staff car park is half empty at 3.40 and pretty much empty by 4pm. I regularly see teachers out jogging or dog walking and even shopping on their planning time (yes during term time) My DS gets homework once a week (sometimes less) and it gets marked every 2 weeks at the most. After school activities are usually run by external people not school staff. I understand not all schools/teachers have this work life but it's what I see at my local school.

Believe me I'm not teacher bashing but I really don't see why more time off is required

Because it’s bollocks that teachers are swanning in at 8:30, leaving on the bell and doing fuck all in their planning time and nothing else at any other time.

Why don't you go and ask for a copy of the staff timetable then you can put a black mark against any slackers that you see and then go in and complain. After all you are paying their wages.

wrong where is this school? I wnat a job there!

I think it's great some schools do it! We don't have the money or capacity for it, unfortunately!

Piggy. Could be the school I live next to as no one there after 4.30 any day of the week either (DC both attended and it was the same then, great school too). Or the school my DS teaches at (she leaves at 4pm every day) or the ones two of my friends teach in....

I’m a secondary head of department. I’m on £55 000 a year. I get into work for 8.30 and leave at 3.30pm unless I have a meeting or inset. Occasionally I might do some marking for an hour or so after school otherwise I do no work at home. I also do no work during weekends or holidays.

Hiphoray123

When do you do your marking then?

In my free lessons

@hiphorray123

I call B.S. on your statement. When I was teaching this would have been fantastic but the pay and conditions are so poor that I left the profession. I do wonder why all those who think that teaching is so easy that they don't teach their little darlings, themselves?

Sons school, head usually there 7.30, teachers around 8. Leave generally 5 - 5.30 but frequently there till 7 for various events. Work some Saturdays for events and many residentials. I have no idea what they do at home strangely enough. It's a brilliant school with endless opportunities and experiences for the children.

Hiphoray123

Do you not offer twilight sessions for students who are struggling? Also how many free periods do you get a week? I can't fathom a secondary head of department only working those hours and no weekends / holidays.

@Andromeida59

Why B.S.?

I’m an experienced teacher. That’s an honest view on what I do Day to day. I only teach ks4 and 5 though. But get excellent results and if the head had to pick out the outstanding teachers for an ofsted inspection - I’d be one!

What's your subject, Hiphoray123, not English, I'll bet.

Not English and not PE as you are probably thinking!

Hiphoray123

How many classes do you teach and how many free lessons do you have?

When do you fit in your departmental responsibilities - so performance management for your staff, data reviews etc?

Do you not have any middle leadership responsibilities?

Are you teaching in the state sector or private?

I'm guessing that you teach maths then.

It's obviously not an essay based subject.

I've been a primary school teacher for 10 years now. This isn't something I've ever been offered. Fortunately, I do 90% of my shopping online, and my school are cool about parcels being delivered to school.

If I was given a day... In all honesty, I probably wouldn't even use it for shopping!

I live really close to my DS primary school and work from home so see the head walking in at 8.30 pretty much every morning, the staff car park is half empty at 3.40 and pretty much empty by 4pm. I regularly see teachers out jogging or dog walking and even shopping on their planning time

Ooh, name and shame that school then-I would love to know what the staff had to say about those comments.

I would suspect the car park is half empty at 3.40 because the TAs and kitchen staff have gone home. Many of our teachers walk in.

I think it was a mistake calling it a Christmas shopping day.

Maybe they should call it a personal day or time off in lieu?

The point being dorset, that those are schools that have done something right, not wrong. And , it is true, when my DSs were at lower school most of the teachers arrived around 8 and seemed to have left by 4 (over 10 years ago, mind). However, the PP who mentions dog walking etc has absolutely no idea whether that is 'planning time'. Those could be part time staff members which now comprise more than 50% of the workforce in primary schools! And,as people keep pointing out , many teachers take work home so judging car park occupancy is hardly a reliable measure!

My DF ( a lecturer!) thought teachers were slackers unitl I becma eone, and then he married someone who had lasted six weeks in the job. Turns out he based all of his 'teachers are slackers ' narrative on two peripatetic music teachers who lived next door to him.

I don't often work at weekends or at home either. I arrive at 7.35 and leave before 4 most days. That does not mean I do not work hard and that my job does not have enormous stresses. My DH massively suffers form work related stress - he brings no work home and is out of the door as soon as school finishes. It is not all about the hours worked.

I am struggling to believe a secondary HoD is on £55000! However, I am glad to hear you have sorted your worklife balance hip. I bet you are really sympathetic to those who are drowning...