To want to take a sick day when I’m not sick

[Charlottestar]

I’m not sick but I AM very tired. Desperate for a day to myself …

would you

Schools were never closed. Key worker children were in school because they were the ones who were allowed to be at the time. And what is the 'fuss' you're on about going 'back' to work when they were never off. Honestly, the shit people just make up on this forum is embarrassing.

Hello @Charlottestar as a teacher I say definitely have the day off. Covering for absent colleagues is just part and parcel of being a teacher. Just outline what you want your class(es) to do tomorrow and email it to your line manager as early as possible and say you have a migraine that started last night. I work in a school where colleagues are off all the time, if I'm asked to cover their class I just get on with it, I don't think about how awful they are for being off or how they've mucked me around, I also don't speculate as to why they're off or whether their reasons are valid. Honestly have the day off or even two just to recalibrate.

Feeling exhausted and mentally overwhelmed is an absolute valid reason to take a couple of days off.

I think you may be in the minority @BlueBellsArePretty . I'm the Cover Manager in a secondary with a team of 4 cover supervisors. I often have to ask staff to cover when other staff are off (to be honest, it's normally the same staff who are off, so the same staff often get hit to cover for them - I always make sure they get that time back) because all the CS's are already covering absences and it causes so much additional stress for those staff and it's really not fair. If someone is genuinely unwell, that's not a problem but other than that, people should do their job without dumping on others. I feel that it's a selfish attitude to have.

The period of time when the Government closed schools to many children was, without a doubt, the hardest work of my entire career.
@Bettyboop3 Are you confusing "fuss" with the justified concerns the profession raised when they were to re-open more fully with zero mitigation against infection of children and staff alike?

I agree. It was incredibly hard for everyone. Staff, parents, but particularly the children whether they were in school or at home. No one found it easy. I'm not sure why some folk try to trump others for an already difficult time. Some love a race to the bottom.

Unfortunately if everyone with a toddler took sick leave because they were tired, it would be a right, old mess.
It gets better.

Go on, do it and forget about it. Say it's a sickness bug. Everyone on here will tell u not to. I'm sure most have done it plenty at some point.
I haven't pulled a sickie for years and years but I used to every now and then. I do not regret it! I wish I actually had the balls do it more. I'm part time now though so prob why I never do it infact I often work when I am sick and should really take the time off.

Take a week off and enjoy every minute

Advice has gone from a day, to a couple of days, to a week...

What did you decide?

If someone is unwell (genuinely, or not, I guess), you're supposed to arrange a supply teacher or cover supervisor . 'Rarely cover' means teachers' measly 10% PPA time should be protected for planning and preparing lessons and assessing pupils' work, all but an emergency.

Teaching staff don't like being asked because they have about twenty two hours a week to plan and resource, before thinking about marking the thirty pieces of work each generates. That can't be done in the three hours allocated, nevermind if you're watching a class that's not yours.