Should teachers be allowed to have hobbies?

[teacherwithhobby]

First of all, I'm not a school teacher, but teach at an FE college. I don't teach music, but I play piano and sing in my spare time, do local open mic nights. I don't see that I'm doing anything wrong in this. I'm fully dressed when I'm performing, my music isn't anything overtly sexual, just a woman at a piano, and performing and meeting others around this hobby is part of my social life. I feel like this is looked down upon by colleagues, that I should be 100% dedicated to my work all the time and have no hobbies at all. I don't see that my hobby interferes with my job, I'm not a big drinker and wouldn't have anything on a work night if I'm playing somewhere in any case. Similarly, it doesn't cause any mid-week late nights. I've often felt like you aren't allowed to have any hobbies if you are a teacher, that it's looked down upon by some who are full-on martyrs. For example, I mentioned going for a run and my supervisor sniffily said 'I don't think you'll have time for going on any runs this week'. Really? I'm not allowed to take 30 minutes exercise in my day outside of working hours to take care of my physical and mental health, I should only ever think about work all the time? Seeing as relationships and children take up a lot more time and exertion than playing the piano or going for a run, should people be allowed to have either of these if they are teachers, or should some sort of vow of chastity be taken? Do any other teachers out there experience this, or am I in the wrong, I should 100% be dedicated to my job all the time, no hobbies allowed?

That opinion just sounds odd but alot of people like to act the martyr.

Having said that I believe alot of teachers don't work local to where they live to limit bumping into parents or children in their free time but i guess that's personal choice.

It's the particular college you are working at.
I experienced it at two schools:
I did in-school teacher training so I was in school for year and I had constant comments from my mentor like "You won't be able to continuing playing your musical instrument once you are a proper teacher". If I mentioned anything in the staff room such as going to a rehearsal I'd get a comment either from the mentor or another teacher along the lines of "Well I hope you're still going to be adequately prepared for tomorrow". My placement in a second school was even worse.
The second school I worked at was very similar. I remember one of the teachers giving me a lift to the train station one day and there was Cosmopolitan and a couple of other magazines lying on the passenger seat. As she moved them so I could sit down she said "Don't know why I bought them. It's not like I have time to sit around reading magazines". She was so on-message with the school's narrative of dedicating all your time to schoolwork that she even had to mentioned the magazines. In my opinion, if you don't have time to sit down and read a magazine then there is something seriously wrong with the working culture. And this particular teacher did not have a family so it wasn't a case of not having time to read the magazine because of schoolwork plus family.

And then after that I worked in a couple of other schools which were much better and taking time for yourself was encouraged.

Never heard of this and I've taught in both secondary and FE.

I play piano too and run 4 times a week in preparation for races as do some of my colleagues. Having some things in common also helps us to get along, as we are supportive if each other with endeavours outside work.

Maybe your colleagues have forced themselves to eat, think and sleep teaching? I don't know bit there is absolutely more to life than teaching or whatever people do as a job.

I think you need to either ignore their comments, or find a different school/college to work at. I'm a teacher, and I don't recognise these views. Myself and most of my colleagues have some form of hobby, I'd say it's encouraged, for our mental health. But you may well work somewhere where a toxic culture has developed, and if so, it's ultimately best to leave.

They sound like they have sad lives. Yours sounds good. Keep on with the music. That way it can a pleasure all your life.

You’ve got weird colleagues. I have never ever encountered these kinds of attitudes in nearly twenty years of teaching! I have teaching colleagues who volunteer as community first responders, one who volunteered as a PCSO and eventually left teaching to go into policing full-time. Others coach sport, perform in bands and orchestras, do am-dram… I’m really envious of people who manage to have rich lives outside of school as I am yet to manage it but I certainly don’t look down on them.

There was a thread a while ago from a parent who was FURIOUS that a teacher had been given a few days off during term time to go and represent their country at the world championships for their sport, so yes, these attitudes do exist.

But none of my teaching friends seem to have encountered them, as they all have lots of hobbies, as do many of the teachers at DC’s school

Nor me.

I don't think I ever met a teacher with no hobbies.

Of course you should be allowed hobbies as long as they are appropriate.

Saying that when I was a trainee accountant I was ordered to stop doing LRP, and by that I mean running around in a field attacking other people with a rubber sword dressed as an Elf , nothing kinky. Because that sort of thing didn't look good for the company if a client saw me. We used to practice 2 miles along a coastal path , no where anyone could see us, never mind their clients (mostly local Chinese's and taxi firms, hardly nobility).

These were the people that tried to tell me that I could only own silky pjs and that my 5 year old car wasn't good enough and I couldn't park it in the staff car park. I was 18, fresh out of High School, it's not like I could afford a Ferrari.

I think that in some careers the job can take over. Or certain individuals let it. I know a few teachers. One cannot take off the teacher hat. Even on nights out her job is mentioned when people talk about their children etc. I think in your case it’s their problem not yours. Jealousy perhaps? Carry on doing you!

Teaching profession is full of martyrs and a lot of teachers overwork themselves needlessly busy creating work that it is unnecessary. The culture needs to change from within if they want change to happen. I'm not a teacher but work in school and observing the martyrs vs. Those with sensible approach to work/life is fascinating to watch.

I don't think you need to dwell too much on what your colleagues think of your hobbies. It's not really any of their business what you do in your free time so long as it's legal and doesn't breech data protection or safe guarding. Perhaps don't discuss personal things with your colleagues if they're a bunch of miserable A holes

Huh? My sister is a psychiatrist. Three days a week she stays at a residential hospital for long term psychiatric care, the other days she works at other hospitals and has her own practice - in other words, she's busy! But she's also a fibre artist and creates beautiful quilts and photo/fibre collages. And she goes to the gym! Could this be vital physical and mental release from her intense day job? Could it make her a much better and more effective practitioner? Yes and yes. Your coworkers are shortsighted and frankly, idiots.

It’s not just teachers. As a nurse, I often have patients asking me where I’ve been when I have a rostered day off in my shift schedule. Like, I’ve been at home doing home stuff. One patient asked me why I didn’t live at the hospital! And quite a few have asked me if I sleep at the hospital when I do a late/early! And then ask where my bedroom is in case they need me! I’ve had patients message me on Facebook messenger saying it took them ages to find me as they only had my first name and photo to go on! I’ve had them randomly come up to me in the shops when I’ve been out with my kids. And randomly in restaurants when I’ve been on date nights with my long-suffering DH! And then get upset because I don’t remember them! In any working week, I can look after 50 or so different patients as the ward is quite big. I can’t remember them after a week, let alone months or years.

As my son would say people be crazy.

Thanks for all the replies, I feel reassured! To be fair, it's only a few colleagues who behave like martyrs, others have their own hobbies too and there are other musicians. The comment about running was when I was quite new, so perhaps she was testing me out as to how dedicated I am to the job when it was a busy induction week. I'd like to think I've proved myself by now, always had good feedback. I was a bit gobsmacked though, to be told I shouldn't be doing anything so frivolous in my spare time as going for a run!

I do think the job attracts some who have a kind of masochistic attraction to teaching, like they have to sacrifice every spare minute of the day to the job, inventing new ways of doing things that they try to force on others, and if you ever get them outside of work at a social event they still just go on and on about work. I care about my students a great deal, I'll put in extra time where it's needed. I'm not a self-sacrificing masochist though, and I don't enjoy being taken advantage of.

I thank the pp who made the comment about FE college zero hours contracts. Yes, it feels sometimes like you're expected to live the life of a nun and yet with zero job security. I remember when I was working part-time by the teaching hours and was still expected to come in on my days off for unpaid meetings. travel all the way into work and attend a meeting just for an hour or so, then travel all the way home again. Any questioning of this type of thing and you would be considered as not dedicated enough to your job role.

I’ve never worked in a FE setting but I’ve worked in schools and all of them have encouraged hobbies and exercise.

The parents on the other hand…..

I remember a parent writing a complaint to the school asking for a teacher to be sacked, as she saw her on holiday abroad in a non-revealing, one piece bathing suit in a swimming pool!

I’m a teacher and have never experienced anything like this before at any school. In my experience people are generally supportive of each others hobbies. I’m pretty boring and don’t have any time-consuming hobbies myself but I have a colleague who is into musical theatre and does lots of shows at the local theatre and we have been on works nights outs to watch her perform and another is in a band and we have gone to watch him perform in local pubs a few times. I have another colleague who teaches dance to kids on evenings and weekends and i know some of our colleagues have been to see the dance school’s shows to support her. I also have colleagues who do things like triathlons and marathons so really can’t relate to the comment you got about going for a run!

Some schools and some line managers are like this, for sure. I think most people are sane, and know that having hobbies makes you more well rounded and able to connect with the students and sometimes helps you contribute to school life (not that that should matter).

It's worth considering whether there are other options out there that might be a bit saner?

Same here. Seems very strange.

Some people on this thread seem to recognise the martyrdom I'm talking about, others don't at all, so I wonder if it varies depending on the subject area or other factors.

This with bells on.

If you are unlucky enough to find yourself in an environment like that, it has come from bad work practices and insane, incompetent management.

Culture I meant, not really practices.

At the end of my PGCE placement, my placement partner and I did some baking for the department. The deputy head was in same dept - she commented along the lines of when she was doing her PGCE, she was working too hard to find time for baking.

I ended up working under her for 8 years. She, and others there, were hard bloody work.

Teaching colleagues can be great, supportive friends or cut-throat competitors. Some of them are so competitive for parent and administrator approval that they make teaching their hobby and their entire life.

I used to shut my classroom door, do my job well and then live my life outside of the classroom. The people I worked with were colleagues, but my friends were usually not.

Yes, this is very much the mentality I'm talking about. "If you were working hard enough you wouldn't have time to go for a run etc". OR, maybe I'm just efficient?
I also think in FE Colleges there can be a have/have-not divide, between those on a salary and those on zero hours contracts who are paid per teaching hour. Those on a salary are paid to do/run training events, have meetings etc, and those on zero hours or part-time don't, hence the aforementioned being asked to come in on my day off for meetings at a time that suited those who were in the office every day. I remember when I started one new job, it was in another city 45 minutes away by train. Funnily enough, working part-time on zero hours contracts, I didn't have a car, but my new boss called me up and asked me to call into work for a meeting in the next half-hour. Erm, that would be against the laws of physics. She seemed a bit put out that I would need more time to get there, or maybe come in tomorrow due to working 2 other part-time jobs as well. I didn't last long there.