Any TEACHERS with that back to school feeling??

[noonar]

I have been teaching primary for 10 years, 4 of which have been p/t , since the arrival of dd 1 and 2 (now aged 2 and 4). At this time of year I always dread going back and really resent the time I have to spend planning and sorting out the classroom. I think it could be time for a change. I love my job, but the 'out of hours' workload is disproportionately high compared to the 2 days I'm paid for. I've got to carry on working p/t, for sanity's sake, rather than financial reasons. I also think that if I left teaching I'd regret it, longterm.

Hhmm, what should I do?

Anyone else with similar experiences?

Could you not do something else for a while. I left teaching a few years ago for all the reasons you listed above. After dd was born I did some part time work in family support and started a psychology degree to open new career paths.

Last year I saw my new teaching post advertised and I though I would visit the school and see how I felt. The moment I entered a classroom I felt as if a part of me that had been missing had become alive again. I still do the long hours but because I am in a school that I love I don't mind. I feel like I ahve found a school that somehow fits me and that in the past the other schools I work in just have not been quite right. I have also found that my studying and other work has enabled me to view my teaching in a new way. So perhaps you need to try something else for a while or perhaps a new school.

I also find p/t work bing disproportainate ( that is spelt so wrong but never mind!) amount of work I do two days, will be three in september and if I don't go in on my day off to do marking and paperwork as well as get ina 7 and leave at 6 plus my time at home I get really behind.

You are not alone LadyMaloryTowers I have no idea what people are talking about when they talk about going through the thresh hold! Sounds like something form a star trek episode.

WALTS WILF TIB was all new to me when I returned as well, although like lots of new ideas you find out you were doing it already but just hadn't given it fanct title.

Interactive whiteboards scared the shit out of me as well.

Apparantly I am eligible for threshold - haven't a clue what that means though! Have taken it a s a compliment!

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It is the gathering evdidence bit that puts me off, when would I have time to do that?

I hate that feeling, it is the one thing that I dilike about my job the feeling of guilt if I ever do anything of an evening or weekend that is not work related,

I have arranged childcare for this Thursday so I can go into school to see the GCSE results and also to sort out some stuff, paperwork and I have a new ceiling mounted projector! I have all the first two weeks lessons planned (in fact I have the firt A level module planned totaly!)

swot!

I still don;t have my timetable.

Well I did have one but was thengiven a set of class lists that did not match the time table.

yorkiegirl, all the best for the moths ahead, both at home and work. so sorry to hear your sad news.

the best thing i did, work wise, was changing my days. i no longer do mondays, so the weekend feel more 'my own'. still haven't submitted my threshold form, although i was eligible in 2002!
as far as my job goes it's a case of 'can't cope with it, but could'nt cope without it.'

For the first time since I started teaching, I don't think I have "that" feeling.

I changed jobs in February to a job with far less responsibility (was p/t Dep Head, now p/t children's centre teacher).

I haven't had to bring any work home during the holidays, and because I don't have a class, I haven't got any preparation work to do! BLISS!

Sorry - that was horribly gloaty of me. I completely empathise with all of you. It is a crap feeling that seems to take over and spoil the last weeks of the holidays.

Does anyone else tend to keep off the education threads in September? There seems to be such a lot of teacher-bashing so I just stay away.

Noonar - I agree about the Monday thing. I don't work Mondays or Fridays. It's great

My timetable is superb this year. I am part time, I get 3 afternoons off a week, I have 3 A level classes, the top three sets in year 11 and a middle set year 8 group. A wonderful timetable!

maybe i should switch to secondary!

wow mb - well done you!

When I tried to get a 0.5 timetable I would have been in school every day, with lessons all over the place on the timetable and as I was 'only' a part-timer (my dearly beloved HoD's words)I didn't get a classroom so was all over the school too!

Can you see why I'm currently an escaped teacher?

Noonar - could you find a p/t job that's covering for PPA - I don't know how the schools in your area do this, but our (junior) school has three parttimers who cover PPA management and other non-co ntact time, for the mainstream school and our asd resource. One of them is an ex-yr3 teacher who has a 15 month old & she does 2 days a week - she says it's great because there's hardly any paperwork and most of the planning is done by the class teachers.

I even have my own lab! I am 80% timetable. It does get used by other teachers when I am out, so that helps to make me keep it resonably tidy!

I'll be honest and say I don't know how anyone copes with the work load in Primary....far worse than in secondary ime.