Anyone a full time teacher? How do you manage?

[allgonebellyup]

i currently work as a cover supervisor (like a supply teacher) and want to eventually become a secondary school teacher.
But i am on my own with 2 kids ages 9 and 5, and it already can be a bit of a struggle at times!

Can anyone say they honestly manage?

Hats off to you. I have a husband and I still feel like I am a crap teacher and a crap mum, which is even worse.
DD1 10 and dd2 7.
The job is never ending. You just have to prioritise and not beat yourself up about not achieving it all! Sort out your lessons and make sure they are great and most other things seem to follow on.
Learn to say no to extra responsibilities and don't feel bad about not going to all of the extra events.

i was
and i didnt

Part time and that's with a DH. Even then they all resent the evenings I spend planning/marking

oh, this isnt sounding good!!

Anyone with a positive story??!!

I dont really cope but suffer from depression, dp does everything at home.

I get everything done at school. I work damned hard for those few hours and when I walk out the door that's it.

Although not a lone parent I was when my dd was a baby. I managed because I rented a flat two minutes from my school.

My sil is a primary teacher and I have to say she puts in a lot more hours than I do working in secondary. Most of the teachers at my school leave minutes after the bell has rung.

I have tried for years to be one of those teachers that get everything done at work and know very few who do to be honest.

I know of very few schools where teachers leave just after the bell apart from Friday/

I'm not a lone parent, but I am a full time secondary teacher. My DSs are 1 and 3, and it's hard but doable. I work 8 till 4.15 (school is 8.40-3) and then do a couple of hours planning/marking when kids are in bed. Tis very, very hard work, but holidays make it worth it!

I agree abierhodes, I would not swap for anything. I work bloody hard in term time, during the week I wake during almost all of my waking time. But it is only for stints of on average 7 weeks.

Well at the moment i work 5 days a week; 8.30-4pm. Plus when i get home and on the weekends i do all the studying for my last year on my Open Uni degree.

So i must be close to doing the same sort of hours. And at the moment i love it, but i know its not the same as being a proper teacher!!!!!

so do you enjoy your job, twinset??

Yes it sounds similar hours, I have to do one of the units for my degree to update my subject knowledge and simply do not know where I will fit it in.

I now work 4 days having worked full time for a nos of years.
The following has really helped.
Get a cleaner and do an online shop once a week.
Get a flexible childminder - if you can afford it pay a little extra for hours after school where you can plan and mark uninterrupted.
Set yourself a limit to time after work and stick to it regardless.
Be up front - "sorry I cant do that - I have child care commitments" - eventually people realise your limits but then be flexible in other ways.
I use mind maps to do a lot of my planning.
Get support from other teachers in the school who are mums
I love my job and the stresses are worth it but the four days is definitely preferable to the five

thanks gardenermum:

i do already:

Have a cleaner!
Have a flexible childminder!
Do my shopping online.

thanks for the rest of the advice.

Also - it does get easier as you get more experience and build up your bank of resources and ideas
As you are already a cover supervisor you have a good idea what the job is like so go for it - it can be the best job in the world

thanks - ALL the teachers at my school keep saying that the first couple of years are the worst!! ooh i cant wait!!

Get some Berocca or some other sort of vitamin defence type thing.
You might get ill.
They are covered in germs.
Like that one off Charlie Borown. You can see the germs.
Anti bac hand stuff.

I am ill at least once in the first term.
I struggle as I have three ds and am a single mum. Work full time and its a killer. I juggle them constantly and school can be stressful enough and then you come home to it.
BUT it is rewarding and the holidays are a massive bonus....
I also am good at blagging when I haven't planned feel like I should put that on guilty thread....

The workload is hard but it is such an amazing job, I have golden moments all the time and smile all day.

thanks for that, twinset

i miss my job on the weekends and look forwards to mondays!! How sad am i ?!

Full time teacher, went back when DD was 7mo and she's now 19m0.

It is absolutely manageable, and at the risk of sounding like the waltons- I love my life

I echo what everyone else has said, particuarly gardnermum and preggy in that you will build up a bank of resources as time goes on, plus you'll get good at blagging it when you've not planned ( perhaps this could be re-worded to 'experienced'? )

FWIW, I don't have a cleaner, or do my shopping on line, and I manage ok. It's hard, but I admit to taking shortcuts where I shouldn't, especially with mealtimes and playtime with DD. I feel bad about that, but needs must and I figure I'm doing a good thing by providing for her.

I still manage to have a social life as DD goes to her dads twice a week- if I remember correctly allgone, you have a similar setup, so I would definitely say its more than possible.

I am a full time teacher (primary) single parent of children aged 7, and 9. I retrained to be a teacher after my husband left me. Although i find it very difficult i do love my job and am lucky to be in a school where the head is very good about home/work balance. I leave early 3.45 twice a week to do activties with my children and stay late 5.30 the other three nights. I often have to do a couple of hours two/three times a week when kids in bed. But it has made my oldest very independent. - tonight he washed up and tidied the kitchen without being asked as i was marking books. My kids go my exs every other weekend so i do my detailed marking/assessment then and my planning is much better then. i also blitz the house then. The weekend i have them i do the bare minimum for school and in terms of housework. Like you i do internet shopping.

I have built up a support network on friends that have my children so i can do the odd evening (parents evenings etc) I do n;'t volunteer to do clubs or take on extra responsibilities or attend after school events.

thanks all! so it is just about manageable then!!!

My kiddies do go away practically every weekend so i do have time then to get stuff done.

I gave up teaching after my youngest ( now 19mths) but would love to go back. Dont take on too much and dont make the mistake of focusing on your school kids issues, make sure you have special time with your kids as well during the week. i think 3 or 4 days is the best option but you will probably have to do fulltime for the first couple of years then request a reduction. there doesnt seem to be any part time jobs at the mo! good luck