Anyone else paranoid that there maternity replacement will be a million times better than you are?

[chocolatestar]

I am! I am the only person at my school who teaches my subject. I set the department up, everything that has been done has been a decision I made. Now someone else is coming in and I think they will be better than me and my classes and colleagues will prefer her. I feel I've been able to hide being rubbish because I am the only subject specialist in school and that my cover is about to be blown.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_syndrome

You'll be fine, I'm sure

My locums have always been nicer, cleverer and make me green with envy.
I'm still in my job
It's life unfortunately.

Yup! ur not alone although im sure you are putting urself down u must be quite well respected if you have managed to set up the dept on ur own bt i hav met many teachers who hav the complete opposite problem and think they are wonderful im sure you are a breath of fresh air! and no two people will ever work in the same way.

I am double scared because I think they will keep her on as well as me. Great that they are going to expand the department but up till now it has been my baby/kingdom and now I have to hand it over.

I was worried about this - and so relieved when it turned out she was horrible, fell out with everyone and they were really pleased to have me back. Didn't matter whether or not she was good at the job - they couldn't wait to see the back of her. Hurray!!

Totally!! I don't think we can win on this- need someone good to keep things ticking over but not so good that people grumble that your back!

In my office at the moment we have two positions being covered brilliantly and I know there will be some disappointment if the original job holders return- eek!

You're back. Oh dear- baby brain grammar!!

There was no cover for me while I was off - hence all the people who had had to wait for 8 months while I was off were delighted when I came back to work.

I'm going to be involved in the interviews for my cover. So based upon the above comments.... I'm going to make sure I hire someone I think will turn out to be a bitch!

I know the woman who will be covering for me - she's worked with us before and is a total sweetheart and really knows all the stuff we deal with. She's been on a career break for the past year but is coming back early to cover my maternity leave. She couldn't be nicer or work harder, which is great in one way but might show me up!

My maternity cover has already had 2 weeks off sick during the handover period. So, I was really worried he'd be brilliant, but now I think they'll just be lucky if he turns up! :)

17 working days and counting.......

haha I definitely feel like this! If I manage to be off for the full year then my replacement will be totally settled in and part of the office so I'm dreading the thought that everyone will prefer her!

I was also worried about this, so have cunningly rearranged the staff so that I don't have someone covering me, just redistributed work. Thought I was being really clever but am now worried that they will realise they can manage perfectly well without me! Hopefully everyone will be really busy when I'm off.

my locum is newly qualified, so less experienced. but she is very, very keen, works harder than me, and is generally a nicer person. but they're stiil stuck with me in the long term .

Remember though, if she is shit they will grumble about you for being inconsiderate enough to have a baby.
you can't win.

chocolatestar I'm thinking excatly the same thing! I'm in the same position as you - specialist teacher, only one in the school in my field etc. I've sat in on lessons with my cover and she's done my subject in the past but isn't qualified in it and has never done it to GCSE, so spent half the lesson cringing at how she kept missing things out I would put in and yet half so cross when she was doing well as I felt so useless and vulnerable (like - that should be me doing well, not you ). I know/hope it's completely irrational and keep telling myself that my subject has had best value added in school in the past with me as teacher here and I always get commented on with good results and mostly outstandings in lesson observations but STILL I think she'll be more popular with students/staff than me and they won't want me back (although I think thye might find her better for reasons that she seems the sort to not say no to anything so do alot more than me as I draw the line at what I feel is them taking advantage of me for free 'extra' stuff).

Conversly, I also worry about her being useless, and the fact it's taken me ages to get students behaving in just the way I want in my room and in just the right routine (I teach a practical subject where routine of the room is v important). It took me ages to get this spot on and coming back after nearly a year off and if she's mucked it all up and students are all in bad habits it's going to be so much stress etc to remedy.

So really, she can't win poor thing if she;s good or bad!

lolol, i was just ranting about this to hubby yesterday..am so worried she is going to be awesome and make me look terrible even though I get on v well. I'm meeting her this week so will be able to report back. She's newly qualified too so is younger, fresher and probably smarter as she already has a 'new xxxxx of the year 2010' in our industry. Have been doing this job for years though so I may well decide its time to move while being on Mat.leave.

chocolatestar

Completely know where you're coming from, I'm a teacher too and I was shadowed by my replacement for a week before I left, which got quite irritating by the end of the week as I don't like other people sitting in judgement of me at the back of the classroom! He's been in my job for a week now and keeps sending me emails about how well it's going...another colleague sent me an email telling me how easy he was to get on with and how he's doing really well...I guess that's good, although the bitchy side of me would like just a little something to go wrong, just so people start to miss me!

PGWomble is right - we need someone good enough to keep things ticking over but not too good so no-one wants us back! Hard combo. But I reckon that as soon as this baby gets here I'm going to have so much other stuff going on that my substitute is going to be the least of my worries!

My mat cover person was rubbish. I still have to redo her work from time to time as something will emerge that she didn't do properly. As have been said on the thread the best people would be mediocre.

From what I know of her she will be good which is a relief in a way. I don't mind her being good and different to me if that makes sense but if she is very similar to me and better I will not be a happy bunny! I really hope I get on with her too as there is a strong chance she will stick around even when I do get back.

Better than them not being any good! On my last mat leave my cover wasn't up to it, which combined with other circumstances meant my whole department was deemed unnecessary and made redundant. I, fortunately, was redeployed but essentially demoted. Same pay, less stress, and a role more feasible to do part-time so it's worked out ok but beware!

argh! so true! am, actually thinking something more along the lines of JoEW - i'm also redistributing my work amongst colleagues, but now panicking that they'll see this as an easy way to save my salary and get rid of me completely....

i think we're all suffering from a bit of pregnancy-related paranoia.... (at least i hope so.... )

From the other side of the fence I'm coming to the end of a maternity cover contract. This is my 3rd over the last 10 years and the only one where the permanent holder is actively hostile towards me and has been since day one. It's such a shame as I actually became friends with the previous 2 women I covered for. I knew she would be a bit precious and she has a reputation for being a control freak and a bit difficult with her colleagues. During the 2 day handover she was totally micromanaging right down to telling me whether I should order biscuits with tea or coffee for an event. It's a management role so that would be something I'd delegate anyway.

2 weeks before the 12 month contract came to an end in October she contacted work and said she didn't want to come back till Jan. I had to rejiggle my own childcare arrangements to fit in with her request with no thanks from the company or her. She is due back in Jan and I e-mailed her suggesting we meet for a coffee and a chat and I could fill her in on any big changes so she was in part prepared. She hasn't even replied. I realise that she must see me as a threat but I'm a potential ally. I have a young child and I'm due my 2nd in April so I can see where she is coming from. It's her loss I guess and I think her attitude is going to make it more difficult for her coming back.

And not wanting to confirm your fears but I've had quite a few comments from colleagues and clients that they are sorry I'm not being kept on and that she is coming back. But as I said she does see to be a difficult character and her own worst enemy in this situation. I'm sure the majority of your covers will be competent, good people who just want to do their job. They really aren't the enemy.

Don't see her as the enemy, I really want to get on with her actually as I think she will be sticking around. Just feeling insecure about my own ability and that having someone else in will shine a light on my general crappyness.