To all those due around May - rjteach? pickledpeppers? dreamingofanallotment? karatekimmi? duvetfan? Are you all finishing for ML at Easter? I am - and am counting down the weeks - only 6 left! (I only teach a set number of weeks a term.. got started early this term to ensure I could finish quicker!).
dreamingofanallotment, I feel your pain - really don't want to go back after HT either! Though I'm still really enjoying the teaching thankfully.. it's the travelling to/between schools and setting up equipment I'm not looking forward to - oh, and controlling the larger primary groups with recorders when I have no energy (thankfully I only teach six of those!).
Peasandyoghurt, I'm finding the planning the hardest thing as well. I find I really need to get in and rest in the evenings - no where near as much energy as I used to have. I can report it's picking up as the pregnancy's going on though - the first few months were very difficult in terms of working in the evenings! All I can recommend is to be as organised as possible. Difficult for me though as I have to do new planning virtually every week... but I'd recommend to not put it off and get it done ASAP, so you can then relax without a cloud of worry over you!
karatekimmi - Also having the bladder issues! Can't believe you have to survive three hour lessons (or not!!). I often have sessions that are 2+ hours, but when they consist of a number of 30min lessons it feels mean to have to leave part way through. I keep having to set tasks ("Sight read through this section of the piece, I want you to have sussed out all the notes by the time I'm back!") and running!
duvetfan, most of mine haven't noticed yet - or haven't commented! I had a few yr6s that guessed, and a couple of yr7s, but that's it! Think I'll have to tell them after HT as some of them have exams coming up and I don't want them to stress - would rather tell them that yes, I am leaving in 6/7 lessons time, but that I've got a plan of action etc.
pickledpeppers, because of the nature of my work I can't really be given "reduced duties", but I am trying to make life easier for myself. I'll soon be refusing to go and "fetch" students in the bigger secondary schools - our SLA actually says we're not supposed to but most of us music peri tutors do! I'll still do it in the lovely small primary schools though :) I'm also going to stop stressing about things out of my control - like doing extra work to make sure the yr10s/11s (coming up to GCSEs) actually practice for their performance- and point out that simply it's their responsibility. Which it is, I'm just normally nice and try and help as much as I can! I'm also going to try and plan lessons that involve less bouncing around classrooms/practice rooms...