Pregnant teacher - work load!

[Rose59]

Hi, does anyone know if a school can bring forward a planned parents evening and expect you to do it, just before you go on maternity leave?
I have 4 weeks left at school before I go on maternity and I have just been emailed asking if I can do parents evening before I go. I will speak to my teaching union in the morning but wondering if anyone else had experienced this. 1. it is not enough notice 2. I will be heavily pregnant. A day working with 4 years heavily pregnant has been enough for me, let alone following the day with a load of parent meetings. Thank you in advance.

I can see why they want to do this though. If the parents evening is going to be just after you leave, your replacement isn’t going to have any information to give to the parents. In any school I’ve worked in, if the teacher plans to go on maternity leave just before reports are due to go home, they have been asked to write them beforehand as well.

Thanks for your reply. Previously my school have given the replacement longer to get to know the class and postponed the parents evening for that class. We completed and sent out reports in December and had a parents evening in October.

Just say you have already made other commitments and you do not have to say what they are.

It does seem a bit unfair on the parents of the children that you teach. I taught up to 37 weeks both times. Can you ask that you have an morning of afternoon of cover if you're really not coping so have a shorter day or time to go home and rest?

Private life is private life.

I don’t see why not. They are completely at liberty to change the date if they want to.

I think you should absolutely do the parents evening.

Or*

I am guessing that all other staff will have to do this too as the evening has been moved forward? It’s not really fair for you not to have to do it if this is the case. I know it’s hard, I had some very late night meetings before I went on mat leave, but you can always call in sick the next day if you’re too drained from it?

No sorry, they would just be moving my classes parent meetings forward. The rest of the school would have them at the planned date, when I am on maternity leave.

perhaps see if it’s reasonable to gain support to allow you time to prepare in school time?

Pregnancy exhaustion can be awful

You should do it. It's not fair to the parents or the children. I am heavily pregnant and I have done two previous parents eves when I was fit to burst. I thibk getting the union involved is silly and wil cause hassle. Just do it.

Oh come on! It's one evening. And how much additional prep is required?

Yes, you should do it.

I've had 3 kids & worked in busy, stressful jobs & people didn't care about me being pregnant (in the sense of work, of course they were happy for me to be pregnant). I would 100% facilitate a request like this but I'd actually want to do this too.

@EaringsandLipstick you OBVIOUSLY HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA HOW STRESSFUL TEACHING IS LET ALONE PARENTS EVENINGS.... GO AWAY.

😂😂😂 @NC4THISandTHAT

I really hope you aren't a teacher

a) learn to spell
b) why the CAPS?
c) many jobs are stressful. For many reasons. Teachers haven't a monopoly in this
d) I'm actually in a teaching role but at 3rd level. I've plenty idea.

Honestly. Thick.

Just cudnt b aRsed too waste effort onnsuch a post by urs ..... 😉

You're lovely @NC4THISandTHAT (but still sadly thick)

And wat fird levell iz that than that's newz to meeee 😂

👍 🤣

I was in a similar situation where parents evening was going to be after my leave began. I asked my school if I could bring it forward so I could do it. It wouldn’t be fair for the parents to have reports and a meeting with a teacher that barely knows their child.
I think you at least owe them that.

Can they have the maternity cover teacher do the parents evening with you? That could take some of the strain from you??
I know how tiring this could be, you could also have an 'appointment' the following morning so you get a later start??

@NC4THISandTHAT have a read of @Howtosupportmyfriend sensible post, there's a thought?

Whether they can ask you or not, I think it's pretty unfair and selfish of you to refuse. It's one evening. They finish by 7 at my school.

Nc

There are many teachers on here and as the pp has said, we don't get a monopoly on how stressful teaching is. People get it.
That said, parents are entitled to a parents eve and it's one evening . I think it's unprofessional not to do it.

Nc

There are many teachers on here and as the pp has said, we don't get a monopoly on how stressful teaching is. People get it.
That said, parents are entitled to a parents eve and it's one evening . I think it's unprofessional not to do it.