Teaching Adjustments 33weeks

[B65]

Hi all,

Im interested to hear of any adjustments that were made in your school for you when you were in the 3rd trimester. I’m currently 33 weeks and wondering what’s a normal adjustment. Currently, nothing has changed for me day to day but I’m finding it harder being on my feet all day.

Thankyou

Honestly? Nothing. I taught my normal timetable until I started my maternity leave in all 3 pregnancies.

Nothing for me either. I just asked the pupils to carry the book boxes (we swap between classrooms and computer rooms a fair bit).

Nothing for me in either pregnancy despite complaining that being in 5 different rooms each day and having to cart boxes of books around was becoming a challenge as well as pretty dangerous in the corridors and stairwells where I would be pushed and shoved. This was over 10 years ago though and in a crap school.

For colleagues in more recent years. A room move to a ground floor classroom because it was too hot on the top floor in a summer term. Another colleague was allowed to drop her break duty.

Thankyou! I had a feeling this might be the case!

If there's anything that feels genuinely unsafe for you then raise it and see if anything can be done. It wouldn't be standard to have any adjustments made in a normal and healthy pregnancy. If there's nothing unsafe but don't feel you can manage then that's a sign from your body to start your leave x

A colleague asked for a specific parking place to be reserved for her so it was easier for her to get out of her car.

Sit down then, on edge of desk or a chair. Use your common sense.

What happened when she went shopping?

@ByQuaintAzureWasp, don't be silly - OP was asking about adjustments at work.

I definitely sat down and taught more. Who would question it?!

@B65, I forgot about this one and it's a long time ago: when I was pregnant a colleague in the science department lent me a stool (higher than a chair). It was useful for if I wanted to perch but still needed to be higher than the students.
I also cat-napped in the lunchtime (admittedly longer then) by putting my head down on my desk and resting for ten minutes. I didn't really sleep, but the relaxation helped me deal with the tiredness.

The only adjustment I had either time was being allowed to sit while teaching (usually frowned upon). I will say I worked until 38 weeks with my first, and found it really hard, this time I'm going off af 35 as I don't want to be so tired and rushed again.

The odd accommodation in my school is to be allowed to have all external doors open, to reduce germ exposure.

As this makes the classroom below 10c, this has gone down better with some Pg staff than others. That and no morning break duty, to allow a little sit down mid morning.

Not in my 3rd trimester yet but so far I've had the following adjustments:
Can sit down in lessons if I need to
Duties changed
Not needing to go to assemblies
Radio to get immediate support if needed
Behaviour support during lessons with students that can be quite violent
Extra breaks during parents evenings
Able to leave when the students leave if I need to due to exhaustion.

I will be asking for a better office chair and to get taken off at least 1 of my duties. If you don't ask you don't get. Think about things that would help you to stay in school. They would prefer you in than calling in sick so usually quite good on making adjustments.

We recently had a pregnant teacher. No allowances were made for her other than not being expected to teach a violent pupil.

I was allocated a parking space our school parking is really tight and I actually got blocked in and had to climb over the passenger side on one occasion.

I was also given a key to the accessible toilet on my floor rather than having to use the toilets in the staff room miles away.

The only specific adjustment I requested was a chair for supervising in the sports hall, as that normally wasn't allowed because of the flooring. I didn't have any adjustments agreed for teaching, but I did make common-sense adjustments myself like sitting down more when teaching and asking the students to carry/move/hand things out.