sending in lesson plans when off sick or other, special, leave?

[overthemill]

just a quick poll really. My school expects staff to send in lesson plans /cover when sick. Has to be by 7.30 am. So when I'm really ill (which I have to be to phone in) I also have to provide a lesson and send it in? Obviously I have lesson plans at school but not necessarily at home. So I have to get up early and think something up. If it's planned leave that's ok (eg hospital apt) but when unwell? It's also an expectation for other leave, eg if off unpaid when own kids are ill.

Is this normal and is it reasonable? My sister's school doesn't expect this btw.

[overthemill]

wow! lots of weekend responses from teachers! i still maintain that if you are off sick, you are ill and shouldn't have to send in cover. Maybe say year 5 is doing 'mathilda' or year 7 has just finished nuclear fusion (you can tell i'm not a science teacher). But detailed lessons? no way. I got 4 texts from our cover admin person first day and 3 emails from Head about it. I supplied cover for first 3 days but not last 5 days. sent in email saying it wasn't possible. Going in tomorrow, no way am i fully fit but i can stand up now and that'll have to be good enough. and i am a professional and this is not my first career. I am rarely off ill but since having cancer it's commonplace.

[Arisbottle]

I had time off last year because I had a miscarriage. I phoned my head of department to let him know where I was up to with my classes and he set my cover - much of which was from the pre planned cover lessons we had planned as a department.

If my HOD had said to me I know you are grieving and still bleeding but I would like you to plan a series of lessons I would have handed in my notice there and then.

[overthemill]

well i have handed in my notice

[clam]

How sad, overthmill.
I wonder if it might have been different if you'd had a more understanding management team.

Good luck.

[Arisbottle]

Overthemill have you contacted your union?

[overthemill]

I haven't contacted union this time. Haven't found them very helpful in past. But for me at this point in my life I simply can't manage this much hassle. I've tried my best but am just not up to it. Love the job still and want to go with good reference so that maybe when I'm 100% I could try somewhere else

[Loshad]

overthemill sorry to hear you have had to resign. Coldfusion thank the fuck you are not slt where i work. I have never had a day off since i moved to teaching, but if i did i would definitely be too ill to set cover work. I have worked previously in 2 other professions/other jobs and in neither of them would you be expected to sort any work out if too ill to go to work. Your comments are typical of ill informed, jumped up, never been out of teaching types imo.
I have detailed lesson plans on the system for all my classes, but i am a science teacher, and a strong advocate of a range of pedalogical approaches, so that virtually none of them would be suitable as cover ie i don't do sit down shut up and write lessons. I also don't have a textbook at home, as i rarely (never?) use them in class so would not be able to refer to page x.
My Hod is great, efficient as hods should be and easily capable of setting some cover work or delegating that task in the time between 8 am and first lesson at 9am.

[mineofuselessinformation]

Sorry if this is a repeat of what has already been said...
I keep a working planner which I bring home with me, so I can give an outline of what my classes should be doing.
I also keep a planner at school, in which I write up what has been done, all home works set etc.
My department works to a set scheme, so it is easy for someone to set what comes next if I am unable to. Doesn't prevent supply staff from losing the work you have spent hours slaving over for a planned absence though.
If you are too ill to go to work, IME you are too ill to set work. I also don't think it's legal for school to insist on this.

[sheridand]

When I was teaching in Secondary ( last year was 2007) I was expected to phone in by 7.30 and email cover by 8am. Any planned absence was obviously different.

Now, returning to work as a HLTA, it seems the rules haven't changed. I cover at the last minute, and work is mailed in. Doesn't matter if it's bare bones, just a skeleton to hang stuff on is good if you're covering!

[ravenAK]

This came up a few years ago when I was doing a Union Rep training course.

If you are not going in to work because you are too ill to work, your responsibility is to let school know, asap & via whatever channel is school policy. That's it.

You cannot be expected to set work or do anything else work-related, because you are Not At Work because you are Not Fit For Work.

In the real world, if I'm off because say I've broken a couple of ribs in a Lego-related incident, as last year, there's obviously no reason why I can't email in work. It's better for the students, less hassle for whichever colleague otherwise has to sort it out, & means it's easier for me to pick up the pieces on my return.

My school has a culture/expectation that, in a spirit of professional goodwill, you provide as much in the way of lesson suggestions as you possibly can - I've emailed confused ramblings before now whilst self, dh & 3dc were all riding the Norovirus train...

However, it cannot be a requirement. You can't be reproached for not sending in lesson plans etc, because as soon as you've let school know you are too ill to work...you aren't working.

Really, any decent Department should be able to provide one day's worth of acceptable cover work. We have an electronic folder for each Scheme of Learning - it's mostly scans of slightly dated worksheets, & topic-related videos, but it creates a breathing space so that if someone's going to be off for several days, another member of the Dept. can then plan the next few days & liaise with the supply teacher.