If another member of staff was excused from playtime duty, would you resent it?

[2kidsintow]

In our school all staff have 2 playtime duties as well as a before school/after school turn at seeing the children safely in/out of the grounds.

I have a medical condition that is reasonably well controlled by medication, but that flares to become more painful when I'm subject to being out in cold weather/cool breezes etc. My head has told me that when I go back to work (after being off sick since Feb) that my duties will be covered for me.

I look and sound in every other respect to be completely well, but will be in discomfort straight away if stuck outside in the lightest breeze and in pain when stuck outside in the cold. (I have a fetching range of scarves to help but they don't solve the problem).

I wonder whether it will be resented that others have 'duties' to do and I am excused, when noone looking at me could tell why.

No, I would assume there was a reason for it - our Heads don't let anybody get away with much!! I don't think any of my colleagues would resent it either.

Do you want to keep your condition private? I know from my experience that people resent when they don't know the facts. One member of staff at my old school was excused responsibility for a subject which led to lots of grumbles. I knew the reason why, her husband was very ill and her situation was pretty horrible but as no one else knew they all thought she was shirking and made comments. If you don't want to say are you happy for your head to tell everyone when you're not there? This was also done at my work when someone's parent died, we were all told and also told that the person didn't want us to mention it.

Not at all. I didn't do duties when pg and a colleague doesn't do them for health reasons. Everyone is very supportive.

I don't mind about keeping it private. I've been open in discussing my condition with my colleagues (most who are also good friends, happily) while I've been off sick. They are aware that temp is a trigger and I think they will be accepting. If the HT declared in a staff meeting that 2kids isn't doing playtime duties because of her trigeminal neuralgia, then I'd be fine with that actually.

I'm just a worrier!

Is there no indoor duty you could do instead, relieving them of those instead?

I have arthritis and during a flare up being stood outside makes it worse, especially the pain. As a result I had some of my outdoor duties swapped or indoor FA duty instead.

But on the whole my colleagues were very accommodating and understood completely - they were offering to do mine for me, even before the official swap anyway.

I would, and have understood for other people in the past too.

What about offering to take over someone else on the rota as and when you can during the summer months, on an ad hoc basis? Would that work? Or just be too complicated? Or cover some other duty indoors more often?

I don't think people will resent it, especially if they know why.

Everyone you work with will know that you e been off work sick for several months anyway, so even though you look fit and well, they will know there is something going on even if they don't know the details and will easily put 2 and 2 together regarding the playground duty I'm sure

Not at all.

We have a TA who has asthma exacerbated by cold air. Just a few minutes will set her off. She does corridor and toilet duty every day. Everybody knows and accepts and helps her when she needs it.

I teach and it wouldn't bother me at all. But we also need indoor supervision as well eg first aid cover/completing homework that was "forgotten"/completing an acceptable amount of class work-generally keeping an eye on those kids who aren't allowed (or have been sent back in) for a range of reasons. Possibly you could offer to help out with some of those jobs?!?

Yes & no :/ New name, old fence sitter

In all honesty I'd be the first to whinge if I didn't know why, but if I knew why I'd be the first to offer to do them for you!

In your position I'd feel the same way as you and I would look for 'indoor duties' that I could offer to do 'in exchange' where possible.

Sorry to hear you have been so unwell

I've wondered about whether my duties would be covered ad hoc. On very good days I would be able to relieve my relief person in that case.

We don't have indoor cover in place really. Children who can't go out stay in a shared area and due to split breaks, they aren't unsupervised at any point.

There are many, many rainy days in the year where indoor cover is needed and I could just do over my share of those. I hadn't thought about that. :)

I broke my leg last year and obviously couldn't do any break duties, collect my class in from the playground (long flight of steps), or take PE for many many weeks, even if I could shuffle around inside on crutches.
My experience was that people bent over backwards to help. I made sure I was always appreciative and would keep the posh biscuit barrel filled as often as possible.

It's not TN is it?

Oh whoops, just saw it was. Fellow scarf-wearing, cold drink-avoiding person here!

Another advantage to teaching in Scotland - no supervisory duties

How does it work in England - everyone is entitled to a 15 minute break, so if you have to do playground duty, do you get your break at another time?

Hi Pot.

I previously hated scarves.

Now I have many. :)

OK, I used to teach in England and on the days you had to do duty, that counted as your break. Many unhappy memories of standing in the freezing cold, not knowing whether to drink my coffee or warm my hands on it!

Haha, I also used to like brushing my teeth.

You should be fine as long as people are aware of the reason behind it- as no one can actually see our nerves I do understand when people find it hard to grasp the full extent of the condition. Doesn't make it any easier though!

Hope it all goes well for you and your meds continue to keep things under control!

Officially, in England and Wales our only required break is the one at lunchtime. And that only has to be of 'reasonable length'. A lot of teachers don't realise this and think they are entitiled to a lunch hour with the children and resent the breaks they are asked to supervise.

All the other breaktimes that the children have are in fact part of our directed time and we can be directed to be on duty with our children for every last one of them if the head teacher decided.

Not terribly practical, or pleasant for the teacher who may also need a comfort break, but how it is.

And with 'elf and safety, we aren't allowed a cuppa out there to warm our hands on either. Not unreasonable, being that I've ended up wearing many a cuppa before after a running child has collided with me.

Thanks for all the replies.

I'm with those who say 'If I didn't know why, I would resent it, but knowing why, I would understand it'.

I shall see how it will be arranged and sort out releasing others when indoor duties arise if they've been put out for me.

Thankyou Pot. I count myself lucky that the meds are working (mostly) for me and I'm only left with a few little triggers.

I remember the days when brushing my teeth caused utter agony for ages after that simple act. It's horrendous. for you if you are still dealing with that.

I'm in England and we do 2-3 duties a week. If on duty we take our 15 min break before or after. The TA will cover the class for the teacher, or the teacher loses a TA for 15 min. We have enough TA cover to do this though. We then have 30 min at lunchtime, sometimes more and obv sometimes less.

And yes - like others, we are not allowed to take hot drinks outside on duty.

As a TA these days I am not paid for 15 minutes every morning, do I do always try to make sure I do take 15 min before or after if I am on duty, for a coffee and a warm up.