I'm a half term back in work after a year off on maternity leave. I've returned to my management post, working part time. I've been at my school a long time, as have the people in my department who I would consider not just to be work colleagues but also friends as we have socialised a lot out of school over the years, our families know each other, we've seen each other's kids grow up, supported each other through personal problems... You get the picture.
I'm finding however, since returning from mat leave that the dynamic in the department has changed somewhat and people who I once considered fairly easy to work with are being very demanding, at times impatient and unnecessarily abrupt.
On my first day back I was met with a barrage of questions and demands I couldn't answer as they were about decisions and policies that were made while I was off and I really feel that since day one, they have not allowed me time to get back into things. Yes I'm their team leader but they've all had kids so know what it's like to come back to work after a year off and having the demands of a baby to deal with at home. I'm trying my best to do a good job, I share resources much more than other colleagues do, I do my best to support my colleagues and always make time to listen to them and help them with any problems they have. Yet not one of them have asked how I'm getting on, whether I'm coping, whether I need any support. They're very quick to remind me when I've not done something, quick to bend my ear ranting about what has annoyed them and quick to make demands of my time when actually I only get one more free lesson per working week than them to complete my management role.
I'm starting to feel a bit resentful. They don't thank me for the lesson plans and resources I've produced that they use, when I do something that they ask me to do (can't give specific examples as worried this would out me) they don't say thank you. When I fight their corner with senior management or pupils on specific issues, they don't acknowledge it. Ok you might say that's my job and I get paid to do it but does that cancel out any need to thank someone when they do something for you? I'm getting a bit sick of being made to feel inadequate by people I'd previously considered to be friends, who I would have thought would have been more supportive. I know it's a high pressured job and the school is really feeling it at the moment but I'm just disappointed as I didn't think my return would be like this. I'm half tempted to give my management responsibility up and just concentrate on teaching my classes, as they do (which galls me a bit because we're all on UPS but from what I can see, it's only TLR holders that are doing anything for the greater good of the dept).
I'm sorry for the rant, I don't really know what responses I'll get here. It just feels good to get how I'm feeling off my chest! Thank you if you managed to get to the end of this!!