Keeping sane as a teacher - anyone want to join me?

[lbnblbnb]

I teach in Secondary, I have a DD 13 and a DS 7. Supportive husband - irritating old sod in many ways but basically good. I have been struggling for the past couple of years, workload, responsibility, daydreams of doing a Thelma and Louise and running away... anyway, I have decided that despite all this I do love teaching and have to get better at managing/balancing. Not that I think there is a perfect way to do it, I think the way teaching is set up at the moment is ridiculous, but I want to try to keep myself sane in the middle of it all. If anyone would like to join me you are welcome.

I'm not doing well with the work. I've ground to a halt out of sheer resentment I think - I just want a couple of days off this week! This is bad because it means I am setting myself up for chaos...

That makes me feel really shit typing that. so easily done though . From now on, we are taking control!! We will have lives outside school!

My new year's resolution was to look after my own well-being. So far, I have failed miserably. I am increasingly unwell, have no fitness and am very overweight - all of these things creep up as I don't make any time for myself. My plan is to get some exercise every day, even if it just a 20 minute walk (I feel uncertain even writing that, but need to make myself), so I start to feel better. I am going to - from this point - say no to anything additional that they try to spring on me. I am going to do this because I NEED balance otherwise I am worried I will end up incredibly ill. Health is everything, but it is so easy to forget when you are busy.

Oh KinkiyDorito - you could be me. Are you me?
Health - I want to be around for a good long time to enjoy my DCs, even my GCCs (is that the right acronym?) if my kids want kids. And to spend a long and happy retirement with DH, doing loads of exciting things. Yet day by day I am setting myself up for illness. I am supposed to be reasonably intelligent, for feck's sake.

I have to get some boundaries in place and practise looking after myself. If a friend was in my situation, I would be kicking their butt to sort themselves out (I don't mean the weight thing so much, I am not insensitive, but the stress and lack of time for myself). the job has to be got into proportion.

KinkyDorito, when you look at your list, are there things you can not do/do a quick fix/ postpone/ look for an alternative (TES, subject website like Teachit for English)?

And thanks for the . Next job is to ring and book DS's party.

I'm doing a huge file for a BTEC subject that I am now in charge of, making sure everything is in place and signing off on every piece of work. It is taking hours! I teach English so I'm not designed for vocational!! It's all from me, so I can't find other ways to do it unfortunately. I often use resource sites although planning is the one bit of my job I quite enjoy, it's the marking slog that drags me down. It's the worst time of year now, so I am going to force myself not to let it become all-consuming and make some time to look after me and my family for a change. We need this balance.

I have to get some boundaries in place and practise looking after myself. If a friend was in my situation, I would be kicking their butt to sort themselves out - this is so very, very true.

What's the BTEC subject kinky?

For primary teachers, try Hamilton Trust materials. Detailed - good - lesson plans for core subjects and some others, for KS1, lower KS2, upper KS2, mixed age classes, resources such as printed number lines, worksheets, if you like such things ... You do have to pay for some, but not all, resources, but a very reasonable amount ... if you work it out at an hourly rate instead of having to plan yourself it is pence per hour's work saved! I love it.

I like the sound of the Hamilton Trust. I teach Secondary English, Teachit is good, as is TES sometimes.
This is usually Sunday of Doom for me. I have a lovely dinner planned and am going to take the DCs swimming this afternoon. I will sit on the side working, but it will hopefully avoid the cabin fever they get when I am trying to work all day and tire them out so bedtime is easier. I hope everyone's days are good.

I've PM-d you Evil.

I have worked all morning until now. Have had enough. There's still loads to do.

Going for some real change this year in terms of what I agree to and what I bring home. I am truly fed up.

I have resolutely not planned my first week yet. I'm going to do it on my day off: tommorrow. Of course, I have been thinking and panicking about it! But I took the kids to the park, then the nature reserve and now i'm having a glass of wine and watching Narnia. It is much nicer than planning. I would rather pull a late one tommorrow I think.

I am also attempting "clever" planning with my foundation, that means I won't have marking from it every week. All the foundation in the first week is stuff for the walls that won't require marking, I hope...

I'm going for peer marking in my Year 6 as well. It's useful for them to use the mark schemes. I'll still need to look over it, but not plough through it.

Can I join the group too? Been lurking and reading over the past couple of days. I am determined not to be so exhausted by the time we get to Easter and feel so stressed. Year 5/6 teacher though and the pressure for sats is approaching.

Brighter days.

Spring flowers.

Fresh air (if you MAKE TIME to get out in it).

Lighter evenings.

Breathe.

The workload for most of us will be shocking for the next couple of half terms (or more if you are an idiot like me and agree to moderate AND examine), but it still feels so much nicer than the dark days that are finally getting behind us now. I am trying to be positive .

I am a secondary assistant head and senco. This is year 7 of teaching and I think it is going to be the one to break me.

I love my job. Absolutely 100% love it.
I love the school
Love the responsibility
Love being busy
Love working hard
Love our amazing (but incredibly challenging) students.

However...

I hate the stress.
Hate not sleeping at night for worrying about something I have forgotten. Hate working until 11pm every single night.
Hate working every Sunday.
Hate turning down friends invites to do things because it's a school night and either a) I have too much work to do, or b) I am just too exhausted to even contemplate it.
Hate waking up in the night worrying about little Johnny who has gone home to a dysfunctional family again.
Hate worrying about Susie who is 13 and pregnant.
Hate worrying that I am going to get a learning walk that will notice I haven't marked my books for 3 weeks.
Hate worrying about the GCSE results of my year 11 who despite all 33 of them, and myself, working out damned hardest for 2 years, may not reach their targets due to a mixture of external influences and a constant changing exam syllabus and expectations.
Hate coming out of child protection meetings and feeling that I need an hour to sit and sob.
Hate the endless paperwork.
Hate not ever having time to nip to the loo never mind consider eating lunch
Hate the fact that I've lost 2 stone in a year since starting this job.
Hate the impact it has on my social life and my relationship.
Hate worrying that I am going to be the worst mother ever because I just won't have time for my children.

snowberry you've done a lot very quickly. The way you feel about most of that is the way I am now except with the 2DC and I have gained weight! I would love to have solutions for you, but it is very hard to see them at the moment. Budget cuts mean doing jobs that really 2 or even 3 people should do, and I'll bet you are short of TAs too. I feel for our SENCO as we are very, very understaffed. Really, it should not be like this and it has got worse. I am still hoping that either a) a crisis point will come with recruitment where they seriously have to review workload or b) that we get a decent change of government. One can dream...

Chin up and try to make some time for yourself. Easily said, I know.

Fleur. Yep. I am a mug. I'm starting to rethink doing both, tbh.

Accountability has also royally knackered us. How the heck can we be accountable for teenagers/children? How the heck can we be accountable for teenagers/children when the goalposts shift every ten seconds?

I ran a secondary knitting club once. It was crazy! We had to stop it.

50 kids turned up, we just couldn't run it of fit them all in the room

Can I join? Been teaching for over 10 years and have young DC. Recently returned to full time teaching (albeit across two jobs) and my physical & mental health is not coping well.

I'm off to OH this week which far from helping is making me more stressed as its time I don't have and reports, marking etc breathing down my neck

Marking place.

Things that help me, when/if I can manage to do them!

-marking codes
-making sure that I don't have massive essays simultaneously from all classes
-hiding myself away during non-contacts so that I can get stuff done, rather than staying in the staffroom
-saying, 'No' when it really matters to me
-sorting clothes out the night before, so that I feel calm in the mornings
-getting into work early, so that I feel on top of things before the day starts (and then I don't feel at all guilty about leaving on the bell at the end of the day)

I've just planned 6th form and yr 8 work for the next three weeks. That makes me feel a lot better. Just need to organise yr 9 and things will run much more smoothly. We have a two week timetable and I only have 3 frees this week. I hate it! Next week is much nicer.

Remus - I agree about hiding away in non-contact/PPA. It really makes a difference if I can be out of the way and not interrupted every few minutes.

Crumpled good luck with OH - hopefully that will be helpful for you.

Fleur, that is sooo doable, oh yes.
I saw my head today to talk about my workload, she listened but I ended up being very reasonable. Too reasonable. Then went to docs after work and have been prescribed mild anti-ds and referred for counselling. I have decided I will take the ADs to try to avoid slipping further into anxiety etc, but when the hell do I get to counselling? So feeling really meh tonight. Talking to the doc gave me a raging headache, so am going to crash out as soon as I can get DS to bed and get up early tomorrow to get work down. Ugh.
Hope your days have been better.

We have had a PD day today so no children (or parents!) to deal with, just PM reviews and meetings. Docs appointment sounds hard going lbnblbnb. Hope you feel better after a rest tonight and shift the headache. How was everyone else's day?

Fleur Well, if they wish to pay, I'm sure they could find more accommodating schools elsewhere...

lbnbl - remember, Occy Health can be very, very good if you are feeling overstretched. I find HR and Heads listen to them. It gives you some protection too. Are you in a union? They are also a good place to get some advice if you're braving those conversations with management. Did the Head suggest anything useful?