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.

Day 2 and I'm drowning in data analysis. Drives me round the bend. Asst Head demands it then when you send it to her she says it's different to hers. No idea why I have to do it of she's already done it - not a good use of my time.

Also, no word on who will be running the place come Monday. Head leaves on Friday. Apparently Deputy is not taking over. We're part of an academy chain (yuk) so were expecting them to parachute someone in. Not so far... Unsettling for us and for kids.

Asst Head demands it then when you send it to her she says it's different to hers. No idea why I have to do it of she's already done it Teaching is full of this rubbish.

Fingers crossed on a good choice for your head Evil.

Right, I am fundamentally lacking in job satisfaction. Do I a) change job and hope more satisfaction can be found teaching elsewhere; b) retrain in an entirely different career even though I will be in my 40s by the time I can start work; c) buy more lottery tickets or d) none of the above as I am too knackered to facilitate any kind of change in my life?

Probably d. Gah!

Evil - That sounds awful. How does the head him/her self seem? It all sounds a bit cloak and dagger and chaotic.

I've had a couple of really nice classes today, so feeling fairly full of the joys at the moment. Already shattered though!

Data analysis - bloody hell. I was contacted over half term because the data we had sent to our chain showed really out of this world levels of progress. Too good. So I had to come up with a real figure. But where did the original figure come from? No data we have entered. So I have to do a load of work because someone appears to have conjured data out of thin air.
My talk with the head has yielded some action. My job situation has been unusual since Sept - can't go into details as it would out me - but it looks like it is going to be sorted. That will sort at least some of the stress.

evilTwins that sounds very unsettling - I hope it works out for you.
KinkyDorito I wish I had some great ideas/suggestions for you but I am deffo in the d category at the mo and can't see beyond tomorrow. Hopefully someone else will have a more positive suggestion! I always know something is wrong in my life when I start day dreaming about winning the lottery - I don't buy the flipping things anyway.

Remus - glad you had some good lessons today. I did too, it is what keeps me going. Observation window on Thursday and Friday, oh joy.

I am not in England so do not seem to have the same pressure and expectations. That said, I was very grumpy with a class today (Can I just...Can I just.. I'm sorry...Please Miss) after a chaotic start with work not complete, computer problems etc.

However, my prescription for happiness (and it DOES work) is a ten minute walk (or longer) every single lunchtime. Trust me, it is transformative.

Ten minutes...even if you have to stuff mouthfuls in between classes as a result. Sorts the head out, especially if you can go with a friend, walk, talk and thrash things out - then return, ready for the afternoon!

someone appears to have conjured data out of thin air This happens to me an awful lot. I put it in, send it, look at it the next time round and it has mysteriously changed...

So I will be observed tomorrow or Friday. Got that pull-the-duvet-over-my-head feeling. However well you have done in the last obs, it never seems enough. Ugh.

So the Head is leaving tomorrow and we still have no word on who is in charge come Monday morning.

Other than that and the raging headache, it's been a pretty good first week back. How's everyone else got on? lbn - all set for your ob?

Evil that is very unsettling. I hope it works out.
My observation was today. I am very pleased with the result. But it should be Friday night now!
What does everyone have planned over the weekend to keep us sane?

Parents seem ok with it... She's "retiring" and I think lots of the kids are sad to see her go. She's done a very good job of making out that this was the plan all along and I don't think the kids, and therefore the parents, are aware that there are no plans in place for Monday. It's just the staff!

Glad the ob went well.

Well done re the obs.

Head thing sounds hideous.

School has been fine this week, although I've not been terribly well. Will be glad when tomorrow is over.

Had a lovely lesson with Yr 11 today (a couple of rogues in there but they knew I wasn't well and really rose to it). Teaching is SO good when it goes right!

TGIF. I hope everyone has a lovely weekend without too much work that adds to your happiness and sanity! I am hoping to go for a run/waddle, clear up the garden a bit if the weather is ok, maybe take the kids to the cinema on Sat eve. Sunday I will have to do some work but not too bad. Cheers!

Been marking since I got in. My brain is melting! Well done on obs lbn - at least that's out of the way.

This weekend and next weekend will be shocking for work, but am absolutely determined that I will not do any for the following two due to family commitments, so will just be getting on with it this time.

Can I join!
fleurde I think we must be in the same school!!

I do all my marking at lunchtime if I possibly can (60 books sometimes with a progression comment and a well done comment) sometimes it doesn't work out but usually I can do it.
I do an exercise class once a week and stay late at school one night a week.
I get into work stupidly early so I feel like I am in control of the day.
I do mindfulness when it gets really stressful.
I try very hard not to take work home at weekends and just plough through it on the week nights.

I drink LOTS of wine at the weekend.

Saying Hi

I teach at a secondary school about 2 days a week which is in RI. Started to feel overworked, undervalued as an NQT hadn't been observed since I'd returned from mat leave last July. Felt I'd been forgotten about basically. My first observed lesson was an interview lesson for another school. It's 'outstanding' but it is held in high regard by the staff and in the local area. I am hoping that this change is exactly what I need in order to progress and love the job again.
It's full time and I'm genuinely excited. Would have gone for an Easter start but I'll take what I can.

Now the first time this academic year my school want's to observe me. Got my NQT year coming to an end . 2 obs this week and I'm nervous. I shouldn't be but I am. Such low morale and with OFSTED looming I am just counting down the days.

I went part time after having dd and I don't feel genuinely better off (work wise for doing so) constantly out of the loop and do piles of work any way. Anyone else feel the same? Been up since 6 marking... taking a break.

Hi, am going to join in here.
I've recently started taking antidepressants. I realise I must have been depressed for a while now. They've helped me cope so much better, so far.
However, I still haven't marked any books since before Christmas. To be fair, I've had about 250 tests to mark instead.
I love teaching, but the workload is such that I can't do my best for the kids, and I can't do my best for my own kids either.

Please can I join you? Am just going to go back and read the whole thread before I contribute further.

Oh so much of this thread is very familiar. I thought I had worked quite hard over half term, did some planning / report writing most days although not all day as also looking after children, and there's only so much time I can leave them with Minecraft as a babysitter without feeling guilty.

Trouble is, it wasn't enough - as I discovered when I started back last week and was feeling overwhelmed by Tuesday.

The problem for me is that the work is never ever finished. There is always something else you could be doing. I feel at the moment that everything I do is not as good as I'd like it to be, but there just aren't enough hours in the day. Being a perfectionist and a teacher obviously not a good combination!

Anyway, one possibly helpful thing I can recommend is about the exercise thing - I got a Fitbit for my birthday last month, it counts steps and you are supposed to do 10,000 a day. Most days I do that just at school, it turns out, pacing around the classroom. But I've made the effort to do the 10,000 every day since, even went out in the rain this afternoon, and it also gives me a bit of space to think (away from the Minecraft).

I'm in my 16th year of teaching, it has never been as hard as it has this year.

Fleur I have wine. Not sure it's helping!

Anyone else having to plan a costume for WBD next week on top of everything else? I'm doing three (two children, and me).

I'm doing WBD, though fortunately, my DTDs (8) are not dressing up this year. As a secondary drama teacher, I quite like dressing up and have a costume cupboard at school so I'm ok I'm doing Dickensian. Not sure who I am yet - might change it each lesson. Same costume will do for half a dozen working class women in his novels.