Back to work blues

[PumpkinPie2013]

I work in a college so we are back in work on Tuesday and I'm dreading it

I've had a lovely summer spending time with my toddler ds, going away on holiday with ds, DH plus MIL and her friend.

My house is actually quite tidy and organised for a change!

Plus, I don't feel like the most tired person ever.

However, come Tuesday, it will be back to the grind, the pressures and stress of work and the challenge of trying to balance work and home and failing miserably

Plus, because we go back when we do, it's a 10 week half term

I actually love working with the kids and most of my colleagues are great but god it's hard!

Anyone else back next week and feeling the stress already?

Someone tell me it won't be as bad as I'm imagining!

Sorry to hear that, Pumpkin and Angels. Both of you, make sure you do something fun this weekend and put work out of your minds for at least a couple of hours.

Maybe write down 2 or 3 really key things that you want to do this year to create a better home/work balance. e.g. "Saturday afternoons are always for DH and DS", "bedtime by x o'clock", etc.

I've got another two weeks until I'm back but I have the blues already. Been doing my annual 'alternative careers' Google.

I am back officially on Wednesday this week, i.e. 9am to 5pm, meetings, training sessions, etc. Students return next month.

I have been back unofficially since last Wednesday, doing UCAS stuff and organising a couple of trips for early in the term. The school has not been cleaned over the summer, there are loose cables dangling from the ceilings and all over the floors, no toilet paper or soap in any of the bathrooms, none of the printers is connected (I printed a student's exam. results to fax off to her overseas uni. at home!) I am really hoping some of this is sorted a.s.a.p. as it is not possible to get much done, the dirt everywhere is disgusted (I have Flash wiped and dusted the areas where I am working*) and, all in all, it increases greatly the feeling of back to work blues.

• Which is a random corner of the student common room as our classrooms have had all of the furniture moved away from the walls, ostensibly for painting, which hasn't happened, or possibly to do some cabling or computer installations, and piled up haphazardly in the middle; I can't open the door to mine beyond a couple of inches and the maintenance staff are not back from holiday yet. It's the same sort of mess every year, but this year is certainly the worst to date. At least in previous years, you can see them doing it all bit by bit, and feel reassured that they will get round to your area eventually.

Sorry for the moan. I just think if the school would pay the cleaners to come in on the days running up to the teachers' return it would make the teachers feel so much less depressed to be back. Walking into dust-filled rooms and on dirty floors and seeing dirty windows makes me feel as if the school couldn't care less.

I just popped on for a moan; I'm feeling sick!

I teach Sen/ asd but been really ill - not 100% yet. Dropped to 2 days and have a toddler and not very supportive oh. But facing teaching across all year groups and every single subject during that time (from non verbal age 6 asd to Aspergers age 11) with no curriculum to speak of (thanks gove we are still trying to make ours up). And I've been given both art and dt to manage. On three days I had only art. Bit pissed off and a bit panicked as we have ofsted looming.

whata I know that annual career's Google well, though mine is usually half-termly .

This won't be a popular response but I can't bloody wait. My own 2 kids are doing my head in.

I'm back in a ten days but having gall bladder out tomorrow. Thinking I want to get back on day 1 of the two days training so I don't feel out of it but equally thinking hmmm no childcare nightmare to organise if I'm still laid up at home...

I'm back in two weeks but our school is having extensive building works done and I have just found out that my new classroom (we're all being moved) has had damage done to it so I won't be able to get in until we are actually back. So a whole load of stress on top of what will be a stressful start back because of the building works etc.

Bugger.

I still feel stressed about going back to school in September and I retired 3 years ago.

So feeling that, especially after results. The kids and the rest of my dept worked really hard but missed all our targets, so next year's going to be stressful!

Stressed yep - like us. It adds a special layer of doom to the start of the new academic year.

Oh well, just be happy that you've had a lovely summer and lovely long time off with your son, and remember that the back to school feeling is the flip side to the end of term feeling - you can't have one without the other!

Sorry to hear so many others are suffering from back to work blues - not a good feeling.

I've been back a week now - we are enrolling new students at the moment. It's nice meeting them all but today and yesterday have been so hectic and I feel exhausted already We've also got meetings /training sessions in between so really full on.

To top it off, my nan has been more poorly than normal this week which hasn't helped anything.

Not even started planning the lessons yet!!

Trying to plan a nice weekend with ds despite the exhaustion or I'll feel terrible for not doing enough with him.

I've just checked our school online calendar and saw that the HT has put on the dates for the first lesson obs - day 13 of term
Starting to get stressed stomach each morning now .... haven't had this since the end of term.

At least you get it over and fine with!

done

I've just checked our school online calendar and saw that the HT has put on the dates for the first lesson obs - day 13 of term

I think that's shite! Why the need to put it up in August and put a black cloud over eveyone's holiday!

nocakes - "This won't be a popular response but I can't bloody wait. My own 2 kids are doing my head in."

I'm with you. I was fine for the first few weeks, but I'd like some kind of routine now please! Next year I'm writing myself a bloody timetable for the summer holidays

We are on operation expect ofsted from day one. Usually takes till Xmas to get the kids sorted (Sen) ????

How is everyone? Another mad week but at least we have Monday off students start Tuesday and thankfully, I managed to get all of my lessons sorted on Friday so I can have a free weekend (apart from the yearly nerves about new classes).

petal that's rubbish! Ours are after October half term but we have learning walks starting in week 2! We got the full year calendar this week and the amount of after school meetings and compulsory training sessions is unbelievable!

It feels like it's going to be one long, hard slog to Christmas!

I feel depressed again.

Went to the dr earlier ths year about depression due to problems at work and she said my reaction was normal to the stresses. What do you do then?

I wish I could retire/ quit/ be injured in a non-serious, yet can't work way. I used to love my job. Now it's nothing but targets/ stress and harassment.

Sorry to hear that early can you see a different doctor about the depression and see if they can help you?
It does feel constant doesn't it? Today is an extra day off with my ds so I should enjoy it (and I will to a point) but I have a few things to do before tomorrow so work is at the back of my mind already