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Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

NQTs with children

36 replies

littlebid · 11/01/2016 12:15

I'm starting the second term of my PGCE (secondary MFL) and beginning to look at jobs. When I start (hopefully) in September, my little girl will be 18 months old and I'm realising that the other parents on my course are all looking for part time work. They've all said they feel the workload will be unmanageable with a family at home.

PT just won't be an option for us financially so really I was just hoping for some reassurance that I will survive. I'm a career changer after 10 years in fairly high pressure roles, I'm a very organised person and I have excellent family support.

Has anyone been in the same situation and can offer reassurance or tips?

Thanks!

OP posts:
NotQuiteThere · 12/01/2016 00:07

Hi OP,
I am an NQT (secondary Maths) with 3 children in a primary school. I am finding it very tough indeed, a big step-up from the PGCE. However, we run an 8-lesson day with very few doubles, and each class is set two homeworks a week too, so quite a lot of marking.

I am probably too much of a perfectionist, so I do work very long hours in term time. I leave the house at 7.15, and am usually only back after 6.30. After I have put the children to bed and had some dinner with dh, I start again at around 9pm and do 2-4 hours. Saturday and Sunday evenings too. My commute is 35 minutes.

We are heavily reliant on childcare and pay a nanny full-time wages long hours during term time (however, she is fabulous and flexible). My parents are close by as well, so will step in if needed. Dh also works very long hours, and I won't lie - the change has taken (and is still taking) some getting used to.

I will probably look for part-time work after my NQT, either in my current school or somewhere closer to home.

I do love being in the classroom though. Am also a career changer, and enjoying this much more. For the first time in my adult life though, I am considering taking a break from education or employment at the end of this year. If I can't find a job in a school that feels right, and ideally part-time depending on the commute, I might look at other options, such as tutoring, supply, or just making a less stressful life for the family! I do feel as if my own dcs don't see me enough during term time, although we do have epic holiday time now - something that didn't happen in my previous role.

MidniteScribbler · 12/01/2016 04:49

I'm a single parent with no family, and DS is donor conceived, so I'm full time with 4 year old DS. I'm primary, but the same concepts can apply for secondary.

I've learnt to become quite strict with my timing. His daycare is open from 6:30am, so I usually drop him off about 7:00 and then get an hour and a half in my office before school starts. On days that there is no meeting, I'm out of the gate at 4pm. Meeting nights, I'm gone by 5:45pm at the latest because daycare closes at 6:00. When I get home, I do no work until DS is in bed, that time is family time, so we go for a swim, play, have dinner, etc. After he goes to bed, then I'll pour a glass of wine and sit down and do some work while I watch tv. I also make sure I limit my time, so I'll log off by a certain time of night, and I avoid working during the day on weekends as that is family time.

I will only do absolutely required activities of an evening. No after school clubs, and only parent-teacher nights, end of year concert. I did more than my fair share before I had DS, and I run a couple of lunchtime activities instead. It's pretty common at my workplace, the younger teachers without children tend to do the evening activities while they are young, the people with young children get a bit of a breather and do lunchtime activities, then the more mature teachers come back to doing some night time activities when their children are older. It all balances out, and as long as you don't keep using the baby as an excuse to get out of everything then it works out. "I can't do the dance club on Tuesday nights as I don't have a babysitter, but I could run the chess club at lunchtime on Wednesday instead" works best.

The main thing is don't reinvent the wheel. There are millions of ideas on pintrest, teachers pay teachers, etc for activites and games for every subject. The one thing I do make sure I do is to try and make up my materials in a high quality manner the first time I use it. So if I find a maths game I like, I'll make any adaptions I want, then print it up, laminate items, put them in little individual packs, etc. I now have heaps of prepared activities that I can pull out year after year and not have to make up again. It also saves me a lot of planning time, as I have them all stored in my room and know if I want to do, for example, place value, I can go straight to the place value activities in my box, pull out a few and put them on the desks for the students. I make sure everything is packed up properly after each activity, and back in it's correct place, so it's all there when I need it. Making the game or worksheets laminated and reused each year also means I'm not wasting time photocopying (and better for the environment as well). I just get the kids to write on them with whiteboard markers (which primary school kids think is very exciting as well lol).

Make sure you schedule time for yourself (and your daughter) in. I'm in Australia so our year runs Jan-Dec. I've just sat down and put all the important dates in my diary for the year, including special dates for my hobby, things I know I want to take DS to, etc. I've written the training times for my hobby in the diary as well. Those dates are now blocked out so there's no work then.

jellyfrizz · 12/01/2016 11:45

MidniteScribbler, some great advice there. I don't think you can compare the workload in Oz compared to UK though, I worked full time in Oz (3 years ago) and still had time for my family, friends and hobbies.

The workload in England doesn't allow this.

CasualJersey · 12/01/2016 20:38

Hi OP
Secondary here. I work 0.8 (4days and have responsibility)
I have two DC 6 & 1
It's hard but it works
I leave arrive at 8 & leave no later than 4.30 (after school club closure time)
It works and it's do able.
My biggest piece of advice is PICK THE RIGHT SCHOOL FOR YOU
a smaller school with less kids on till might be the best option for now, less pressure and less of an exam factory.
That's the type of school I work in. It's a lovely school and I certainly don't work anything like 100 hours a week.
NQT is hard
But make the most of those 'free' sessions & get all your planning and marking and prep done. The prep you do can be saved for the nct year too, it's time invested wisely.
Set yourself a deadline of when you what to leave school by and stick to it.
You will be surprised as to how many cars are not in the car park at 5pm!!!
I think 4.30 on a normal night (not meeting) is quite reasonable

Also I agree with PP who says nursery age kids are easier TOTALLY!!!
not having to make tea will save you evening time too!!!
Good luck

Lizzylou · 12/01/2016 20:47

I am a secondary NQT in humanities, also a career changer. It is doable if you have support, very definitely. I am also completing my Masters this year. I don't tend to go out much socially unless it is a holiday but I don't mind. It's hard work but just being disciplined and organised (not my strengths!) make it so much easier.

jellyfrizz · 12/01/2016 20:56

I'm so pleased to hear that there are still schools out there where you can leave at 4.30.

Lizzylou · 12/01/2016 21:00

I only leave after 5pm if it's an inset. I get in very early (can often be first/second of teaching staff in) and leave when I need to. I prefer to work later on at home. I have always hated the culture of competitive late working. Luckily my school is flexible as long as the work is done.

littlebid · 13/01/2016 13:46

Thank you all so much. It's reassuring to know that I should survive. And I really want it which will help I think. And the more I think about it, better now than in a few years time. My daughter won't remember the stressed few years ahead: it'd be a lot harder if she were at school. Thank you all x

OP posts:
GinandJag · 13/01/2016 19:59

In my NQT year, I had a 3 and a 1 year old. They were at the childminder from 8am - 5pm. My workload was irrelevent, tbh. DH dropped them off and I picked them up. I'm not sure what the issue is, tbh.

GinandJag · 13/01/2016 20:08

I leave at 3 on the dot :) I arrive at 6.30 though. My teaching time + commute plus homework is 11 hours max, so 55 hours per week.

Philoslothy · 15/01/2016 01:11

It is very doable if you remember that you are not there to save the world, that your family is the priority over other people's children and that good enough is exactly that.

Don't reinvent the wheel, say no and have one day a week when you go home on the bell. You have one day a week when you do no work and if it can't be done in the time you allocate it was an unreasonable request.

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