Typical day in Primary

[Lowdoorinthewal1]

Reading the 'typical day in Secondary' thread with interest so thought we needed a Primary one.

I don't do a typical job, but my days generally go like this:

8.30 Arrive, switch on computer, check emails, print resources, check in with TAs for the day ahead
8.50 kids arrive, sort them out, talk to any parents that need to hand over to me.
9.15 teach
10.15 supervise playtime
10.45 teach
12.00 lunch with kids then supervise playtime
1.00 read to class, man individual reading
1.40 carry out management role whilst also supporting HLTAs who teach
3.00 man home time/ taxis/ handover
3.15 leave (to do my own school run) or straight into meeting until 5pm

At home- respond to emails, catch up on anything that needs actioning

lowdoor when do you plan your lessons?

Assess and plan in the afternoons around management role, sometimes spills over to home but not very often. I only have 6 children in my class.

Can I just hijack please? What do you find the pros and cons of that class size OP?
There are 5 in my DC's class, I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing!

Assess and plan in the afternoons around management role, sometimes spills over to home but not very often. I only have 6 children in my class.

Hmmm. Not exactly typical then, as most Primary school teachers I know have 30 in the class, arrive usually before 8, never leave before 5, and actually teach all day except for one x 1/2 day PPA.

Mine is quite different from yours.
8.00 arrive in school and get resources / classroom ready for the day
8.25 meeting with other staff and or TAs
8.35 supervise on playground/ talk to parents
8.40 children in class for morning activities and register
9.00 guided reading
9.20 teach
10.30 supervise playtime
10.50 teach
12.15 lunch - catch up with TAs and other staff / mark books / prepare for next lesson. 10 minute break.
1.15 teach
3.15 home time - catch up with parents and TAs
3.30 have a rest and a chat with colleagues (unless there is a meeting)
4.00 tidy up / mark books / prepare resources for next day
5.30 go home. I try not to work at home if I can avoid it.

Typical day in primary! Um every day is different! I'll tell you about today!
Arrive in school 7.45 do stuff in classroom. 8.15 staff briefing,
8.45 go and collect class, register and assembly and then a maths lesson.
10.30-10.45 break our in duty.
10.45 English lesson, handwriting and spellings.
12.30 - lunchtime but have to take class in to sort out behaviour back into classroom to sort on lesson
1.00 - 1.15 in staffroom for lunch
1.15 - collect class and complete topic lesson
2.00 class have PE and I have PPA time where I meet TA sort out next week, chase my tail and try and get a printer to work. Meet with DH regarding stuff.
3.00 - children go home, talk to parents
3.00 - 5.00 sort out classroom so Tuesday morning is sorted.
I have 56 books in my bag to mark, 74 test papers to mark and a load of other stuff to sort over weekend.
I think I am good at working well at work but still do loads at home!
It was a typical day! Love it!

Yes, I did set out by saying I don't do a typical job!!

Well my pupils are all autistic and it works well for them. I don't think a class that size would necessarily work well for NT children- not enough social diversity.

Mine is more like this
7.30 arrive, set up classroom
830 briefing
855 kids arrive, teach writing
10.10 teach phonics
10.30 playtime
10.45 teach maths
12.00 lunch, eat, mark morning books, set up for afternoon
1.00 teach reading
1.30 teach topic
2.30 playtime
2.45 teach handwriting
3.10 story
3.30 hometime
3.30-6.30 planning/marking/meetings
630 ish leave. Get home about 7.

I do work at weekends though - maybe 3 or 4 hours

Y6 teacher, senco

7.45 - arrive, check emails
8-8.30 do any outstanding Sen admin e.g. chase up things, fill in referrals etc or start gathering resources for following week
8.30-8.50 prepare things for the day/catch up with staff
8.50- 10.55 teach
11-11.15 break duty once per week, rest of the week I finish marking maths books (I mark in lesson as I go round too)
11.15-12.15 teach
12.15-1.15 lunch, I eat my lunch in ten mins and I mark quickly. Books are left open on page to be marked
1.15-3.30 teach, or if on ppa this is normally used to mark topic/extended writes
3.30-4 normally meet with a parent re sen, or meet with another teacher etc
4-5.30/6 mark books outstanding, do Sen paperwork, find resources
5.30/6 go home

Once a week we have a staff meeting, and once or twice a week I plan a day with minimal/peer marking, or English work I can just mark the next time I mark the books on another day. On this day, I do my English and maths planning after school/any moment I get.

I leave at 4 about once per week. I very rarely work at home, occasionally I might mark extended writing, but I do not waste any time when at work. If the kids are in assembly for ten mins, I make a resource or mark books. The exception to this is approx two hours most Sundays when I plan/get sorted for week ahead, but I see this as pay back for my 4pm finish so I don't mind.

Our schools have a system where our photocopying is done for us if we put a master copy in on a certain day, which has helped quite a lot as frees up mornings to do things.

Thanks Lowdoor. Yes all NT. That's my concern too but not much choice! I think they merge 3 year groups together but that'll mean siblings together too..!

I should also say I only work 0.8, but flexi hours hence early finishes 3x per week.

Infant teacher in an independent school here!

7:45am Arrive at school, deliver DD(4) to before school club, chat to TA about the day ahead, sort classroom, check resources etc
8:25am Coffee and chat with my partner teacher
8:40am Children arrive, morning work, talk to any parents etc
8:55am Register
9:00am Wake Up and Shake Up
9:05am Collective worship
9:15am Phonics
9:30am English
10:30am Playtime- either duty on the playground or inhaling coffee and biscuits
10:45am Fruit and milk, and hearing 1:1 readers
11:00am Maths
12pm Lunch duty with the children
12:30pm Lunch break- eat, check resources for the afternoon
12:55pm Teach
3:00pm Storytime or singing
3:10pm Packing bags
3:20pm Hometime
3:40pm Deliver any uncollected children to after school and phone parents if we've had no messages, then either staff meetings, or setting up and photocopying for tomorrow, marking, displays etc
5:00pm Grab DD from after school club and go home

My typical work day looks something like this. I am extremely lucky that I work in a 3 form entry school, we share planning so I only plan one subject per week (reception teacher, lots of child led play) and I have an amazing TA who updates all my learning journeys daily 😍

7.30 Arrive at school, photocopy resources for day, review plans, set up classroom.
8.15 Brief TA, discussions with other teachers.
8.45 Collect children.
8.50 Morning activities.
9.00 Register.
9.10 Phonics
9.30 Maths or English teaching
11.45 Lunch for children. Marking/review morning with TA/for me followed by 20 mins lunch for me.
12.45 Story
13.00 Facilitate child led activities (usually outside)
15.00 Assembly
15.15 Home time for children
Marking for me/setting up classroom etc
16.00 Home time for me unless a meeting (once a week)

I usually do a few hours a week at home unless its report/data collection when it's a least 20 hours (usually one per half term). I plan and make resources during my PPA and this usually enough time.

My school is very focussed on limiting workload (marking is minimum etc) but that said I'm an NQT so not quite smooth yet!

7:00/7:15 - get to school, do all my printing for the day and any setup that's needed, leftover marking
8:30 - TAs arrive, if there's anything left I give it to them but I like to get sorted as we don't have a TA each so I could be left in the lurch.
Briefing 2x a week
8:55 - out to get the kids
9:05 - register, handwriting
9:15 - maths
10:15 - assembly most days
10:30 - break! set up for Guided Reading, playground duty once a week
10:45 - kids in from break, Guided Reading
11:15 - English
12:30 - lunch! Sometimes eat with the kids.
13:30 - whatever 'afternoon' subjects - PE, history etc.
15:00 - story
15:15 - hometime
Then I usually mark the books until about 4:30 and go home!
I do most of my planning at home on the weekend, but it's only a couple of hours as we share it. I focus much better at home than in the office, too.

Err...arrive at 8.30!?! Seriously?! I arrive at 7!!

Blimey-arriving at 8.30 and leaving at 3.15, that's living the dream!

My typical teaching day:-
7.30 arrive and do copying
7.45 set up room for phonics
8 meet with partner teacher
8.20 briefing meeting
8.40 meet with TA
8.45 children in/early morning work
8.50 register
9-10,30 teach
10.30-11 fruit and assembly
11-12 teach
12-1 lunch
1-3.20 teach
3.30-6 meetings/marking

8-10 planning at home!

I currently work in a school and I'm considering doing a PGCE and I'm finding this thread really interesting. I've only worked in one school so far so I wondered whether ours was 'typical' or not 😊

7.30 get in, mark the books I couldn't be arsed to mark the day before, set up for the day, generally potter about.
8.45 kids in, talk to parents etc ( supposed to hear readers but there's always a parent)
9-12.15 teach English, guided reading, spag and maths.
12.15 eat lunch, have a moan with my year group colleague, get the afternoon sorted, marking.
1-3 teach.
Then we have various meetings after school which means 3.15 -4.30 is accounted for 3 days a week.
4.30 look at marking sadly, do some of it, leave the rest for morning. I won't bring it home unless I absolutely have to.
Get admin stuff done, maybe leave around 5 on average.
I do planning and management stuff at weekends. Ppa usually spent catching up with marking, sorting guided reading and homework out.
Usually once a week I leave early too, I need to work smarter then I could do it more often!

8.00 Arrive at school and get everything set up
8,55 Kids come in
9,00 - 10,30 Teach
10,30 - 10.45 Break
10.45 -12.30 Teach
12.30-12.45- Do some marking
12.45 - 1.30 Lunch
1.30-2.40 Teach
2,40 - 4/4.30 Rest of marking, liaise with other staff
4.30 Go home

P2 class of 24. Luckily in our area no teacher has to do playground or lunchtime supervision and there is virtually no interaction with parents as most of the kids walk to school so no parents waiting around to hijack talk to the teacher en route to class

Arrive 8.20
Playground duty 8.50
Teach 9 til 10.15
10.15 Do collective worship if not on playground duty
10.30 playground duty
10.45-12.00 Teach
12.00-30 Mark and set up for pm
12.30-55 lunch and talk to colleagues, sometimes meet other professionals e.g. Speech therapist for quick catch up
1.00 Teach til 3.20
3.30 children go home, then marking and planning for next day. Staff meeting til 5 pm once per week. Set up classroom for next day as I can't do be in school early (own childcare issue)
Leave about 5.15 usually.
Do about an hour at home three times a week for planning etc.

Arrive 7:15
Set up classroom, print resources for the day
Have a much needed coffee and chat over breakfast with colleagues
8:45 out on playground to talk with parents
8:55 registration starts
9:05 Lessons start
10:30 Assembly
10:45 Break time
11:00 Lessons
12:30 Lunch, grab a drink if not doing a club and prepare for the afternoon
1:30 Afternoon sessions start
3:15 End of the day for the children

Meetings twice a week, I stay late one night (6pm ish) and leave 4pm other nights as I pick up DD1 (same school)

Usually do 1-2 hours 3x a week in the evening depending on the time of year. It'll increase soon as reports are starting. I also get alternate morning/afternoon PPA each week which means I can jam a lot of assessment and planning in. I'm an experienced teacher so my workload is more manageable than someone just starting out.

I am a PGCE student on my final placement, and only teaching half days at the moment. I work normally from 7.15 - 5.40 and still don't manage to finish it all. Have no idea when I will find the time to do everything.
My typical day is
7.15 mark maths books from day before, depending on results amend maths lesson flip chart for the day.
print out resources
9.00 am get kids
9.00-9.30 - guided reading
9.30-10.30 - teach maths
10.30-11 - [kids break time] set up for literacy
11-12 - teach literacy lesson
12-12.30 [kids assembly] catch up with CT for morning debrief
12.30-1.30 [lunch] I start marking maths
1.30-3.30 work with small groups for the afternoon while CT teaches
3.30-5.40 mark literacy and amend plan for literacy lesson the next day.

Am exhausted already! Please tell me it gets easier!

sarf it will get better. You'll learn shortcuts and how to cut corners.

Start with not making flip charts everyday, and not needing resources printing. I almost never make a flip chart nor need any resources printed.

Really interesting I teach 18 Junior Infants in Ireland and my day looks like this
8:40 : Arrive in school
8:50 : Let children in from yard
8:50-9:50 Aistear ( topic based play)
9:50-10:20 - Teach Irish
10-20-10:50 : Maths
10:50-11:00 : children eat snack in classroom
11:00-11:10 children play in yard, I go to staff room for coffee
11:10-12:30 Teach ( we have 11 subjects to cover)
12:30-1:00: children eat for 10 minutes then play in yard, we supervise once a week otherwise all teachers go to staff room for lunch
1:00-1:30 teach
1:30: children go home
1:30-2:30 I plan for the next day tidy up etc , I have to stay to 2:30
2:30 : go home, one day a week we stay back for an hour for a meeting

When I had an older class the children would stay till 2:30 so I would stay for a little while to do work.
Have no ta etc
Sorry for not being relevant to a lot of experience here just found the thread interesting.