Open Evening stresses!

[Piggywaspushed]

I work in a large secondary school. We have two open evenings coming up : one main school and one sixth form on two consecutive Thursdays .

School day finishes 3.10 pm as normal and the evenings start at 5 for three hours. Not all of us need to be at both but many do.

Work life balance!!??? hahahahahahhahhaaahhhaha! I actually dodn't think many of our SLT have children between 0 - 16 and a full time working spouse. Most hods and hofs have grown children, no children or SAHPs as partners... I, on the other hand , am a FT working mother with a FT fellow teacher DH. I thought it would get easier as my DCs got older but it really hasn't.

Anyone want to compare/play Top Trumps/ gloat?

DH (largeish private school) has two Saturday Open Mornings but only needs to attend one and he doesn't need to go to the sixth form evening.

It would be either Edinburgh or Aberdeen. or I could have got wrong end of the stick!! I assume it was because they started earlier.

On a separate note I love the idea of finishing earlier fridays.

Because they do the assessments in class. The only completely new classes are year 9 and we are 'benchmarking them'.

There is also the exhaustion of being 'on show' and 'at the top of your game' in the first few weeks establishing who's boss.

Do you think all we mark is homework?

I have four lots of assessments awaiting marking as we speak.

How, if you haven't taught them and set homework?

Baseline assessments, exit tickets yadayada. And the first week is also spent doing seating plans and looking up SEN info.

2 days long is so mean! Youd go august to december with only a break fo 2 days?!!?!

We must have done. This was when I was a lassie! It was dark by 3pm too by November!

I think it's the exhaustion of being in show and constantly performing all day that for me is different stress to other jobs I've done. Obviously we work long hours during the week but with more flexibility.

Please, Piggy - stop.

Giving your class a test = a lesson you don't have to prepare.

Being on show? Seriously????

Marking classwork? Get the class to mark it! (another 10 minutes that you don't have to prepare, especially with a nifty data package).

Fffion I am not in Scotland.

And I have no idea who wee Nippy is.

Ah, seating plans. That explains it. Forgive me, everyone, for my apparent cynicism.

Fffion you are really coming across as a bit of a twat. I'm sure it's unintentional, but you don't know what you're talking about and should back out gracefully.

(Hmmm someone with an axe to grind against teachers.) Other teachers "get" it.

I tell my kids teachers in in awe of them all the time. I really can't see me returning to teaching as it is at the moment

Reflected twattishness, if you please.

unintentional my arse.

No Fffion, it's not reflected, it's definitely just you.

ffion I don't know where you teach but it certainly isn't like that at my school. First week of September I had y7 tests to mark, tables tests for every class, 2 sets of sixth form holiday homework (which takes bloody ages) to mark, and proper marking of homework came in on the Thursday from year 10. Also my y10 and 11 are anything but motivated, it's like pulling teeth with y11 because they just aren't interested and want to leave for college already.

I have had 4 twilight inset sessions already this term (and it's only week 4!), to go with the normal planning, marking, teaching, dept and pastoral meetings. And this week I've missed 2 of my 4 PPA due to a meeting and a collapsed timetable citizenship lesson. Oh, and I've written 15 subject references for university applications (just the subject ones, I'm very glad I'm not a y13 tutor who then needs to put them together into a single coherent reference). And a lesson observation. And I've got a parents evening next week.

I'd really, really, really like one week where I can "just" do my normal 50-60 hours of work.

There's a MN acronym for people like you Fffion.

I am not going to reveal what subject I teach but it is not one given to self marking. You also presumably think marking scrutinies, book inspections and learning walks are a joke. And target setting and triple and deep marking.

Things have changed.

I have no idea what you mean by data package.

To be honest, I'd rather teach a lesson that sit watching kids struggle to do a test in their first lesson, and then not have enough time to teach the unit to make it to the next assessment point because three lessons were tests and feedback form tests. And then answering emails form parents about the tests!

Let's see..

Someone moans about working late to do a legitimate marketing exercise for their business.

I point out that most professionals have to do a similar amount of after hours stuff

Not sure where it all went wrong, really.

Oh, I think you do.

I think, Fffion it all went wrong when you came on this thread and thought you had something to offer to the conversation.

You lost me at 'marketing exercise 'for 'my' business.'

If anything, hopefully some teachers will put their burdens in context with other professionals.

Did anyone promise that it was an easy job?

Educating Manchester then bed for me .

I genuinely think our burden is exceptional. An exceptional responsibility. It's lovely when you feel appreciated. Not so much when you are treated with disdain.