I'm sinking

[mistywintermorning]

I have taught for sixteen years and I have always been OK with the workload. But now I am really going under.

I have to organise and deliver two extra curricular activities, each lasting an hour after school. This is doubly hard as on both days I am teaching all day. The school only has a half hour lunch and it's expected we spend break times in the school canteen with the kids. The days are exhausting and draining.

The traffic is just terrible as well, I only live twenty minutes away on a clear run but because of roadworks and peak hour traffic I am frantically rushed in the morning (can't get in any earlier because of nursery - I have two young kids) and then I am committed to staying until twenty past four two evenings a week, one evening is a half five finish and the other two evenings I've loads to do.

It's just a struggle and I'm constantly stressed

[BackforGood]

You need to involve your union and look at your directed time.
You can't be expected to supervise lunches and can't be directed to run after school clubs (unless all other factors mean this is part of directed time).

[smerlin]

Find another school. Mine isn't like that (of course it has its own issues- don't they all!)

[HollowTalk]

Why does it have to be you that does the extra-curricular activities? Are you under the maximum number of teaching hours in the week?

I agree with others about talking to your union. When are you expected to do all the planning and marking?

[HollowTalk]

(And I taught for a long, long time, though not in a school.)

[mistywintermorning]

I'm HOD.

Line manager reckons it's OK because I am within the no of frees on my TT. I teach 21 hours a week out of 25. Plus one meeting. We aren't expected to supervise lunch, just break.

I've only started in september.

[MistakenHoliday]

I'd second speaking to your union. Do you have a breakdown of your directed time (the 1265 hours in the year)? I suspect two after school sessions a week will not be included in that.

Might be an idea to start looking for something else too - not all schools are like this (though an increasing number seem to be!)

Three weeks to Xmas OP...

[mistywintermorning]

There isn't a rep in school, I'm not in one anyway (have found them very unhelpful in the past.)

[noblegiraffe]

You need to get in a union for legal cover if nothing else, and a breakdown of directed time. How can there be three late finishes a week?

Is every HOD expected to do two extra curricular activities? Are they within your department and is there scope for moving them to another day or swapping with a different teacher? Doing a full day then after school is really draining,

[mistywintermorning]

I've got legal cover, ta.

It is really draining. I did raise it with my LM who just keeps saying that I am within my hours - it's an academy as well so I think they are just making it up as they go along. It's a pretty intense atmosphere.

[Tirednessiskillingme]

I was having a similar problem (almost 20 years experience, children, working more and more hours, stressed, finding it difficult to say no etc). Came close to being signed off but the only thing that saved me was deciding to work set hours as I couldn't do it all anyway even if I worked 24 hours a day and telling my line manager I was happy to do anything they suggested but my lessons would suffer as I'd have less planning time (which was true but not something i'd stuck to previously). That seemed to do the trick. Good luck x

[noblegiraffe]

Your LM saying you’re within your teaching allocation isn’t the same as you being within directed time hours. The school should publish a breakdown of these for all teachers and you are entitled to ask for it.

[mistywintermorning]

I know. It's on the website but isn't taking EC into account. That's just taken as a "period six."

[noblegiraffe]

I don’t understand, either period 6 is directed time or it isn’t? If you’re teaching 21/25 then that suggests it isn’t!

[mistywintermorning]

I don't understand what you don't understand - sorry, not being awkward!

[noblegiraffe]

Your teaching timetable is 25 periods a week, so 5 periods a day. But you are talking about a period 6 in directed time?

[mistywintermorning]

I don't know if it is directed or not. Either way, it makes no difference, although I will try to use it for a four day week next year.

[shiningstar2]

If the after school activities are extra to your timetable it shouldn't be compulsory? Schools sometimes expect one ...but not two. Also you should choose the day that's most convenient to you. No way would I do a non compulsory after school activity on a day when I had a full timetable. It should be on a day which suits you best.

Can you reduce to one after school activity and change it to a day when you are not on a full timetable and don't have break/lunch duties?

[noblegiraffe]

It does make a difference because if it’s not directed time then they can’t make you do it!

[Bookridden]

Can you settle the kids into their period 6 activity and then use some of the time to catch up with marking? Can you request to do just one period 6 for a while? Do other colleagues feel the same? I think the run up to Christmas is stressful at the best of times, and everyone is ready for a break

[mistywintermorning]

I know they can't make me as such giraffe but let's face it if I refused I'd be managed out.

Other colleagues - not sure really. It isn't a pleasant atmosphere.

[noblegiraffe]

Does everyone else do two extra curricular activities?

[noblegiraffe]

If you don’t refuse you may end up signed off with stress.

[mistywintermorning]

No, but I'm HOD.

Iwon't - I'm not really prone to being signed off with stress, I just plough on. I don't know, it's just so unlike anywhere I've ever been used to before.

[NommyChompers]

School isn’t in Corby is it?

[noblegiraffe]

Do the other HODs do two?

You say you’re not prone to being signed off with stress but your thread title says you’re sinking and you’re saying that it’s unlike the last 16 years. Your mental health is clearly suffering and something needs to change.