Hi! Please help me make my mind up here. I teach in a SEMH school with a year 1-year 3 girls group this year. They are one of the toughest classes I've ever taught in my career, plus we are over full so a big (for us) class. This term has been chaos.
Over half term I was asked by the head to attend a half day event with 45 mins travelling to get there. She offered me a day's pay or a day off in lieu. I asked for the day off in lieu and picked this Friday as my 11 year old dd has a Christmas meal that the parents attend (she is desperate for me to go as I can never usually make it) it's a big deal in her school and obviously her last one.
Now, it's become obvious that SLT have done nothing to arrange cover for this day, plus one other staff member is also absent that day and a third will be late in. Also it's Christmas jumper and party day which sounds nice but in reality results in worse behaviour because they can't cope, so I'll leave them in a mess if I take the day off basically. I know if I offer to do the morning the head teacher will accept without a second thought but should I?
The event I attended was only half a day so I feel guilty taking a whole day in lieu. Plus I feel awful that my staff and kids will probably have a difficult day without enough staff.
On the other hand I know that if I go in I'll end up embroiled in a crisis and potentially miss the event. Plus, selfishly I've been clinging to this day off like a lifeline as this term has been such a struggle.
What would you do? Thanks.