What’s your school day like? I’m frigging exhausted

[Homeandaway999]

I’ve just started a new job, going from 5 1 hour lessons to 6 55 minute lessons.

And it’s killing me.

Any help, tips, advice? Nearly three hours after lunch tomorrow

I feel your pain. I did a stint in a school that does 7 x 50 minute lessons. No doubles. It was hell - not just from a planning point of view but from a behavioural point of view. More lesson changes = more opportunities for corridor incidents and bullying to kick off and spill over into the next lesson. 5 X 60 minute lessons is the Holy Grail.
However, never heard of 3 hours after lunch. What’s all that about?

We have six 55m periods.

Very rare to teach all six though.

We have 5 1-hour lessons thank goodness but I've done what you're doing and it's a killer. So much time lost when they're just moving between lessons.

The problem we have is that the 2-week timetable has been worked out so badly that most of my department, including me, have no PPA time at all in Week 1 and loads in Week 2. No time to even catch our breath in Week 1 - horrendous!

I had a crazy school day last year. 7 periods a day some days with only a lunch break, no morning break. Top tips:

Not planning too many teacher heavy lessons in one day.
Not trying to do more than one practical per day (science).
Calming music on when students are working on independent tasks.
Making sure I sit down, outside of my classroom, at lunchtime and eat and chat.
Doing all prep the night before.

I did this and it was really hard work because of all the changeovers and the additional lesson planning.

My advice is to cut down on planning. Try to achieve one or maybe two activities per lesson, rather than (which many teachers will do) effectively planning for six one hour lessons a day.

I also stripped out power point planning and printed off a planning book for each of my classes, with a handwritten starter and main. Plenaries got done on the fly. Any slide resources I kept to one or two slides and used the texts more.

It went well.

We used to have 7 45 minute lessons and it nearly killed me. We now have 6 50 minute lessons which is bliss by comparison. I can only imagine the sunlit uplands of a 5 1hr lesson day....

I actually prefer 3 periods after lunch to three periods between break and lunch (we have split lunches). My worst day back on the 7 lesson TT was
Yr 9
Yr 9
Break
Yr 9
Yr 9
Double Yr 11
Lunch (45 mins)
Yr. 9
Form
School show rehearsal
I don't know how I did it!

2 days a week I have 7 55 minute periods, plus a lunchtime homework club session on one of the days... It's exhausting!

I start at 7.55, 2 periods then a 15 minute break. 2 more then 1 hour 25 or 25 minutes lunch depending on the day, 2 more 55 minute lessons then afternoon break. One more lesson (usually grumpy and tired) and home at 4.25.

Depending on the week, some of the lessons are doubles which can be great or awful depending on the class...my year 8s are horrible this year, and my year ten lower group. I love my year 9 classes though, despite some tricky behaviour.

Top tips? Rest, shit-hot planning, save your voice by getting the pupils to read out texts, instructions etc, use a bell for silence, sit when you can get away with it, and have a thermos of tea in your bag!

Another top tip is ensure your classes are packed up and ready to leave on the bell. Then you get a blessed two minutes peace before the next lot arrives!

We have an 8 period day, and often compulsory additional support lessons after that. It’s awful tbh.

We start at 9am, do a morning circle and a short game, go to breakfast together at 9.15am, start the first teaching session at 9.30am and do one subject until break time at 10.40am, come back from break at 11am. We do another calming down activity and start our second teaching session at 11.20am. We have lunch at 12.30am and then go outside for break time. They come back in and start the third teaching block at 1.30pm. School finishes at 3pm.

It's generally quite a relaxed day at ours. Our kids don't cope well with transitions.
I teach at an alternative, independent primary school.

I teach Year 1 and it's crazy

8.50-9 kids arrive (early morning work)
9.05 register
9.05-9.30 phonics
9.30-10.30 English
10.30-10,45 - break
10.50-11.05 - guided reading
11.10-12 maths
12-1 lunch
1 - 1.30 worship
1.30 - 3.25 - 2sessions, today was PE then ICT.

Everyday is the same. Some days these 5 & 6 year olds don't have any opportunity to play. Everything is learning focussed. After they finish their work they have a challenge activity.

I'm exhausted never mind them

Mines crazy
This week so far
Mon
8:30 am bus duty
8:50 registration ( supposed to start at 8:40 but I am on bus duty!)
9-9:55 lesson 1
9:55-10-50 lesson 2
Break 15 mins
Lessons 3 and 4 until 12:55
Lunchtime club until 1:40
Lessons 5 and 6 until 3:30

Tues
Meeting 8:30
Reg 8:40-9
Lesson 1 and 2
Breaktime duty
Lessons 3 and 4
Lunchtime a level support club
Lessons 5 and 6
30 minute break
3 hours parents evening.

I am free tomorrow lunch and have a free p6 as well but I am already shattered ( and having a glass of wine) And those are basically my first gaps of the week.