Will I miss my own kids' childhoods?

[daiawndiolch]

So currently I am teaching 3 days a week in an independent SEN school. I am a qualified teacher but started at this particular school as a TA initially due to my children. When a teaching job came up along with another TA (not qualified) we proposed a job share as we both had young children and wanted to work part time. The school agreed and things have been going well.

I work the one half of the week and manage to do most of my planning, assessment etc in the time my children are in school/nursery on another of the days, meaning I usually don't have to do much at weekends etc.

However... my job share is likely to be leaving at the end of this school year due to personal reasons. So I now have the choice of either going full time in September (my youngest will be starting reception then too) or staying part time and trying to find another job share.

My worry is that the school likes to promote from within where possible so if I were to continue to job share the looking pool of people I'm looking at that would be likely to get the job, there's nobody I wouldn't be confident is "ready" to do the job. They're either inexperienced or probably want the job for the wrong reasons, despite being lovely people.

So my question is do I stay part time knowing I will more than likely be doing 95% of the work anyway. Or do I go full time and get paid for it all? Will I miss my children's childhoods if I go full time?

Help! 😳

I was part time 0.6 for years and loved it. I'm also at a private school. I went up to full time but have now just requested to go back to 0.8. I want some life back and an opportunity to actually be a mum.

How did you manage your workload whilst full time? How old are your children?

If you can afford it stay part time

I went full time and it was all okay. I was 0.6 in an indie then got asked to cover maternity leave HoD 0.8. I knew that I would just spend that other day working so I just did it full time and got the pay for the work I would have done anyway. I never felt like I missed my kids growing up- I picked them up from a childminder every day at 4.30, had long holidays with them. They were totally fine. I did have a cleaner and DH was able to take them to school. Whatever you do will work out fine.

My kids are 10 and 6 and at my school so logistics are easy. My husband brings them in the morning and they come home with me at 4. My one day off I'll be having will be to get the house and school work done etc so I get my weekends.

I went to 0.6 when dc2 was born.
She's 22 now

If money allows, I'd never do FT teaching.
I get to 33, 34, 35, or 36 hours and say "I'm not doing anymore, I'm only paid 3/5 of a salary. I rarely work in the evening and I don't work at weekends.
0.6 is the best of both worlds.
Obviously some people have to, financially, but if you have the choice, I'd never go back to the 55 - 60 hour week.
Definitely not when your dc are little.

However, nor would I do the work for someone who was being paid 0.4 of the salary.
When you work PT, you do have to maintain boundaries.