Working week - what hours?

[duvets]

Partner is a newly qualified teacher and working long hours, and also somewhat grumpy when not working due to the pressure they feel. They're currently working approx 60-65hrs per week.

From what I hear this is very common, even normal... I'm trying to understand whether there is any reasonable prospect of us ever spending more time together in the evenings and weekends.

What hours are normal/average? How do teachers find efficiencies to have some semblance of work life balance? How can I help?

Yeah, normal. Enjoy the summers/holidays/half terms

I pick one weekend day to work and enjoy the other one. Try and have at least one evening a week when I don't need to do more than check the lessons for the next day. And yes, make the most of the holidays. Don't work more than a day or two each time.

I'm an ECT too but fortunately am in the same school as my training year, so I can reuse/adapt a lot of my planning. This year is a lot less work than last year so hopefully your partner will find that too. There are "pinch points" of stress so anticipate those and plan for them. Eg don't make lots of plans near parents' eve, do some batch cooking etc.

My toughest thing is marking. I need to get better at doing it during class time!

My DH is great at providing cups of tea and just getting on with stuff to make my life easier.

I taught UKS2 for year, have been subject leader and phase leader. I was doing about 70 hours a week and probably would have continued that way. No...actually, I was close to walking out of the job forever at that point. I had been a teacher for over ten years by then.
I left the UK to work abroad. I now do 40 hours a week. I get paid properly for those 40 hours. If I don't want to do stuff on the weekends, then the world doesn't end. I usually drop off my DS at 8am at nursery and pick him up by 4pm. I don't generally work at home anymore. Perhaps little bits here and there. Most things can be done during my PPA time.
I love my job. I'm happy and generally relaxed at work. I'm good at my job and my classes do very well.
I wouldn't go back to teaching in the UK. It's relentless and thankless and pays way too little.

In my tenth year of teaching. I work four days a week. Arrive 7.30, leave 4.30. Every other week I'll work one weekend day. I'm eyfs.

My sibling and partner have both been in teaching 15 years or so each First few years are long hours. From about 8 or so years onwards neither of them works on a weekend, both will do a bit of an evening, but its comparable with what DH and I do after hours for our office jobs. Both enjoy it (1 is a HoD in secondary, one in primary).

I think it helps that they are calm, organised, low stress people, who are very suited to teaching.

@Dizzyhedgehog which country do you teach in now? You seem so happy with your teaching career now.

I'm primary specialist teacher (have a class) + SLT. Done 20 years. I'm in school 7am - 4.30- 5.30pm I very rarely work at home- just occasionally when a pupil needs a big report/ referral writing on a tight deadline etc.

Thanks all, so useful to hear the range of experiences.

I'm hearing it's influenced by number of years in the profession, the individual's personality, and it sounds like the school's / country's culture plays a part too.

@Tootirred I'm in Germany, so not too far away.

It will get easier, but it will never be a 9-5 job, and I don't think the grumpiness diminishes with time unfortunately! I also think the time of year also doesn't help, winter is brutal. Is he Primary or Secondary? Nov-March is difficult, but at least in Secondary the summer term is easier when the exam classes are out of the way.

I get to work at 7.30, and leave at 4.45. I have half an hour break and 45 minutes lunch, which I work through every day. I currently bring hardly any work home at all - am a key stage lead in a big secondary school. If I have to work at home, I try and make it only my management stuff - the stuff I'm paid extra for.

So, my class teacher stuff takes me 46 hours a week.

Not secondary, primary. What a weird mistake to write!