Feeling disheartened about my new timetable and job prospects

[GettingBoredWithSchool]

So I got a new timetable and after being told last year “next year will be better.” I’m done lol. Looking for a new job but they seem to be in limited supply - recently just one maternity one?! Any words of encouragement right now or sympathy are greatly appreciated 😁

The next decent time for job hunting will be around the next resignation deadline (Oct 31st)- it's common sense that any remaining September vacancies aren't going to be heavily advertised in the run-up to summer because who would be doing all the admin etc tied to the interview process?

I mean this kindly- based on your question, are you quite new to the job? It might be worth sticking it out where you are to gain a bit more experience before moving on? What's the issue with your timetable- anything on it you can see changing or improving in the medium-term, or turning into a positive?

Hmm well I’m reasonably new - started in September 2022 and got second in department quite quickly after. I expected to get a rubbish timetable up to summer this year as I’d returned after maternity but I was told it would be better from September and then it wasn’t! One set was swapped because of another member of the department complaining that they hadn’t had a top set for four years, then my one y10 group was switched to two shared ones because someone needed additional hours or something? And seven hours of non subject specialist. Plus two different tutor groups as apparently I’m covering for days people are not in. I’m feeling penalised for going to 0.6 in all honesty. Although the one silver lining is I don’t think this timetable will particularly challenge me so I can put a lot of my energy into my job hunt

The seven hours of non-specialist sounds rubbish but tbh the rest is the perils of being part time and being a TLR holder (I'm both as well, so I get it).

If you're in a shortage subject you'll prob find jobs coming up by the end of September, but not necessarily advertised as part time. There's no harm in enquiring about a role that's advertised as 1.0 FTE and seeing if they'd take a 0.6 or 0.8 as they may be thinking that adverting a 1.0 will get more candidates, without necessarily needing that full person. We've certainly done that in the recent past and been quite accommodating for good candidates.

Yeh you’ll absolutely know then! Being a TLR holder has certainly had its challenges, although I am hoping the experience will help me in interview, particularly for some trickier questions. I have had a lot of experience in managing staff. I think even before I got this timetable I felt a little like I was in danger of coasting a little at our school as I tend to just get feedback that says I’m amazing, which obviously after just four years I don’t think is necessarily what I would get at another school and although I don’t want heavy criticism I do want to be pointed in some directions to improve! I am aware that I can always learn more as a teacher and do want to be in a department where I am inspired more by the other members of staff. Thanks for your replies by the way - I was hoping more vacancies would have popped up before the summer but it didn’t happen sadly. Perhaps they are all going to come at once! I may return full time particularly if the school seems a good fit and then I could request flexible working later…