How is everyone feeling about the new school year?

[Kepler22B]

How is everyone feeling about the new year?

I’m the usual mix of excitement and nerves. Lots of new material this year - other half of the Alevel (which is away from my specialism) and year 7s(!). I usually teach year 9 and up with a lean towards the Alevel classes as specialist (physics) teachers are hard to find but this year is a bit different with some new staff wanting to do Alevel teaching.

A lot of nerves! I’ve spent 2 years teaching at a (frankly awful) international school abroad so now back in UK and doing ECT1. Slightly worried I’ve picked up bad habits, but I’m in Y1 which I love.

Second year in a new school after a career break. Last year was, frankly, terrible in terms of work-life balance. 50-70 hours per week were the norm. My HoD has moved schools and I have been reluctantly promoted. Looking forward to the challenge in some ways as there is a lot to improve, but new ECT colleague and SLT with high expectations are making me feel nervous of a high workload. I really need to have some boundaries in place but find this very hard. Desperately want to focus more on my family this year because I was working so much last year (or had nothing left to give) and my husband and young family deserve better...

Year 1, oh my. I’m thinking of the year 7s a littlies but yours are absolutely tiny.

I have to say I prefer ks5 so the total opposite of ks1.

A young family make it so far. One of mine is grown and flown and the other is off to college this year, which makes life so much easier as no juggling needed.

Nervous and anxious but trying to be positive. I'm returning back from mat leave and all 3 of my munchkins have become really attached to me while I've been home so nervous about them settling back in school and nursery too.

This will be my second year of retirement (30 year career) and also second year of supply.Supply is a means to an end.

Looking forward to our month in Thailand in November though.

Very nervous to be honest.
HoD of a core subject and there is a lot of pressure at my school for results as we are a start up so this will be our first set of gcse results.

It's a very intense place to work anyway so I am anticipating a very heavy workload.

I have 2 ECTs both of whom are needing a lot of extra support.
Another team member who is struggling in other ways and someone new starting.

I am looking forward to seeing my form and teaching again but it is going to be a very intense year.

At the moment I’m feeling very stressed and anxious about it (HoY7) but fingers crossed it will all be OK - I think I’m well prepared (hopefully).

Just meh-my 25th year (except for the 3 I had off for my babies). I’ve done management and hated it so semi back to jobbing teacher, which is my best place tbh.
I’m serious this year, at 49, about getting a better work life balance with exercising in particular. Has anything worked for anyone?

I'm also wanting to get back to working out consistently. I'm always drained after work but do want to carve some time out for myself for exercise. Grow with jo on YouTube is the one I've been most consistent with in the past so going to get back into that.

After school staff football (women only) kickabout! So much fun. If I go home I collapse so no chance of exercising, but straight after school has been ok. I was very nervous at the start and didn’t want the students seeing me but they have all been very nice and no negative comments (at least to my face).

Plus nice to know some colleagues from different departments.

I was running 5 days a week before starting at my current school, but haven't run in nearly a year! I joined a gym at the beginning of the summer with a plan to start new habits, but have only taken my boys to the fun swims. Went out for a run this week - and paying for it with DOMS now - so I think I'll try a couple of runs mid-week and a lane swim on a Sunday morning. A couple of my colleagues cycle to work, so I was feeling very keen about parking halfway to school one day a week and cycling in... Maybe on a Friday. Not exercising has made me realise how much I need it for my mental health as well as my waistline.

Thank you both! We do have a school gym we can use after 4 but it’s full of the boys’ club type blokes. I think they’d probably be super welcoming of me and my (very similar) friends but I’m just not sure if it’s a bit of me.
5 days a week running is awesome- you must still have a good baseline of fitness still! The swims sound fun.
And football too! I reckon the kids quite like the staff playing!

About to start my 31st year of teaching, 21 at my current school. Have taken my pension slightly early and am going down to four days a week which I think will make a huge difference in terms of workload. Have been off since 3rd July so looking forward to going back. My GCSE class got ace value added this year so feeling good about that. Also teaching two new lit texts which keeps me on the ball. Not looking forward to the 6 am alarm though…

The kids have genuinely been really nice.

”where are you heading”
“Just off to staff football”
”Are you any good?”
“Nope, absolutely rubbish”
”I’m sure you’re not that bad. Have fun”

Anything that makes them see you as a person and have a normal interaction with is always a win.

Good luck to everyone starting back tomorrow!
I am back tomorrow for the first INSET day. Schedule is absolutely packed so will be a busy one.

I'm about as ready as I'll ever be 😂

🍀Good luck guys!
Inset tomorrow 🍰☕
Still dreading going back though...
(hence my username! 😉)
Hope we all have a good week <group hug>

Yup - break a leg all!
My mindset is devoid of all growth currently 🤣 and the only ‘grit’ I’ll be deploying will be to help towards a better work life balance this year! Onwards!

Hope everyone had a good first day back for those who started today. It's a definite shock to the system. Too much to do! Trying to take it one day at a time. How is everyone else doing?

Inset always starts great with lots of hugs and good cheer (we are a very huggy school). Then the information overload that is statutory inset. One of the problems is so much of the information is the same as last year it is so easy to miss the new/ important stuff and there is just so much all at once.

More training this morning and then sports training (not for me!) and department time this afternoon before kids start coming back on site this evening (boarding school).

I'm doing OK- been two very intense INSET days! Absolutely shattered tonight (but I have a cold so that isn't helping).

Looking forward to seeing my form group tomorrow and then teaching my subject on Friday!

Exhausted. 7s and 11s in today. My 11s were off the wall which was quite worrying. They are all vv low ability and totally overwhelmed at the prospect of Y11.
All other year groups tomorrow <cracks knuckles>

Feeling similar to everyone else. Glad I’m not alone! Excitement and nerves. It’s intense and behaviour of a minority of students affects the majority which is annoying.

Like everyone, aiming for more exercise this year, better work-life balance and less emotional involvement ie I care a lot (bit too much) but trying to stop carrying thoughts around in my own and family time.

Going for two exercise sessions a week. Realistic to fit in??!

Good luck, everyone!

Maybe we can have an accountability thread on here for exercise and work/life balance? Anyone in?!

I’ll start: this morning, I have stretched for five minutes!! 😆