Teachers - is the work/life balance possible?!

[reastie]

Have just this week returned from maternity leave and have to admit struggling to keep up with everything. I'm working 2 days a week but over 3 days, so theoretically I should be fine . I've always been the type of teacher to be quite organised and efficient and likes having everything thought through and planned - I'm not the sort of person who can wing it and succeed sadly.

When I'm working it's a rush to get to work on time and get dd ready etc, then I have to rush home to collect DD as am relying on family to look after her who have lives want me to be as quick as possible so they can go out etc. I've been going into work at least half an hour early and staying an average of an hour later this week (plus going in last week for the morning). I've spent in the last 2 days over 3 hours working from home.

This isn't just me getting up to date, this is me prepping/marking/doing paperwork etc and I'm making a big effort to be more laissez faire in attitude now as I know I can't be as fastidious as I used to be. Based on when I used to work (part time) pre DD I would stay in maybe 3 - 4 hours in school a week more than needed to do this type of thing and a morning a week on my day off.

I think I just forgot when returning how much out of the class room stuff I do and now I have no idea when I can do it with DD and if I'm ever going to have a life with DD as I'll either be thinking about when I can try and work when I'm with DD or at work or working at home. Feeling quite weepy as I want to try and make this working mum malarkey work for us.

Is this a common problem for teachers returning? Are there obvious corners I should be cutting or things I should or could be doing to make things easier?

Having the same problem. I stay an hour after school, rush to collect Ds, home, tea, bath, bed, 2 hours work them bed for me and I am still finding it hard.

How long have you been back to work for neep?

Nope, not possible.

I think it's hard. Me and DH are ft and I struggle to stay as long as I'd like after school ( do between 1 and 2 hours) as I feel guilty about DCs.

I would say, though, that relying on family/friends for childcare is OK up to a point but if you feel pressured to rush back you need to pay for a CM or nursery. It does cost but gives you much more flexibility IME.

smug DH has point blank refused to send DD to a nursery/cm - her said he would rather I didn't work than do that . I could do a little extra time at work now but not nearly enough and it's a bit haphazard as to when and if I can depending on what they're (rellies) doing so can never rely on it. I just don't know how I'll cope

I don't find it possible and am dreading my return to work after my 2nd mat leave in a few months time.
I work 4 days and have to work 6/7 nights at home to keep up with the workload. I do spprox 8:30-5 in school and hate not being home, it will be worse now I have 2 dcs.

I am thinking of returning to teaching but it is exactly this that scares me. I used to work days and evenings pre children and now i'm exhausted with 2 before even returning. I'm also worried about not having flexible leave to take time off to watch school plays etc. Not sure what else i'd do though. I do love teaching when it's going well.

using re: time off school plays etc - that was my worry too. I just keep telling myself I should be lucky for the holidays we get but I'm barely treading water and have worked so many extra hours this week . I don't know how I'm going to manage tbh. I think this job will be alot better in a few years when DD is at school (I hope) so on my days off at least I have time to cook/clean/work in peace from home . I found out today I'll be expected to do revision sessions in the easter holidays for no extra pay - that's all I need

But same as you - I do love teaching. I chose it as a career due to loving it and also thinking it would work around having children now I those who get to sit at a desk and drink an actual hot drink at work

I find it really hard when friends at toddlers/nct/etc all think that because I'm a teacher I've got it easy when I go back... er um.

Interested in this too. Have an interview for PGCE next week and wondering if I'll cope as a teacher. I have no kids, but I do suffer from depression - don't mind working a lot but don't want to be working every single weekend flat out...

yellow I found my training year harder than any other year - so if you could get through that I think you'd get through anything . I'm pretty feeble IMO so if I got through it I think most people can . Don't let me put you off as teaching is a great career, but you have to be in it for the love of it as opposed to the money IYKWIM

It seems like people do about 2 hours prep every day, would that be about right? Think I could deal with that.

I love teaching (currently teach EFL) and I love kids, so it does make sense. I heard the PGCE is really hard. Well, not even on it yet...

I think it depends how much of a prep/organised person you are/what subject you do etc tbh. For me I could easily spend 2 hours a day on it . It is hard but it is rewarding, and if you teach EFL already you'll be ahead on the practical skills as it were already

Sorry, but I think the answer is, it all depends. On your subject, school, Head of Dept, how far you are able to re-use planning...

Could you tell us a bit more about the exact hours you are working and how your childcare arrangements work?

I think the problem is that you really need a bit more childcare. If you are just able to tread water at the moment - sketchy but OK planning, marking done, admin done on a bit of a wing-and-a-prayer - unfortunately I think you might become seriously unstuck when something big comes along. I am thinking of parents' evening, report writing, Ofsted, having any time off sick for you or your baby, having to cover for an absent colleague....

I hate to say it, but schools are under increasing scrutiny, Michael Gove isn't exactly an advocate for teachers and, if you find it difficult to cope at some point in such a way that your teaching suffers, then I think you could find yourself in a vulnerable position.

You need to be able to extend your time at school either at the beginning or end of the day or carve out another time in the week or weekend when you can get it done.

What are your own views about using a nursery/cm?

If I'm honest rangirl if I had to I would but the amount of money I get every month after paying tax/petrol/etc would barely cover the costs so I'd be working for so little I may as well not bother (esp as nurseries around my way you have to pay for the full year you can't not pay in school hols)

branching this makes me as by the sounds of my job I should have plenty of time . I work 1 full day and 2 mornings a week. We apparently are being inspected (or expecting an inspection) this academic year . I work in secondary school as the only person teaching my subject specialism and I work at a private school where the school day is longer than state schools and more is expected with regards to going the extra mile on various things. Childcare wise I have DH and MIL sharing duties on the full day (will offer GCSE extra sessions after school on this day which will do me in to exhaustion so I won't be able to think enoug to stay later on this day) and the 2 mornings my mum will take dd but says she wants me to come straight back at lunch so she can have afternoons free to do stuff. I can't leave dd any earlier either . I'll have to see how it pans out and hope I might be able to stay at least an hour on one of the mornings. The thing that I'm finding hard too is if I do mange to get in early (which is hard to do) to do, say photocopying, then the photocopier will inevitably be jammed so it's wasted time (takes a good 5/10 mins to get from my classroom to photocopier to try to fix jam to go back to my room). This happened last week and I was tearing my hair out at wasting all the effort of getting in early. Also, staff wanting to chat or students needing turfing out of the foyer to my room in lunch or whatever when I can stay late so everything takes twice as long IYKWIM. I don't mind chatting or sorting stuff out but when I need to get things done I need to get things done . My Mum suggested doign stuff at home where possible and she may be able to take dd for a short time extra a week but I'm not sure if I"ll manage it all

I do 2 days a week as a secondary teacher. It is hard but IMO it is doable. I go in at 7.30 and leave on average about half four. On my 3 days not at work I normally do one and a half to 2 hours when youngest dc is at nursery. I will quite often a bit in the evenings. I have found it miles better since youngest dc started nursery until then I was doing loads in the evenings and was very tired.
Maybe you need a bit more childcare but probably not loads more. How do you feel about using a nursery/cminder? If you gave up do you think you would get another ptime job easily when your dd is older. It is a nightmare getting teaching jobs where I live so I am glad I kept going even when it was hard when my dc were all pre-school. It is totally worth it when your dc are a bit older, even thought that may seem very hard for you to imagine now. Good luck!

Hmm. Teaching sort of is my life really. I work FT, head of a core department. I work pretty much all the time during term. But the job is more interesting than it was before I was HOD, and I look at my friends where both parents work FT including school holidays and think that there are some perks.

beatrice that's what's making me want to keep my job - I do enjoy it as a career (the actual teaching) and it's generally a nice school I work at, and it's rare for a job for my subject to come up in my area, so I don't want to lose it and then not have a career in a few years. I keep telling myself if I can get through the next year or so it will get easier. But then this will be my only and much wanted dc and I don't want to feel like I didn't get to truly enjoy her when she is little as I was stressing about work. We could do with the money as we don't have a big income but we could scrape by without me working

fallen i think that's my issue - teaching isn't my life anymore. My priorities have altered and I don't feel like I can do my job justice like before

yellow, where are you interviewing for your PGCE? Is it primary or secondary?

FWIW, I found it very difficult to return to work after DD- she was 8 months old and I returned as HoD, but only for 3 days a week (no job share ). However, it did get easier; I think it's a question of knowing which corners to cut. It also depends on your school and your subject- I found it helpful to get in early and stay as late as I could in order not to take any work home. My subject is art, so I couldn't take coursework home to mark even if I'd wanted to.

Having said all that, I am now an advisory teacher for children in care and I finally have a good work/life balance. My hours are the same, but the division between work and home is clearer.

"I don't want to lose [the job] and then not have a career in a few years."

Keep hold of this thought. It shouldn't be this way, but it is very hard to get back in to anything other than classroom teaching, after taking a break, particularly in a niche area.

Can you start to make noises now about your two days actually being two days next academic year? I think it will make a big difference, then you only have to get through a term and a half... and everyone knows the last half term doesn't count

It's early days. It will get better. It's common for all women returing. A very competent friend of mine went back to a newspaper job after her baby and says she sat at her desk literally sweating with panic. She was convinced that she wouldn't be able to write a word - ever again. All fine now.

yellow good luck! I am on gtp it is hard work but nothing you wouldn't cope with. I probably do a couple of hours most nights and a few at weekends. Occasionally I have to force myself mostly I find I am motivated. I am expecting nqt year to be harder and then to get into a rhythm.

I haven't yet got back into the classroom but I must admit I am really glad that I have taken the time out the last few years to spend with my daughter. I thought it wasn't time I would get back and to me its been worth it even though we have lived on a shoestring (husband earns less than I do). It's a tough call though.