teaching jobs

[yellowmum84]

Can any teachers tell me whether the hours fit in with bringing up children? I know there is the advantage of being off in the school holidays but want about during term-time? Do you still arrange childcare for school pick-ups? Interested to hear about this? Or can you do part-time so no childcare needed?

Not a teacher but almost applied for the GTP. Unless the children are at the school where you're working, then you would have to be in school before the children and at most schools, would need to stay after work and for staff meetings most weeks. You could do some planning/prep at home however all teachers have planning time in school now and have a cover teacher for that time.
I would have had to put my kids in a breakfast club and after school club, as well as using family to help for later pick ups for when I ahd meetings etc.
If you're happy to have child care, then it's a good job and the planning will get easier after a couple of years. Your training time will also mean that you're in more than one school (usually) and also at college so there's that to consider too.

Teaching is great for the holidays with your own children but definately not great during term time.
I am part time spread over 5 days (!) and need a childminder for both DD's. As most teachers have to be at school by 8.30 at the latest and finish at 3.30 then there is no way you can teach and pick up.
Part time jobs are hard to come by and you can not dictate so you start at 10 and finish at 3 (at least I do not know any part timers that do).
It is also a myth that you can dash of at 3.30 as you will have meetings/problems to deal with and staying to do work for a bit is often better than taking it home and doing it when kids are in bed.
Also teaching is great if you are in a school that supports working parents and allows time off for school plays/picking up if childminder ill etc.
I am sure I will have missed loads of useful points and others will be along.

I'm a teacher and work part time doing 2 days a week. It is a great job in that I have holiday to spend with the DC but I need before and after school care from my child minder for both the days I work. I have to be at school by 8.20am and usually get home about 5pm and work a couple of evenings or an afternoon at the weekend to keep up with marking and planning.

You'll need to be in work by 8.15 or 8.30 latest to do the job properly, so yes, you'll definitely need childcare before and after school. In fact when mine were at nursery, it was mostly teachers dropping off before 8 am - most other jobs seemed to be able to get into the office for just before 9!

I rarely leave work before 6 pm, but I'm a senior management now. As a mainscale teacher I tended to try to leave by 5 pm, and by 4 on a Friday. Holidays are nice, although you'll find you're working during some of it, and of course several hours per evening is normal when you start out. So yes, although the holidays are easier for childcare, you may well find you need more than friends in other jobs during term time.

I'm interested to know where people get the idea that teaching is family-friendly.
OK, I'll concede the holidays as a major benefit, but the rest of the time I'd say it's probably one of the worst jobs if you have kids. Main points have been covered by others already. Not only would you never be able to pick up your own kids from school, even if you were in the same school as them - which has its own problems - you can't really have them hanging around waiting for you at the end of the day. You are, after all, contracted to be working long after your classes have gone home. And it's the very lucky teachers whose Heads allow them time off to go and watch their own kids at other schools for sports' days and plays etc.. After all, who will take your class while you nip off? Should the school pay for cover for you?
It's a rewarding career, no doubt about it, but you must have all your bases covered, with back-up systems coming out of your ears, before committing yourself to it, as it's also one of the most challenging and downright exhausting jobs as well. During term-time, there'll be little time or energy left over for your own family. Or yourself.

I work in school 7.30-4.30 four days a week, and 7.30-5.30 0n the fifth. DH takes the children to school, I pick them up from after school club. I work for about three hours a night after they are in bed. I work half a day at weekends. About 4 evenings a term I have to be in school for a parents evening/open evening/information evening. I can't go to any sports days, daytime assemblies etc.

BUT - I don;t need holiday childcare.

Having just read the above, I can't quite believe that I ever considered the GTP with small kids! Think I'll defo be sticking with being a part time TA when I finally find a job that has school 9-3 hours (even those are hard to come by unless the school lets you choose your hours as some do.
OP - have you considered applying to be a TA - you can train further and become a HLTA (higher level TA) which can mean covering lessons etc and has more responsibility?