What is the point of going part time?

Lubs
Lubs Member Posts: 155
Hi,
I have decided to go part time due to ill health. However, on my day off I have found that all I am doing is work!! :(

I started at 7.02am and had a break to go out at 9.50am. That's 2 hours and 48 minutes of work. I had to physically leave the flat to stop working. When I returned I was tried, so I needed a nap.

After my nap at 2.20pm I sat back down and looked at the mountain of work I still had to do (most of which is still in my bag and needs marking). I continued with the planning and differentiation of my lessons. I was phoned by the rheumatology nurse who wanted me to go to A&E in a different hospital. My husband came back from work at 5.00. Which is when I stopped working.

So in total I completed nearly 6 hours of work on my day off. What is the point of going part time? Before going part time I used to complete the work on Sunday, so now I have an extra unpaid day to spread the work load over! There is no point whatsoever!
Lubs :x

Comments

  • Julie37927
    Julie37927 Bots Posts: 35
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I am sorry you have so much work. Is there any way you could pass some of it off to someone else? I'm assuming your a teacher, could you change your method? Maybe have them mark their own stuff? Or get a keener in the class to help, a sort of "teacher's helper" to help with marking. There must be a way to minimize your work load. Does it get less and less every year? If so, there's hope. Talk to other colleagues, perhaps they have some suggestions. Hope this helps.
  • Fionabee
    Fionabee Member Posts: 146
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Lubs
    Surely if you go P/T you will be responsible for delivering fewer lessons, will this not cut down on the amount of prep you are responsible for? I watched the series Tough Teachers on BBC3 recently and it made me want to cry at times, the utter relentlesness of it. Would P/T mean job sharing, could you share your work load with another?
    If you go P/T might it take a bit of time for things to balance and even out and ultimately you'd find you had less to do from home.
    My son's best friend is an English teacher and I am a bit aware of the time he has to put into prep and he is single with no responsibilities.
    Hope you find a way.
    Fionabee
  • Lubs
    Lubs Member Posts: 155
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi,

    I'm not happy with the way things are at the moment. I have been teaching for 13 years. Previously I had more responsibilities which I have had to give up as I found that I didn't have time to complete the normal school work/ planning/ marking etc. I was working every day after dinner and all day Sunday, but I couldn't keep this up so I resigned from the post.

    I have since just taken a post of a normal subject teacher. The school I am in has a very poor behaviour policy, something I'm not really used to as I've always run a good classroom with excellent behaviour. The students here are something entirely different, if you can't deal with them you are seen as a weak teacher, and you are not given any support. You are given no support by the head of department. Instead they want me to complete an induction programme, like I'm a newly qualified teacher! You have people playing a game of one-up-man ship. There is no team.

    In the department I have the newly qualified teachers coming to me for help with their problems. I am now signed off sick by my GP who does not want me to go into work, but I was requested to send in cover work by the head of department. Which I did god a couple of weeks them I said that the teacher covering me should know where the classes are.

    I just feel that as an experienced teacher with excellent class results to back me up, I cannot cope with the workload. I do feel this has to do with my condition and that teaching is not a career that someone with an autoimmune disease should be doing. The students are relentless, I have seen how teachers are made leave, take early retirement, by being given the bottom sets all the time. The behaviour gets to you as well as the constant paperwork.

    Yes, Fionabee I would have fewer lessons, but I would still have a cover lesson and I was also helping the A level students by extra lessons in the morning. When I missed one due to my infliximab infusion the head of biology had a go, I had to remind her that I was doing this lesson in my free time and not being paid for it! In fact my timetable did not change as all my free periods were on Mondays due to my infusion being on that day. I teach all day Tuesday and Thursday. My lessons are not fairly spread out, and thanks to taking time off they have removed the best class from me (the a level class). Instead I have more GCSE lower sets.

    As for it getting easier with time, the syllabus keeps changing and the students do not have textbooks so they rely on good notes. If these are not differentiated then the HoD will not be happy. Like all schools they do not share their resources. So I am having to make mine from scratch.

    Sorry for going on, but I needed it! :D