Came clean to boss

[ajs88]

if you don't have a huge mortgage, considering the pay of an experienced teacher is quite high, you should be able to afford to job share and go part-time (is there a new mum at your school?) or supply teach and/or tutor. local authority's are currently providing excluded children with private tutors for maths, IT etc. and their paying £20 an hour, you need to be a qualified teacher but you don't need to have the subject that you'll be teaching.

having said that, if you do want to carry on working, they can't sack you for not wanting to work or for not working the hours they want you to, all they can to is apply pressure. it is very hard to sack a teacher, they have to give you official warnings and send you on courses first. if your willing to have a thick skin and go to the union if they apply undue pressure then carry on working there but only do classroom hours and scheduled meetings.

im very lucky in that despite working in the film industry which is notorious for long hours, both of my managers and most of my colleges are very family orientated and respect me for wanting to go home to my OH and cook him dinner rather then work all night (i do put the girly stuff on a bit when i want to go home on time ). unfortunately a couple of colleges aren't like this and they try to get me work longer hours but i don't have to and my manger takes any complaints about hours quite seriously, since my resignation he had to agree to overtime and normal hours to keep me

[jim]

Dear Helsbels,

There are too many people in the education hierarchy who believe that good teachers are married to the job and should have no life outside it. Well done for standing up to them! I've been on the supply for two years now. Work when they call me depending on whether we need the cash or have a good relationship with a particular school. (I'll scratch your back etc.)

Plus side:- the daily rate is pretty good, plenty of time for the garden, fishing, walking etc., no staff meetings, parents evenings, report writing, worrying about Ofsted parasites and you get to go home at a reasonable time.

Minus side:- can't rely on getting called in when you need to, it can take six weeks before you get paid, but most of all you do miss that relationship you build with your own class.

Can't offer advice, make your own choice,

Love and Peace
Jim

[mrsflibble]

i remember telling my ex boss the very same thing, that i worked to live not the other way around. he was not best pleased.

[Helsbells]

Hi everyone,
Thankyou all so much for your posts. Really helpful.

I am an art teacher at the moment. The reason I became an art teacher was because I wanted a way of doing art but with a steady wage and paid holidays etc. If I went for supply I would be teaching anything, so although I might have more free time it is too much of a compromise. (Also dont get paid hoidays!)

I would love to do private tutoring, but sadly parents dont generally care enought about art to bother getting their children privately tutored in it.

Sorry for being negative.

My hobby is art, but like I said it is difficult to get a decent income doing this. I dont do traditional art, its all very complicated and difficult to get money for!

I do enjoy my job, I just dont want it to occupy my every waking hour!
And sleeping, I often dream about it!)

[wolfsong]

My step-mother did teacher training but went into graphic design for the Tele, and the rat race of London... She now looks after my half brother and paints, her paintings are contemporary, and (I think) pretty easy to pump out, and she has a good client base, being a good pitcher (erm... saleswoman... ) but she still doesn't make alot with them, most of the income comes from my dad's job...
Having looked at this myself, trying to make money from art is a bugger, and teaching... is teaching.
have you tried doing other levels? depending on what level you teach at... being a scroggy 17 year old, I would say that we are easier and nicer to teach than primary school kids, and the discourse and level of art must be better...
I don't know wether there are still independent schools around your area that have an alternative work ethic and mode of teaching, I used to go to one where the teacher mainly sat in the studio (the old stable, the best classroom i've ever had, mess everywhere) and did her own stuff, whilst the assistant just made pots all day, they were brilliant!

[Helsbells]

I used to go to one where the teacher mainly sat in the studio (the old stable, the best classroom i've ever had, mess everywhere) and did her own stuff, whilst the assistant just made pots all day, they were brilliant!

That sounds perfect!!

I teach secondary education so its 11 to 17 year olds. I would like to teach in an independant school and I always keep my eye out for jobs, only problem is that if I stay in my current school I can do a masters in teaching and learning and I get full maternity if I want a baby in a couple of years (which I do). If I leave I wont get either of these. Its a catch 22. Anyway like I said I do enjoy my job, just not the rediculour hours. Was in school from 8.00am till 6.45 today.

[Rosendula]

... if I stay in my current school I can do a masters in teaching and learning and I get full maternity if I want a baby in a couple of years (which I do). If I leave I wont get either of these.

Aha! Could that be your answer? Stay put for now with the knowledge that when the time comes you will get full maternity, at the end of which you don't have to return if you don't want. So you have until then to work out what you want to do after then, content in the knowledge that it probably won't be the same thing. Kind of like a focal point in the not-so-distant future.

Quick edit to add that: When you know you're going to leave at some point, and no-one else knows, everything becomes slightly more bearable, and sometimes it's hard not to laugh. I know. I've done that

[Helsbells]

Aha! Could that be your answer? Stay put for now with the knowledge that when the time comes you will get full maternity, at the end of which you don't have to return if you don't want. So you have until then to work out what you want to do after then, content in the knowledge that it probably won't be the same thing. Kind of like a focal point in the not-so-distant future.

Heh heh yeah, that is the general plan!! (dont tell anyone!)

But why does it have to take having a baby to get out of going to work?!?

[Rosendula]

I pity blokes for that very reason.

[Helsbells]

Ha ha!! lol!

[wolfsong]

don't worry, we have football and man-flu, and since most employers are blokes, they are perfectly good excuses. "whar, childbirth, whats that?"

[Millymollymandy]

Hellsbells I just hope your boss doesn't read Ish! Oops.

[boboff]

But you get 12 weeks paid Holiday a year?

That is twice the national average. If the average hours for people are 40 hours a week, 8 hours a day, then for you to work the same hours in a year it would need to be 9 hours plus, which 8 till 6.45 with an hour for lunch is spot on.

So in reality it's the job which is not suitable, as the hours are too long. As a team of teachers you do need to all work the same hours over time.

But if you are not happy, you will not be as effective either, there is a big difference between attendance and effectiveness. If you work less hours, and you are dissatisfied your achievements will not be very good, you will get more negative feedback, and feel less motivated still. This is an ever decreasing circle, and will end up making you ill.

Work less hours, but do it with a happy heart, and an enjoyment of what you are doing, or give it up.

At our primary school, of which I am a governor, they have funded Teachers so they only work in the classroom for 4 days a week. As a result of this Absenteeism has all but vanished from teaching staff, meaning the extra budget set aside for Supply is not needed. They also shut the school for "Consultation Day" which is basically parents evening during the day. This again reflects a desire by the head teacher not to unnecessarily inconvenience the teachers.

So having said that you should put up or shut up(if it comes across wrongly, what I mean is you must not do a job that makes you unhappy in the medium term, it will effect your health), it does really depend on who is in charge as to the atmosphere in the school.

A bloke who arrives first, and leaves last probably doesn't like being at home and spends most of the time in the office looking at "ish"(oops!) in any event, you shouldn't feel like you have to attend the same as he does. But you should do the hours you want, that are acceptable, being happy and productive, and you don't owe them any more than that.

[Rosendula]

You're not allowed to say p0rn on here

[boboff]

Sorry, have changed it!

Any other words I should avoid, apart from the obvious ones!
I'll try a few


Capitalism
G W Bush
Hippy
Lesbian
T***o
4x4
Incinerator
national service
Spam
Chav


Ha, it's only T E & S COwens emporium that is censored, funny!