Work - Life Balance

[Guest Pistonbroke]

My Mrs's work-life balance is non existent. She's a primary school teacher, I drop her off at 7.30am, pick her up at quarter to six, then she does about two or three hours a night in planning, every night. She gets up Monday and says how much she's looking forward to Friday. And she wonders why I'm always saying how much I'd like to rob a bank. 

 

Things are no better over here Sec. The missus is a primary school teacher although she went into the speech therapy side of things about 10 years ago. The amount of hours she has to work on planning and sorting stuff out at home is madness, it's like having a second job you are not being paid for. She went self employed for a while but the pressure was even worse as the local council decided to pull a lot of funding on the speech therapy side of things , so she binned that and went back to the norm but on a part time basis doing 4-5 hours a day. She loves the work she does with the young kids but hates the way those at the top take the piss.

[Jairzinho]

I've somehow managed to become my own boss again, which is nice. Currently in work for about 20 hours a week.

[Paul]

It's not possible to meet the demands of the job as a teacher on less than ten hours a day M-F and at least another 6 hours at the weekend.

 

I'm an assistant head and therefore teach a 60% timetable. However, I work 6.30am until 5pm (at the earliest; often it's a 12 hour day) M-F and do another 5-10 hours every weekend. I also teach/work at least four weeks of the school holidays.

 

I still fucking love it but something will have to give soon because recruitment and retention issues are making a consistently good education for all kids unsustainable. Good teachers are dropping like flies.

 

I've recently recovered from a bout of bronchitis that marked the illest (yo) I've ever been. It's surely no coincidence that it came on the back of the most physically and mentally demanding term of my career.

 

I get by on adrenaline and passion, but not everyone feels that way. Something has to change.

[Remmie]

It's sickening to see the way key professions like teaching and nursing become more micro-managed and under staffed. I'm sure there are other key professions in the same boat too that go under the radar. Lesson planning should be part of your salaried hours but in this climate that'll never happen.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

It's sickening to see the way key professions like teaching and nursing become more micro-managed and under staffed. I'm sure there are other key professions in the same boat too that go under the radar. Lesson planning should be part of your salaried hours but in this climate that'll never happen.

 

True, plus it is the children who suffer as not every teacher is prepared to put the unpaid effort in. 

[lifetime fan]

Teachers now wearing body cams like the police in two schools as a trial.

[Rico1304]

What do the teachers on here think about the value of homework? If it was best to ban it how much of a difference would that make?

[Paul]

There's not a lot of evidence to support its academic value and as a parent I'd prefer a complete separation of home and school.

 

However, some schools use homework to drive their exam success culture creating a steam train of momentum towards all kids getting the best results. That said, lots of those schools have high levels of stress-related mental health problems, too.

 

The problem with no homework though is that truly independent study disappears completely from a child's experience and I think that's a life skill that needs developing.

 

In short, I think it's a pain in the arse but see a place for it.

[Rico1304]

There's not a lot of evidence to support its academic value and as a parent I'd prefer a complete separation of home and school.

 

However, some schools use homework to drive their exam success culture creating a steam train of momentum towards all kids getting the best results. That said, lots of those schools have high levels of stress-related mental health problems, too.

 

The problem with no homework though is that truly independent study disappears completely from a child's experience and I think that's a life skill that needs developing.

 

In short, I think it's a pain in the arse but see a place for it.

Thanks

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

Teachers now wearing body cams like the police in two schools as a trial.

 

While I admit I don't know the story behind this, that seems absolutely insane to me.

 

Is the idea that all teachers will? Or just teachers in rougher schools? Or are there any other criteria?

[Paul]

It's about low-level disruption rather than teacher safety. Load of bollocks if you ask me. What do they do with the video? How does it help?

 

Classroom management is about skill, experience and, most of all, positive relationships. Don't see how a camera fits into that.

[Champ]

Thanks

For which bit?

[Rico1304]

For which bit?

For answering my question.

[lifetime fan]

Approaching halfway of a run where I'll be in work for 101.5 hours in 6 days.

 

Not being able to sleep when you do occasionally get home is a right cunt!

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

I work compressed hours - Monday to Thursday. 37 hours a week. I also get to work 1 of those days from home each week. On top of that I've been taking scattered days as annual leave over the last few weeks resulting in an average of 2 days a week in work! (albeit long days 7:30am-6:30pm).

 

Amazing.

[Rico1304]

I got fucked off, new boss doesn't like it and knocked me back. Took it to appeal but they sided with him. Gutted.

[Nunavut Patrick]

I got fucked off, new boss doesn't like it and knocked me back. Took it to appeal but they sided with him. Gutted.

We're looking for bus drivers here....

 

I work 40 hrs per week, four week rotation where i work 7 days in a row sandwiched between a four day weekend. I could work 6 week rotation with three weekends off and onky work one full weekend. I can do OT when I want, can also trade days off and sell days to other drivers fot more time off.

 

I can also change from days to nights, switch routes snd assignments four times a year.

 

This is the most flexible job I have ever had. And I get to drive a bus around and meet loads of bus wankers.

[Champ]

I got fucked off, new boss doesn't like it and knocked me back. Took it to appeal but they sided with him. Gutted.

I wonder what the response would have been if you were a woman

[Rico1304]

I wonder what the response would have been if you were a woman

That's exactly what I thought.

[Karl_b]

I think I've lost that comfortable balance again. I've taken on some architecture related roles (local branch of the RIBA stuff) and some private work and it's too much, I've realised that my job is enough on its own. I'm supposed to work 9 day fortnights but have had fewer than half of the days off I should have, despite accruing the hours. It's leaving me exhausted and I need to ditch something to spend more time with the other half, watching TV, chasing our chickens around the garden and playing board games.

[cloggypop]

Chickens > work

[Sut]

What do the teachers on here think about the value of homework? If it was best to ban it how much of a difference would that make?

 

I try to make sure the homework I give my year 5s is research based - generally on topics they choose themselves (the Mary Celeste, Bonnie and Clyde and funnelweb spiders have all been recent presentations delivered in class) or as preparation for upcoming topics. It works really well and the kids get to use their skills meaningfully, rather than just through completing bloody worksheets etc. that then have to be marked.

 

Our school also has a policy of expecting the kids to read at least five times a week. The impact upon the children whose reading is completed regularly is very much apparent when we're writing in class - through sentence structure, vocabulary choice and so on.

[Jairzinho]

Pretty much perfect at the moment. I work about 20 hours a week.

[Conor]

I work for a large multinational in Ireland and have done for nearly 20 years (since leaving college). had various roles in that time and moving up the wage scale as time went on.

In those 20 years life has evolved and I now have a missus and 2 kids (one with special needs). The wife had to leave her job so she now looks after the kids meaning we are single income household. I live in Dublin which is one pricey fucking city to be in but fuck it - it is what it is and I cant change it.

From a work life balance persepctive the job is not too bad. Its Sales so I can work from home when I want and I get out and about. It helps with giving the missus a dig out at home when needs be.

The major problem is that I need to earn high wages just to survive (80k plus) to provide for all 4 mouths. In order to achieve that I have to take the shite that comes with the territory - high stress, long hours, weekend emails, office politics etc. I don't want to move up the ladder to better paid jobs, I just want to provide and pay the bloody bills. But I am getting to the stage that I hate my job.

Have often thought about jacking it in for a less stressful job and take the hit on the money. However waking up in the middle of the night worrying about paying bills is something far more terrifying so I put up with the status quo. Its too big a risk to take considering all the above.

Its a dilemma that few manage to figure out. Each to their own I guess.

For now its grin and bear. The kids and the missus keep me going and make it worth while but there will become a point where enough is enough and something will give.

Until then I have no choice but to keep going..........

[thegreatelephant]

I work for a large multinational in Ireland and have done for nearly 20 years (since leaving college). had various roles in that time and moving up the wage scale as time went on.

In those 20 years life has evolved and I now have a missus and 2 kids (one with special needs). The wife had to leave her job so she now looks after the kids meaning we are single income household. I live in Dublin which is one pricey fucking city to be in but fuck it - it is what it is and I cant change it.

From a work life balance persepctive the job is not too bad. Its Sales so I can work from home when I want and I get out and about. It helps with giving the missus a dig out at home when needs be.

The major problem is that I need to earn high wages just to survive (80k plus) to provide for all 4 mouths. In order to achieve that I have to take the shite that comes with the territory - high stress, long hours, weekend emails, office politics etc. I don't want to move up the ladder to better paid jobs, I just want to provide and pay the bloody bills. But I am getting to the stage that I hate my job.

Have often thought about jacking it in for a less stressful job and take the hit on the money. However waking up in the middle of the night worrying about paying bills is something far more terrifying so I put up with the status quo. Its too big a risk to take considering all the above.

Its a dilemma that few manage to figure out. Each to their own I guess.

For now its grin and bear. The kids and the missus keep me going and make it worth while but there will become a point where enough is enough and something will give.

Until then I have no choice but to keep going..........

 

you sir, are a warrior. good luck and all the best to you all.