I've been trying to lessen the "teacher guilt" that I tend to feel now and then. Ever since this school year started, I've been going home and not doing work. It feels a bit weird to me, as I remember during my first few years of teaching, I would go home to work some more. Do you ever take work home?
I quit taking work home years ago. I would get ready for the next day after school (about 20-30 minutes) each day, and I'd stay later (maybe an hour) after school one day a week if needed to get more stuff prepared. I really had a tough time disengaging from school work when I started working from home in March. It was way harder for me to let it go when work was all right there in my house 24/7 and kids/parents were emailing and calling at all hours of the day and night. I finally got myself on a schedule, and it's been much easier. I get up at 6am, get dressed like I'm ready for going out for the day, and then sit down and work at my desk during school hours. Once school hours are over, I turn off the laptop and walk away. I took school programs off my iPad so I'm not tempted to work when I see things pop up.
Sometimes but I try not to make a habit of it. When I go home I need time for myself and my household.
I did for probably 10-12 years of my career. I was in a super competitive district. They liked to win 1st place in all competitions, be a number 1 school, and expected a lot. They also gave a LOT back to teachers. ( not just money, but respect, parties, recognition, and backing.) If I could get all of that time back, I'd rethink it. You almost had to though in order to get things done and be in good standing. ( They'd transfer you if you weren't.) The best admin was in the best schools too, so you could get transferred to a place that could ruin your career. Once I had the standards pretty much memorized ( I stayed in the same grade levels for long periods of time), figured out a lot of shortcuts, and learned to say, "No!", I stopped. Almost cold turkey! Also, I moved far away and the school had "Lowered Expectations." I kept my work at school then. I got it down to where I could usually get things done if I went early and stayed about 30 minutes late. The last 10 years, I don't think I ever brought anything home to do. I wanted my weekends and evenings free. I never really was able to do straight contract hours even though I tried. I can see how it would be almost impossible for new teachers in some places if they did not stay at work for long hours.
I have worked mostly contract hours except for email for years. I'm very efficient with my time. I do often read email at night and will sometimes respond. I could save those for the next day, and if it's something stressful I do (or if it's a parent, because I don't want to give the impression I'm available at night), but often it's just quicker to respond right away. A few years ago I really trained myself to not look at email on weekends and breaks. Covid has ruined all of that. We are in person, but can go remote at any time due to various scenarios. I obsessively check my email to make sure we're still going back the next day! I also have had to work a few late nights due to covid this school year. My district expects that we will go back and forth between remote on a dime. We were originally told that the whole "cohort" would be in school or the whole cohort would be quarantined. That hasn't turned out to be the case. As a sped teacher I was assigned to one cohort that is 2 grade levels. I made an in person and a remote schedule, and was reasonably prepared to switch to remote if I had to. Except last week, only one grade level in our cohort went remote due to a "presumptive positive" case. So that night after finding that out, I had to make an entirely new schedule and plan to teach some of my students virtually while still teaching the other grade level in person. I thought I was being really smart and while I was at it, made a 3rd schedule for in the event that the opposite happened and it was the 2nd grade level that went remote. Yesterday, we learned of a quarantine in the 2nd grade level. Except this time, it's only one classroom in that grade level, not the whole grade level. And on top of that, they figured out the grade level that originally went remote could come back in person, as the kid finally got tested and it was negative. So, I had to make a 4th schedule and some new plans for teaching one class virtually while teaching all of my other students in person. Basically, I've figured out it's not even worth it to try to "plan ahead" for various scenarios anymore.
Only on the weekend if I need to, when I can be more selective about when I work on it. Otherwise, my time away from work is dedicated to my family.
Ordinarily, no. This year, however, I am teaching the students who chose remote learning and absolutely nothing is digital. So I am having to recreate everything and make it very basic since my students lack basic technology skills. I have worked at least 60 hours a week all year. Next week is the 9th week of school.
Are you familiar with Adobe Scan and Kami? These two things might make it easier for you to convert some documents from paper to digital.
I don’t know if it is because I am still only a fourth year teacher or in science but I can’t imagine being able to leave school at work! I lesson plan, grade, and do all the required rest nonstop. I generally have one weekend day to clean house, grocery shop and maybe do something small with my family but every evening is schoolwork and all Saturday. I want to get out of this pattern so bad but don’t know how! I used to own my own painting business for 12 years and used to feel guilty for how efficient I was with my work time. But, I cannot seem to get this career in the same way. Even with all the preparing and planning I feel like an ineffective teacher at times. Sigh.
No, I don't work at home and haven't for years. The first few years I taught, I did, out of necessity. Now, I have taught the same courses for years, and even though I revamp stuff yearly, I have also become better at managing my time while I am at work. I do choose to get to work 45 min before we're required to. I like the quiet time with no students or staff to interrupt me and get a lot done then. I also use my prep and study hall to the best of my ability. If it's something like a short quiz, let's say I collect the quiz and then students work on something independently for 10 min. I get that quiz graded in those ten minutes. I never am just sitting. If I am not actively teaching, helping students, working with students, etc., I am grading or planning. The only time I work at home is the last week or so of summer break. I like getting the mandated trainings done ahead of time and I like to make sure everything is in order for going back to school.
If I need to take home work, I do. Otherwise, I don't, especially if just for the sake of saying "I have so much too do that I take home work every night." If my lessons are good and the students are on track and learning well, what would be gained by taking work home? If, however, my students are floundering and I'm just trying everything but nothing seems to work, then, yes, I probably need to take some work home to go over when I don't have ten balls in the air at once. Sometimes you need to have a lot of data in front of you to see patterns, and doing it away from frequent interruptions can be the difference between a truly useful strategy for changes as opposed to throwing things at the wall just to see what sticks. This is the kind of question that has no right or wrong answer for everyone, but may have right or wrong answers for you, personally. If you feel that you have students who are preforming at subpar levels, then you could use a good strategy session or two, perhaps with a trusted colleague. If this leaves you feeling to vulnerable, then try running some of this past a family member who understands what you are feeling - they may be an excellent sounding board.
We all do, and anyone who tells you differently is making up stories. I think of it as feast and famine - either they all got it, unexpectedly, or no one got it, unexpectedly. I will say, as a science teacher, that I find myself less stressed because I keep all manner of text, work sheets, reading, both remedial and higher level, and "leads to" articles and fun things that can be done at home, with credit given for a good report about what they learned, why, and critiquing whether the outcome was as expected or unexpected, and why. I found that these extras were highly sought after, and they started applying themselves to the mundane to get to the harder, but more "fun" experiences. Just remember that nothing changes 100% over-night, so this is a growing class culture exercise. From the beginning of one year to year's end, you will start to see growth and resilience, and it will make teaching more invigorating and fun for all involved.
I have taken home work from school before. However, I have never made it part of my daily schedule; as in, being like those teachers who that is the daily thing: teach, take home work, and grade it in the evening. I have taken it home on various day that are quite few and far between because I felt like it that day.
Some days yes and others No. It also depends on the week. The end of the six weeks I tend to bring home some stuff to grade because grades are due. It also depends on what grade level I am in. When I taught kindergarten I brought very little home because I had been teaching it for so long. Then last year when I went back to first I needed to because it had been a hot minute since I taught first grade.
I’ve been trying extra extra hard not to take stuff home. I’d rather stay an hour and finish up than drag it home. Unfortunately the last couple of weeks we’ve had so much to do I have taken some home. Oddly enough it is the cafeteria lunch schedule/ordering that is causing the most headache.
I’m in Australia and I’m done for the year because our school year ends right before Christmas. I did get a senior position for next year and I’ve spent 80 hours so far working. I didn’t have to but I figured if it would help me feel less overwhelmed in my new position next year, then it would be worth it. I still have about 30 hours of work left to do in my estimation, and I think I’m going to bite the bullet and do it. But usually I don’t take work home. Probably only three times a year if that. There’s got to be some separation for my mental sanity. And I don’t check emails at night or on the weekends. The two times I’ve done it, I’ve regretted it. I just mulled over the stupid emails and lost sleep. There’s nothing you can do about anything on a weekend or at 10pm at night that can’t be done in the morning.
It depends... Sometimes I have too just because I don't have enough time to prepare for the next day/week properly during standard working hours. For example now I am visiting my friend in her house in Larnaca for 1 week and I still work here for about 1-2 hours a day.
Yes, unfortunately sometimes it happens that the work that I do not have time to do at school has to be taken home. This happens quite rarely, because I try to leave work at work, and at home to devote time to my children and do what I love. But it doesn't always work out the way I plan. I also take home very often my research which I am working on now. It's great that there are companies like Edubirdie that help me with my research and free up some free time.
I go in an hour early each day, but I won’t take work home this year due to COVID. In the fall, I went in once in a while on a Saturday if I had to since I teach online and in person at the same time.
