I was just wondering about how much time you spend at school before and after school. I am not bothered by the long hours I work, because it keeps me from being stressed out, but I have a lot of other teachers in the school freaking out about the time I spend there. The other girls that started at the same time as me leave WAY earlier, but they are coteaching, so their workload is split in half (planning, grading, prep, etc). I also am not allowed to go into school on the weekends (it's in a bad neighborhood, so the school is alarmed), so I have to get all my work done during the week. It made me feel a little better last week when I ran into one of the girls that started this year in the copy room at 6pm one night. I mentioned that I am always the last one to leave, and she said that she is too on her side of the building (the school is split up upper/lower wing). The way I look at it is the more time I invest in staying organized, and planning this year, the less I will have to do next year (because I can save lessons, projects, worksheets, etc). I was just curious how many hours everyone else was putting in... if I really am spending a ridiculous amount of time at school.?
I have to say that I am definitely not the best one to be asking about this. I get to school at 6:00 every morning (the bell rings for students at 7:30), and I usually don't leave until 6:00 at night. Like you, I am trying to really be planning for this year, so that next year will be easier. However, this was my philosophy last year, and I was moved to a different grade this year. Oh well!
I am typically at school between 7 and 7:15 (our kids start coming in at 8:30) and stay until between 4:45 and 7pm. It really all depends. I find that if I do not have my time in the morning and time to prep everything for the next day, I feel overwhelmed and do not relax when I'm home. That being said: I have begun to choose a day a week where I allow myself to get in later (7:45) and leave earlier (4:00) because I think for sanity sake it's needed.
I keep about the same schedule, 6:30-6:30. I'm not terribly bothered by it. It's the commute that bothers me.
I usually arrive at 8, and the earliest I usually leave is 6. Some nights I'm there as late as 9. (My hours are 8-4.) I also go in on weekends (usually Sunday) for about 6 hours. I typically put in 55-70 hours each week. I'm the only new teacher in the building. I think the next "newest" teacher has been there at least 3 years. Some people have commented on how late I stay and that they don't want me to get burned out, but I really don't mind. I had to move away from home to take my job, so I don't know the area, and the only person I know is my boyfriend, who I live with. So, it's not like I'm missing out on a night out with my friends or dinner with my mom. If I wasn't at school, I'd just be sitting home in front of the TV. Like you guys said, I'd much rather have everything well-prepared, and materials laminated so they can be used year-after-year. Hopefully next year won't be this crazy!
I work 7:30-6:00 every day! Sometimes my husband brings dinner to my classroom and we eat there so I can work later, til 8:00 sometimes. My whole family was in my classroom yesterday from 4:30 - 8:45. Hubby went out for dinner and brought it back. My girls watched a movie while I planned for my sub so I can go to math training.
I work from 7-4.. but I also will not stay at school to plan for anything that I can do at home.. I'd rather be comfy on my couch with my lappy then at school anyday
One day you'll look up and realize you have all your ducks in a row for the next day and you can leave at a reasonable hour. Of course, that's around year six...I'm in my seventh year, get to school by 6:30 to teach at 7, send my last class out of my room at 12:07, and still stay until 3:30 some days - but most days I'm gone by 2:30.
I'm the exact opposite. I can be so much more productive at school! At home I just want to watch TV and eat. hah
Haha, that's exactly what I do too! That makes me feel so much better to hear you all saying that you are keeping the same hours... I was starting to feel crazy that so many other teachers were shocked. I arrive each morning around 7am, and stay until about 7pm, but this means I can usually go home and do nothing but relax. I accomplish nothing at home. I'm really upset that I can't work at school on weekends, because it would keep my hours shorter during the week! But on the other hand, it does give me my weekend free!
Yes this makes me feel better as well. I usually work from 6-7:30 each day planning, and I'm a second-year teacher. It's even more disheartening for me because you'd think that I'd be figuring the system out by now!
I get to school around 7:30, and homeroom starts at 8:10. But all I ever do in the morning is make any last minute copies... my planning is usually done. The afternoons vary, but I try to be out the door by about 5 PM. I'm on a block schedule, and so we get 90 minutes or prep time each day. This quite seriously saves my butt... if I didn't have it, I'd be at school until 6-7 or later each night. And as we're going back to a traditional schedule next year, I fear that's what I'll be facing soon enough....
Ok, I have a VERY odd teaching schedule (I don't even want to go into why my school is like this right now...). My first class starts at 11:30am, and my last class ends at 5:45pm. Depending on the day and what I need to get done AT school (copying, meetings, etc.). I try to arrive anywhere from 8am-11am. Very occasionally, I'll leave school right at 6pm, but only because it's dark and scary in my building and I have something to do at night. Usually, I'm there til 7:30/8pm though. I do TONS of work at home though, and for the past couple weekends have been going in for at least 5 or 6 hours EACH day (I was even there the morning of Thanksgiving. ). So pretty much, I'm always working. I don't even know how to separate my life from school at the moment. But hey, I'm a first-year teacher, trying to hold it all together...
It definitly takes some discipline to work at home.. I set up an office in my spare bedroom, which as no tv. It also helps that I live alone. I am also the type of person who can work on a couch and get stuff done. I do a lot of work during my 100 minute prep though, which allows me to do less at home. Only thing I really do at home at the moment is grading.. and I'd go insane if I wasn't comfy and able to distract myself with the tv. Sure it may take a bit longer, but I keep my sanity. I use the office to write lessons if I need to as well as assessments. Sad thing is.. school ends at 3:30 for us on Mondays.. I left slightly before 4 and was the last one out of my building.. lol but then again most of them are there when the building opens at 6 and I stroll in about 30 mins before the bell rings.
This is my third year teaching and I work usually 6:00/6:15-4:45/5:00 daily. In addition, I usually come home and work a bit, although much less efficiently than I do at school. I look up lesson ideas, read ideas on here, or make forms for my classroom that I want to use, as well as write all my parent letters. I also can log into my work email from home, so I respond to any emails I didn't during the day and I write other emails to keep up with stuff. My first year I worked about 7:00-5:00/6:00 daily, with about 5 hours of work each Sunday at home. On occasion, if I'm ultra-prepared, I'll come home at 3:00 and relax for the night. The only happens maybe once a month though.
It is my eighth year and I get to work around 8:00 and leave around 4-4:30. I do work for about 2-3 hours at home on a normal week.
This is my second year in elementary and I get to school at 8, school starts at 9, and the kids leave at 3:10. The last child is being walked to the office at 3:30. Then I stay till 5 or 5:30 straightening everything out and putting things away. The hour before school is a necessity for me. I hate the days we have staff meetings before class. They are over with 5 minutes before the bell rings and I am never ready!
I get to work about 7:30, the bell is at 8:30. I stay until 3:30 twice a week, 3:00 on Friday and 5:00 the other two days. It is a short time I think, but it is the most I feel like I can do and still be a decent person, good wife and not burn out. My first few years I stayed much longer, but priorities changed when I got married. We only have one car so there is also the reality of my husband needing the car some days so I have to get home on time or he can't go to grad school. I sometimes work a few hours on the weekends, but not too often. I work really hard to stay focused at work and avoid chit chat and roaming the halls. I always have a to do list and I try to plan my trips away from my room/desk.
I hate that! My only before school meeting is for new teachers... um... as a new teacher, I NEED my before class time to double check everything and make sure I'm ready and make copies I didn't realize I needed until the night before and and and... I carpool with a teacher who frequently has to leave early, so on those days I either take work home or drive myself. But typically, we get to school about 30 minutes before school starts. Some days we leave ASAP and other days we stay a couple of hours, but it works out really well that we both prefer to work at home.
Me too. I am always one of the last to leave. I works for me that way. I cant take work home to do because I know I wont do it.
First year teachers? Are there any teachers that worked through their masters degree during their first year of teaching. I'm wondering if this is a good idea or if I should go straight for my Masters and then start teaching.
As has been mentioned in previous threads, as soon as you have a master's you become a more "expensive" hire. It might be better to get yourself established before you go for the advanced degree. The way things are going right now, if you can find a job, grab it!
