I only came into teaching after having children of my own. My private sector job suddenly seemed superficial and I wanted to do something to improve the lives of the next generation. So now I juggle childcare with part-time teaching. But it seems that part-time is not enough. I am being punished for my decision, and find myself starting to question whether I made the right career move.
I am lucky to have a great headteacher who recently recognised the need to accommodate staff with young children. All the morning meetings were moved from 8.15am to 8.25am. It was a small change, but one that has really eased my morning rush.
But, despite this, there is an unspoken rule that you should be in school by 6.30am. The teachers without children are able to do this; they get loads of work done and perform their roles brilliantly. Good for them.
Meanwhile, I have to wake my children at 7am, give them breakfast and get them ready for school. After dropping them off at school, I drive full speed to work, arriving at 8.15am.
This routine apparently means that I’m fair game for jokey comments at break time or during department meetings. “Bloody part-timers” is a common one. As is: “It must be really hard leaving at midday”, or “I wish I could swan off when I wanted to”. Then, just to add to the guilt, I’ll be told by my head of department that it’s “really difficult to manage part-time staff”. Of course, I have to just bat these comments back, but – after two years of it – I’m sick of having to defend myself.
It’s even worse when my children are ill. Unspoken rules dictate that, in my department at least, outstanding teachers never take a day off work. But when my daughter was rushed into hospital last year, my headteacher was fantastically understanding and told me not to worry about taking time off.
That bubble burst on my return, when my head of department gave me a grilling about professionalism. I should have a better support network at home so that the school shouldn’t have to suffer if my child was taken ill, I was told. It wasn’t fair on everyone else. I was made to feel irresponsible and selfish.
But it’s not just me; I’ve seen this sort of behaviour drive other people to leave. One teacher was struggling with a young child and a divorce and needed time off. She was granted it, but the bullying from the department finally did for her and she quit.
It shocks me how often such behaviour comes from older, established members of staff – many of whom have grown-up children. They seem to have forgotten what it’s like to juggle a family with work.
Having spoken to parents working in other schools, I’m sorry to say that I am far from alone in experiencing hurtful and unfair treatment. Teaching is emotionally and physically tough, and balancing that with bringing up a young family is doubly so. We need to support each other, not turn into sneering bullies because we think that someone is getting away with not putting the hours in. I’m starting to feel disillusioned and am often tempted to walk out of the profession altogether.
I’m not saying that teachers with children should be given special dispensation to miss meetings or have unlimited time off. But colleagues should recognise the demands that are being made and try to understand the compromises we all have to make.
