Any other horse owning teachers out there?

casinosolo said:
Ah, that old chestnut about 'holidays.' Yes, we are lucky to get to work from home several times a year - and that's exactly what it is! It's lovely to be able to choose WHEN I work in the 'holidays', but I certainly can't choose to do none.

I have given myself last Friday, yesterday and today off. That's a 3 day holiday. As of tomorrow I know I will have to start on marking and prep for going back. I have 64 Year 11 Controlled Assessment folders to mark - each has 5 pieces of assessment in. Each piece can take anywhere from 15 mins to an hour to mark. I have 20 Year 12 coursework essays to mark, email back to kids and then mark again as second draft. I also have 64 Year 7 assessments to mark, 32 Year 8, 25 Year 9 and 32 Year 10. I'll then have to do some resource prep and planning for lessons when I get back. Oh! And I also have 32 Year 10 reports to write and 5 Year 11 form reports. I'm also going in 3 days next week to run extra revision intervention sessions for Year 11. So I'm expecting to be rather busy :)

Sorry if it seems like I am going to great lengths to self justify, but it really pees me off when people GO ON AND ON about teachers' holidays. I know from having worked in other areas that teaching is FAR more demanding time wise.

And as my HoD once advised in response to people who claim teaching is easy - why don't you do it yourself and see? :)
Click to expand...


English teacher by any chance? Worst of the lot!

Got 180 projects from ks3 but got some done so its final comments to two sets! Then year 11 and the email check as some pieces will be hit off computer

Ofsted any second!
 
Highlands said:
English teacher by any chance? Worst of the lot!

Got 180 projects from ks3 but got some done so its final comments to two sets! Then year 11 and the email check as some pieces will be hit off computer

Ofsted any second!
Click to expand...

Yep - I'm an English teacher for my sins :) We had Ofsted last June but now it's even worse as we have to put into place all the airy fairy 'advice' they gave us *rolls eyes.*
 
The lovely 5 weeks 2 days we have off in the summer? mmm I spent 2 weeks getting classroom sorted as moving year groups. My lovely TAs also came in to type book label covers. peg names ect. Then I was in the week before term to meet with year group partner to plan.... people that think us Teachers have a whole summer off do not have a clue!!! I do however love my job and would not go back to being in an office again.
 
I'm a teacher and have just got home from a day in school even though it's the holidays. However sometimes I think this profession is very good at being sanctimonious. I'm married to a farmer, I wouldn't dare complain about how many hours I work to him!
Op having a sharer is a great idea, use the horse to de stress and think about something else and don't worry if it has to drop down the priorities every now and then. And it does get easier, although I'm a secondary teacher so what do I know about work load!
 
I'm teacher (English, secondary school), have my horse on diy and no help from anyone apart from when I have parents' evening or similar when I will ask someone else to pop his tea in. I ride 4/5 times a week and have an excellent social life. If work needs done after school I bring it home and do it later on at night, but in honesty I don't do that very often. I don't find it hard to balance at all and the holidays are fabulous for tons of horsey time. My old job in recruitment was a million times worse - I couldn't have had a horse then.
 
Agree, must be tough teaching and having horses. Especially parents evenings, running detentions etc. If it makes you feel any better though, I run a business in London, keep my horses in Kent (60 mile round trip) - all three on DIY, and have a 6 month old baby. Would love a day off but can't complain!
 
I think the important thing is to be really organised. I have had 6 horses to do this year and teach every morning. This also involves returning to school for staff meetings, parents' evenings, PTA and events etc.
I have a strict rule with myself for the amount of time I spend working outside the actual classroom - will this benefit the children and move them forward? If not I don't do it. So, for example, there are no labels in my classroom - they have to learn where things go! My TA marks spelling tests etc and points out any problems. It's advice I give my students too - 20 page whiteboard notebooks do not enhance lessons generally!
OH feeds and turns out in the morning. They go out every day whatever the weather. I take mucking out clothes to school - get changed and go to the horses straight from work. I usually have soup for lunch. Then I'm finished for the school run. I mark and plan once my youngest child has gone to bed.
Next year I plan to half the number of horses ;)
 
LaurenyLou said:
Agree, must be tough teaching and having horses. Especially parents evenings, running detentions etc. If it makes you feel any better though, I run a business in London, keep my horses in Kent (60 mile round trip) - all three on DIY, and have a 6 month old baby. Would love a day off but can't complain!
Click to expand...

I'm not a teacher either and work long hours at times and travel away for no extra money but that's not the point of the post is it? It's simply asking how other teachers manage their workload and horses not how you manage your workload and horses.

Blimey people really do have massive chips on their shoulders about teachers I'm surprised you can actually walk!
 
I'm a teacher and have a horse on DIY livery. I find it tough fitting everything in, but at the same time it's my sanctuary. If I didn't have my boy to look after and ride, I'd end up spending every waking hour planning and marking. You have to draw the line somewhere and the longer you're in the profession, the easier it gets to know when you have to draw it.

That said, I'm currently applying for leadership positions so that I can afford part livery!
 
Another one who would love to be paid overtime for the extra hours I do. I had to come in over Christmas (only muggins in the building and all the heating turned off). I was told I could take time off in lieu...fat chance. I'm having to carry holiday over to next year because I can't fit in time to take it, let alone the promised time off in lieu.
There was another thread comparing yard work to office work and someone said 'at least when you work in an office you can turn on the answer phone and leave at 5pm'
Errrm, no you can't.
Sorry for jumping on the band wagon, to be honest the extra work you describe sounds like it can easily take over your life.
Just wanted to set the record straight ref overtime.
Whinge over!
 
You find that planning etc gets easier/quicker as you get more experienced. I couldn't have managed a horse in my NQT year. I really struggled when I got my first horse (after 7 years of primary teaching full-time) and the school was in special measures - I ended up having to get a sharer. Once that stress was over and we had our glowing ofsted it was easier with the horse. I moved him to a DIY yard in the same village as the school so I could call in before work, nip over at lunchtime if needed and get there quick afterwards. Arriving home around 7-8 pm. I have never been able to ride every day but always managed to ride 'enough'... I have never had enough time for lessons, serious competitions etc and just had to accept that. Mucking out is my de-stress at the end of a busy day and if I don't have time to ride in the dark winter months then so be it.
Despite 12 years teaching I cannot apply for any senior management posts, as it would mean no time for my horse, and it's a sacrifice I'm not prepared to take. I did a term as acting head (with teaching commitment) and it was just too stressful/intense/mentally tiring to manage riding.
I recently went down to 3 days a week after having a baby. I do have to be ultra-ultra organised with a young child and a horse but it's doable. But I am finding the job a lot less rewarding nowadays and am looking for a way out of teaching altogether, as the extra holidays do not make up for the amount it takes out of you. I feel that my son deserves a mummy not a zombie!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top