Primary teaching and horses

xCharlotte

xCharlotte

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I am due to start primary teacher training in September. The course is a SCITT course so I will be in school from day 1.

I was wondering how any primary teachers cope with owning a horse and teaching. I am worried that if I keep my horse I won't be fully comitted to my teaching course. On the other hand selling my horse would be heart breaking but I need to ensure I can give enough time to my horse and teaching.
 
The good thing with teaching and horses is that the hours work in your favour- it's usually possible to get away early enough to have some daylight time and you can then do any bits of work you need to in the evening.
I teach secondary but have always combined it with horses no problem (although the depths of winter are a slog but I guess they are with any job!)
And the holidays are wonderful for horsey time!
 
As above really...and just accept you're not going to ride much in the winter months. You need to be extremely organised all round, and don't fall into the martyr "I must stay until the caretaker boots me out" trap. Work smart....you can be efficient and still a good teacher. Sadly too many managers still equate being seen on the premises with being effective. It's not a given!
 
Stamina, good organisational skills and the ability to exist on less than the recommended hours of sleep are key for anyone who works full time and juggles horses/career/family life. You'll do it if you want to, same as everyone else who's knackered and broke and a horse owner and loving it :)
 
Nudibranch said:
As above really...and just accept you're not going to ride much in the winter months. You need to be extremely organised all round, and don't fall into the martyr "I must stay until the caretaker boots me out" trap. Work smart....you can be efficient and still a good teacher. Sadly too many managers still equate being seen on the premises with being effective. It's not a given!
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This 100%. Plan your time, diarise it, stick to it.
 
Lots of people work full time with career training without the school holidays & they cope. It's hard in winter, but not impossible :)

Good luck with your new job!
 
It will be hard through your course and you may find there are spells when you have to turn your horse away for a bit or get a sharer involved. Once you are qualified and teaching it is perfectly achievable. As has been said though you do need good stamina and excellent organisational skills. I used to work through lunch and always made sure I was planned and prepped a week in advance. Be warned though - leaving on the bell, even if you are more organised and prepared than some of your colleagues who hang around until teatime, will not always win you brownie points and popularity.
 
NeverEver said:
. Be warned though - leaving on the bell, even if you are more organised and prepared than some of your colleagues who hang around until teatime, will not always win you brownie points and popularity.
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Agreed! SLT are used to me now, they know that I do my job well, but for a few years they really had a problem with me not staying on for hours at the end of the day, like everyone else does.
 
scats said:
I'm a secondary school teacher. I leave on the bell everyday, but I give up my lunchtimes to mark and catch up on things.
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This is me too! Leave at 3.05 everyday. Drive straight to the horses, sort them out, ride and then get back home about 6, have dinner and then do a couple more hours work. I'm up at 5 and muck out before 7, so that in the evening I can just ride.
 
xCharlotte said:
I am due to start primary teacher training in September. The course is a SCITT course so I will be in school from day 1.

I was wondering how any primary teachers cope with owning a horse and teaching. I am worried that if I keep my horse I won't be fully comitted to my teaching course. On the other hand selling my horse would be heart breaking but I need to ensure I can give enough time to my horse and teaching.
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It can be done if you're organised and plan ahead. Use all your spare time in school for marking and teaching preparation so that you can leave school on the dot- as another poster said, lots of teachers feel they must be martyrs and stay there until they're thrown out by the care taker. A lot of work can be done in the evening at home after doing the horses. I managed it with 2 horses, competing most weekends for someone else and writing a business plan to set up my livery yard- which I now run instead of teaching! Good luck!
 
It's definitely doable. I am in my nqt year and have 5 horses. 4 in full time work, competing and training every weekend. I had 2 -3 horses throughout uni too and never had a problem. It does mean less sleep but I'm at work by 7am and then home for 3.45pm. I work the horses and then do school work into the evening.
 
I'm going to balance this out a bit! I'm SLT at a primary and am in school from 7.30-6 most days. Very tough in winter! Lots of my job is school based and cannot be taken home so it's not just about being organised!

I'd also say that 3 of the schools I've worked in have had it written into contracts that teachers are expected to be on school premises until at least 4.30pm. Academy schools are doing this more and more around here 😳
 
4.30 is still an earlier finish than many full time jobs.

Most people in non-teaching jobs will be contracted to work until 5pm or later and then have the disapproval if you leave "on time" and they only get 20 days holiday but still manage horses.
 
Kat said:
4.30 is still an earlier finish than many full time jobs.

Most people in non-teaching jobs will be contracted to work until 5pm or later and then have the disapproval if you leave "on time" and they only get 20 days holiday but still manage horses.
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I wasn't implying that leaving at 4.30 was early! Just balancing out those who leave on the bell, as that has never happened in any school I've worked in and may not make the OP a very popular new employee!

In teaching, 50/60 hour working week is normal, whether you choose to do that work in school or at home. Like all full time jobs, it is difficult to fit in horses. I'm now off to spend my Saturday in school photocopying exam papers - living the dream! 😊
 
I definitely wouldn't agree with leaving on the bell - there is a balance to be had! But as has been mentioned if you use your time at work effectively you can cut out a lot of working at home. I mark through morning break unless I'm on duty, and the first half of lunch usually. Mark as you go in lessons and get the kids in to a good self and peer editing routine. I get most of my planning done a week ahead in PPA. I usually leave around 5, sometimes 4.30 and this way taking work home is rare...and yes, I'm officially a "good" teacher 😂 But as with any job, it means no weekday riding in winter. And when I go back I imagine it'll be a lot harder juggling the baby too. You'll probably find your training and first year very hard so be prepared to put the riding on the back burner at times...but it gets easier with time and experience.
 
Anna* said:
I'm going to balance this out a bit! I'm SLT at a primary and am in school from 7.30-6 most days. Very tough in winter! Lots of my job is school based and cannot be taken home so it's not just about being organised!

I'd also say that 3 of the schools I've worked in have had it written into contracts that teachers are expected to be on school premises until at least 4.30pm. Academy schools are doing this more and more around here ��
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This.
I don't see how any teacher can leave school on the bell, every day. What about staff meetings? Departmental meetings? Planning meetings? I certainly wouldn't advise it for a trainee or NQT!
I combined horses with my training and then 35 yrs in school but I have always shared my horses with my sister and we covered for each other when we were both working full time.
I taught infants for the most part and always tried to get my school work done in school, so often did leave as the caretaker was locking up. At some times of the year, there is work that just can't be fitted in at school, e.g. report writing. And of course the traditional primary teacher's collecting of pine cones/ seashells/nature table exhibits etc take time when you are out and about.
When qualified you do have the flexibility to organise your own time to an extent, so I would certainly advise holding onto your horse, turn away or find a sharer if necessary because even during your training you will have the holidays available to spend with the horse.
 
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Pearlsasinger said:
This.
I don't see how any teacher can leave school on the bell, every day. What about staff meetings? Departmental meetings? Planning meetings? I certainly wouldn't advise it for a trainee or NQT!
I combined horses with my training and then 35 yrs in school but I have always shared my horses with my sister and we covered for each other when we were both working full time.
I taught infants for the most part and always tried to get my school work done in school, so often did leave as the caretaker was locking up. At some times of the year, there is work that just can't be fitted in at school, e.g. report writing. And of course the traditional primary teacher's collecting of pine cones/ seashells/nature table exhibits etc take time when you are out and about.
When qualified you do have the flexibility to organise your own time to an extent, so I would certainly advise holding onto your horse, turn away or find a sharer if necessary because even during your training you will have the holidays available to spend with the horse.
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I've been a teacher for 8 years, I get brilliant exam results and I teach 4 subjects. And I leave on the bell- well, when I say on the bell, I mean within 10-15 minutes of the end of the day.
Yes, if we have a meeting, I have to stay, same as Parents Evenings. Or if I arrange to help a student with something.

But I am organised enough that my planning and marking is done during lunch and my designated frees (teachers get free lessons towards planning and marking). I will say that I am a super efficient worker, and this has been pointed out by many colleagues. I plan my time, I know exactly what needs to be done and in what order and my kids never have to wait for marking to be done. Reports are done on time, data analysis is done on time, all the other parts involved with being a teacher get done on time, without stress.
I do a lot of planning in the summer holidays, for the year ahead.

It works for me. But saying that, I have no desire to climb the professional ladder in any way. I am on a good wage, I enjoy my job, and I have a good life. I don't want to go further.
If I was angling for a promotion, I would have to start staying in til six every night, showing my face, offering to do more and going the extra mile. There are plenty in school who choose to do that, but I'm not one of them.
 
I'm a primary teacher in Aus, I work as the art teacher. I'm at school by 8 every morning, and leave at the earliest by 4.30. Holidays are fabulous for having horses, however, during the term, especially reporting and assessment is exhausting. There is just so much to do, and you still need to ensure you are running fulfilling and engaging lessons. You need to be organised! I ride every morning before work, I just can't bring myself to ride after, I'm not in the right frame of mind!,
 
Anna* said:
I'm going to balance this out a bit! I'm SLT at a primary and am in school from 7.30-6 most days. Very tough in winter! Lots of my job is school based and cannot be taken home so it's not just about being organised!

I'd also say that 3 of the schools I've worked in have had it written into contracts that teachers are expected to be on school premises until at least 4.30pm. Academy schools are doing this more and more around here ��
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I would imagine that, depending on starting time, that would take you well over the 1265 hours a year.

OP, it's totally doable. It does, however, mean getting into a routine and sticking to it. For example, make staff meeting nights one of your horse's days off. Choose one or two evenings a week where you're going to absolutely make sure you leave on time to ride. (You can make this fit in with what works for you timetable wise. E.g.PPA days are good for this as you'll have no marking or days where you do less recorded work that needs marking etc). Maybe set time aside later in these evenings to catch up.

I agree with scats that it all depends on organisation and it's perfectly possible, once established as a teacher, to be a good, effective teacher (and SLT member) -without being in the building all hours- and manage horses. It is, however, very tiring fitting everything in! I would say that, during your SCITT year and NQT year, you might find it a bit of a struggle and you might need to consider options such as full livery or not riding much but it does get easier and more manageable- honestly!

Good luck with your future career!
 
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