Is a work-life balance possible for teachers?

We've all heard the term 'work-life balance' but how realistic is it for teachers?

Teachers. By their very nature give until they have nothing left.

Gone are the days a teacher could just coast along with their lessons and if a student was failing it was their own fault for not listening in class.

Teaching is now run like a business with data cycles, data analysis and monthly reviews. 

In some ways this makes sense. Why shouldn't teachers be held accountable just as every other profession is held accountable for their work? Data cycles, for example, can prove to be very useful in identifying learning areas that need re-teaching.

However teaching, unlike other professions, requires so much more from its employees. Teachers are paid a salary (not as much as you'd think) to work an unlimited amount of hours. Most teachers I know start work at 7 am and don't leave work till 5 pm and those who do leave before then always bring a bag of work home with them. Most teachers are spending their Sundays lesson prepping or marking... and data gathering. 

If you're new to teaching or are not a teacher, let me list the workload for you:

Teaching: this, most people would believe, is the majority of the teacher's workload and in some ways they are correct. Teaching is what happens between 8.45 am and 3 pm. Administrative work must wait during this time.

Data gathering and lesson preparing: this occurs in between lessons and lunch breaks, before or after school hours. Many teachers forgo breaks or talking with colleagues in exchange for tackling the mountain of paperwork building up in their classrooms. Whereas other professionals would gather this data during their work day, teachers are required to do this in their own time outside of teaching hours. 

Each week teachers need to gather data on (some not all):

• English pre and post test data
• Spelling pre and post test data
• Maths pre and post test data
• Reading data (all students tested twice a year, each test taking approximately 10 minutes and often repeated multiple times for students that keep passing each level - undertaken during lesson time)
• STEM data
• STEAM data
• HASS pre and post test data
• Science pre and post test data

Teachers are supposed to know where every student is placed on an A-E scale, where they need more work, who they should differentiate for and how/when this is to occur and most teachers have between 25-30 students in their class. 

Teachers should communicate with parents weekly about any difficulties their child could be having (again in their own time outside of school hours) and often they are left to deal with difficult and demanding parents alone without support or guidance.

This is a LOT of extra work and is the reason a lot of teachers are leaving the profession within their first 5 years. Teachers are only human and the stress that this can place on a teacher is more than many can carry. Add to this stress any additional outside pressures with family and you have the makings of a breakdown - just read Gabbie Stroud if you need any more convincing.

This does not mean teachers are weak. They are simply overloaded with work based on the number of hours they have to achieve this workload. Often they cannot meet these expectations and, as teachers are somewhat perfectionists, they blame themselves. As you read this, you will probably already know a teacher that is struggling under the weight of work pressures or perhaps that teacher is you.

I have come to the conclusion that teaching must take a backseat to life. I recall moaning to a non-teacher once that I couldn't call in sick as it would mean so much extra work, their response was 'just call in sick who cares'.. teachers care. This is the crux of the problem. We care until we crash and burn - and then we blame ourselves. 

Family must come before teaching. I can't stress this enough. Teaching, at the end of the day, is just a job and you are only human. If you're feeling overwhelmed, like I have done this week, please take a step back and look at what is important. Your family needs you well. Take a breath, take a break and step away if you must. There will ALWAYS be marking and data to collect but you cannot do it all and nor should you try. We need to send a message to our managers that there is a gap between expectation and reality.

Teachers. You are enough.