What is the biggest contributing factor to your workload?
It’s no secret that the struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance is a big issue for most of us. If you’re burning the candle at both ends, tell us why in our quick poll.
(And please let us know if you’re thinking of something that isn’t one of the options – just leave a quick comment.)
- 2% said meetings
- 21% said paperwork
- 47% said marking
- 23% said planning
- 7% said assessment
Comments
said on 26 September 2016
The pressure to mark developmentally every time and then mark the response too!
said on 16 September 2016
My average working week since going into Year 2 this year is now a whopping 70 hours. I can not even entertain the idea of doing any social activities on a weekday night or go away for the weekend. After 16 years of teaching, I think this will be my last.
said on 12 September 2016
As an NQT in an independent school I am finding there is little if not no support or mentoring which means everything seems to take twice as long to work through, create and finalise. Also understanding the current assessment and levels or lack of takes some deciphering
said on 10 September 2016
Trying to create resources for lessons takes longer than that actual planning. It used to be marking but i have a class with 10 less pupils in, so that doesn't take me as long anymore. It also depends on the school. In my last it was marking, as everything had to be deeply marked, and assessment (as this happened every 1/2 term), whereas in my current school it is planning.
said on 10 September 2016
According to Ofsted your planning is your own - according to schools, it is done their way, with unnecessary things added. It takes hours and is a waste of time. I need to do planning that suits me and my pupils. What works for one, isn't going to always work for another.
said on 10 September 2016
I am a teaching head in a village school - 80% teaching commitment.
said on 10 September 2016
It's not just one thing that contributes to this it is that nearly all the above areas cause teachers jobs to be unmanageable within normal workday constraints. All teachers take work home go to work early, leave late and give up a chunk of their holidays.
said on 9 September 2016
I have just completed a 65 hour week between Monday and Friday - still have all my planning to do - another weekend lost - exhausted.
said on 9 September 2016
marking forms one corner of an infernal triangle with assessment and paperwork. If we did not have to provide evidence for every tiny bit of progress, this would lessen considerably. But whilst our performance management ( and therefore pay) is data driven, we jump on the treadmill every year.
Anonymous said on 31 October 2016
Actually teaching lessons takes up the most time (as it should) but all the options above, when combined, take up considerably more time than the teaching of lessons. Of those listed, assessment - designing assessments, carrying out assessments, recording assessments, moderating assessment, analysing assessments (both analysing schemes and results), reporting assessment results and discussing assessments - takes up the most time.