Teacher Check-In

heatherlynn321 · July 2017

A place for questions, like fitting pumping in to your schedule when you go back, or even finding a place to pump. Or a place to vent about being 8 months pregnant and going 5 hours without a bathroom break or having a terrible long-term sub.

jessieR358 · July 2017

I'm not a teacher but I would literally pee on myself if I had to hold it for that long!! I guess you should buy those depends now. But for real...that sounds awful. So sorry!

ellemnop90 · July 2017

I am a K teacher due August 31st and we do not go back until after Labor Day so I will not be starting the school year, unless I make it to a PD day or two at the end of August. Props to all you going back earlier and starting the school year super pregnant. I am 35, almost 36 weeks and couldn't imagine it!

I am currently working on lesson plans/organizing things for my long term sub, as I won't be returing until after Thanksgiving. Which really is not fun to try to explain all my beginning of the year proceses and procedures!

toshandbabies · July 2017

I'm due Sept. 1st and school starts August 23rd. I'm working on lesson plans for the first quarter and meeting with my sub next week. I was two weeks early with my DD so if that happens again I won't be starting the school year. I obviously can't predict what will happen this time but I'm not even so sure what to hope for. I'd like to be there the first two weeks to set up procedures and expectations, yet starting school at 38 almost 39 weeks pregnant sounds exhausting!

coastalmomma2 · July 2017

I am so impressed with you ladies beginning the new school year. We are a year round, independent study charter school, so I'll be going on maternity leave just as my traditional teacher friends are going back to school. But, as such, activities like pumping will theoretically be easier since I share a classroom with 3+ other subject area teachers who can supervise my students and I can try to schedule student appointments around my pumping schedule. My long term sub has been subbing for another English teacher for the past three months, so he is well aware of our curriculum and expectations.

heatherlynn321 · July 2017

We got a new building 2 years ago, while I was pumping for DS, so luckily I was able to meet with the principal then, to advocate for a pumping room in the new school. It's near the cafeteria, which is nice, cause I can drop my students off for lunch, pump, then pick them up easily. I donated a mini fridge to it, and it's clean, lockable, and only for pumping teachers.
This is a very nice change from the pumping room at the old building, there was none, I had to use a dirty science supply closet that had spilled potting soil all over the floor.

I plan so far on using my 20 minute lunch time half way through the day, and then 20 minutes of my planning time at the end of the day.

I started my preplanning today, I'm done with my 1st semester lesson plans. I wanted to have them all done so I wouldn't have anything to worry about during my maternity leave, but it doesn't sound like a long term sub has been found yet. So hopefully someone halfway decent is found soon. My last long term sub apparently just let all the kids play on the phones and goof off for 6 weeks last time. So I'm not too optimistic.

divinemsm620 · July 2017

CoastalMomma said:

I am so impressed with you ladies beginning the new school year. We are a year round, independent study charter school, so I'll be going on maternity leave just as my traditional teacher friends are going back to school. But, as such, activities like pumping will theoretically be easier since I share a classroom with 3+ other subject area teachers who can supervise my students and I can try to schedule student appointments around my pumping schedule. My long term sub has been subbing for another English teacher for the past three months, so he is well aware of our curriculum and expectations.

You are so lucky that your long-term sub is already familiar with your school, curriculum, and expectations! I just found out this week that the person my principal had hoped would take the position for my leave ended up finding something full-time. I'm not surprised by this, but it does mean they started over for interviewing.

@heatherlynn321 Breastfeeding and pumping are a mystery to me (FTM). I do know that there is a room in the nurse's office where women can go to pump, so that's where I'll go, but I am not sure how I will fit it into my day. We have a 7-day rotating schedule so I am off the same periods each school day, but the time of day will depend on where we are in the rotation.

I did some work for school yesterday--prepped an early grammar lesson that I'll use before going out on leave--and it actually felt pretty good! We go back on 8/28, with students coming 8/30.

I am due 9/23 but have gestational diabetes

so I will probably be going out earlier. I was seeing a midwife but now I also get to see an OB regularly. The OB says typically women on insulin are induced some time in week 39. I am hoping to make it as close to the due date as possible, provided baby and I are doing okay, so that I can take my maternity leave as planned. We get 12 weeks FMLA (6 paid for vaginal delivery, 8 paid for caesarean) but I am planning to take longer in order to return for the first day of second semester (Jan. 22). If baby is early, I will probably have to go back after Christmas break.

HollyGolightly09 · August 2017

I start back with teacher training tomomorrow... kiddos will start next Monday. Don't even ask what I plan to do about peeing... it's seriously stressing me out, lol. I teach 1st graders, so I can't just go off and leave them.

I'm due Sept 6 and really hoping I make it until then. I haven't been able to make up plans, as I don't have my finalized shedule, and we don't have a sub for me yet. (Ahhhhhh!)

My planning time is first thing in the morning, which sucks for pumping purposes. I'm hoping I'll be able to pump right at the end of that time, and then that afternoon during snack/recess. That's my plan for now, anyway.

heatherlynn321 · August 2017

@HollyGolightly09 I don't think I'm going to get a bathroom break till 12:15 when the kids go to lunch, and they show up in my room in the morning at 8:50, I know I can't hold it that long. I definitely can't leave middle schoolers alone for 5 minutes, so if I need to go, it means disturbing my neighbor's classroom. I don't feel bad asking them to watch my kids while they teach once in a while, but its gonna be like everyday for the next 7 weeks which I don't feel great about doing to them.

heatherlynn321 · August 2017

@divinemsm620 Oh man, that sounds like no fun for trying to make a pumping schedule!

coastalmomma2 · August 2017

@divinemsm620, I am very lucky! We have our own subs in house since we operate outside of the school district, but they are often in high demand. That pumping schedule sounds difficult to say the least. Can admin or a teacher on prep cover for you when needed?

divinemsm620 · August 2017

CoastalMomma said:

@divinemsm620, I am very lucky! We have our own subs in house since we operate outside of the school district, but they are often in high demand. That pumping schedule sounds difficult to say the least. Can admin or a teacher on prep cover for you when needed?

Yes. I love my department head and if she is available I'm sure she'd be happy to cover!

i don't have the bathroom issues that you all have, as I can easily pop out to use the restroom if needed. Not sure I'd want to do it so early in the year, but desperate times...

heatherlynn321 · August 2017

At least the utter exhaustion of going back to work cured my insomnia last night, I've never been so tired.

divinemsm620 · August 2017

How is it going for those who have gone back to school??

We have two more weeks of summer after this one. They haven't found a satisfactory sub for me yet...

coastalmomma2 · August 2017

Well, I've been in school all year round and summer is always tough because we do not have the mental break or closure that summer provides. So, I'm choosing to go out at 36 weeks in two weeks, and I can't wait! Some of my parents know about my maternity leave and are very supportive, but many are not aware. Are you planning on informing parents of your leave and if so, how?

HollyGolightly09 · August 2017

@divinemsm620 Maybe I'm not the best person to answer this.... teaching the first week of 1st grade while 36 weeks pregnant is officially the hardest thing I've ever done. I'm losing confidence in my ability to keep working until my due date

I hope it's going better for others, though!

heatherlynn321 · August 2017

@divinemsm620 I'm just so tired all the time, I don't know how I'm going to make it to September 18th. Also pregnancy hormones and emotions have made me super irritable. At this point, everything that was making me cry last week, is making me angry, and very sarcastic this week.

heatherlynn321 · August 2017

divinemsm620 · August 2017

@HollyGolightly09 I'm sorry!!! I have a long commute so even though teaching HS is completely different from teaching 1st grade, I'm expecting to be exhausted also. Hang in, mama! Almost there. Maybe the challenges of this week will make labor feel easier? :-)

@heatherlynn321 I totally feel you on the hormones. I've cried over stressful things and also over spilling coffee. Fortunately, HS students mostly get sarcasm so if I end up going that route I'll be ok. What age are you teaching again?

@coastalmomma-2 that's great that you can choose when you're going out. The big thing I'm worrying about re: parents is Back to School night. I don't want to have to do it because it's a super long day for me (can't go home due to long commute). It's 9/14 and I'm due 9/23 but expect to have baby no later than 9/23. But again it's different for a HS teacher. My students have 7 or 8 different teachers.

coastalmomma2 · August 2017

@divinemsm620, My first two years of teaching 7-12 I had a 1.5 hour commute, so I remember those long days when we had activities in the evenings. You're amazing for doing it at this point. If you can, I would try to get out of it somehow. As you've said, parents can still attend back to school night and meet other teachers. Who knows? There is always the possibility that you'll be early anyway.

I also teach high school, but we have a unique context. Our students are, by and large, at risk students, many of whom are adults, and they focus on only 1-2 subjects at a time. So, I have students who I supervise and then a separate case load of students I see on a weekly basis for my content area.

coastalmomma2 · August 2017

@heatherlynn321, hang in there! Perhaps you can channel that low tolerance for b.s. into firm classroom management?

divinemsm620 · August 2017

@coastalmomma-2 I used to be one of quite a few with the longer commute. But many colleagues around my age have bought condos or homes closer to school. I'm planning to stick it out at least these next 2 school years and if the commute leaves me with too little time with the kiddo I will find a job closer to home! My drive is 45 mins in the am but can be up to 1.5 hrs coming home depending on when I leave--usually it's an hour.

I do think I can get out of back to school night - I could probably record a video and let the sub actually speak to the parents face to face. I'll be asking my principal about this soon - especially since I'm going to be induced in the 39th week, possibly sooner, due to GD, so I definitely won't be late!

BigBadWolf12 · August 2017

At our school we do regular calls home for every kid, regardless of whether there is anything exceptionally good to tell or any trouble to deal with. This was last year, so I wasn't planning to tell any parents formally since their kids would have new teachers by the time I went off this year anyways, but most of the kids had already told the parents between when I told them and the next call home.

idk what I'll do this year..I'll see what happens with my replacement, who is coming in a couple of weeks. If he's here by the first call home, then I'll just let him do it and pretend I never existed this year! haha. if he's not and I have to make the first call home, I'll just tell them on the phone...instead of "hi, I'm Ms. X, your kid's homeroom teacher this year" it will be "hi, I'm Ms. X, your kid's homeroom teacher until Mr. Y comes. I'll be leaving on maternity leave on Sept 8, but I can be in touch with you and help you get settled into the new school year until then." or something.

heatherlynn321 · September 2017

What on earth is the point of a class seat limit, if all of your classes exceed it, and they keep giving you new students each day? Hi nice to meet you, have fun at your imaginary desk on the floor.

divinemsm620 · September 2017

heatherlynn321 said:

What on earth is the point of a class seat limit, if all of your classes exceed it, and they keep giving you new students each day? Hi nice to meet you, have fun at your imaginary desk on the floor.

Ugh!!! We found out last year that our class caps were followed by guidance counselors but then the person who creates student accounts was just ignoring them. :-/

heatherlynn321 · September 2017

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/d0/zdvh0qht3nch.jpg

At least these kids have desks.

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