Anyone not bring much (or any)work home ?

I know this is something completely impossible to ask of a teacher, who is ALWAYS working around the clock somehow.

But I was speaking to a teacher who said she works an extra hour or two 2-3times a week, goes in early, and just about NEVER brings ANY work home.

It works great for her, Im just wondering how common this is (or how impossible it is)...

any feedback would be great.

Re: Anyone not bring much (or any)work home ?

I know of a lot of teachers who dont bring their work home. They do what they have to get done on prep periods.

Re: Anyone not bring much (or any)work home ?

I have been doing this for 7 years. In my 1st and 2nd year I always brought home work.

Now I never bring home work. I usually get it done during my prep periods.

Message edited 3/25/2009 1:20:32 PM.

Re: Anyone not bring much (or any)work home ?

This is my seventh year and I hardly ever bring work home. I go in a little early, work during my preps and through most lunches. I don't socialize much this year, but I leave on time each day.

Re: Anyone not bring much (or any)work home ?

I never bring home grading.

I usually bring home planning and spend the better part of one weekend day planning for the entire week.

I am hoping to not have to do too much outside planning next year, but this year I switched schools (new prep plus I went from block to period scheduling) Therefore, pretty much all of my lessons had to be modified.

Re: Anyone not bring much (or any)work home ?

I know just a couple of teachers who bring home no work, but they've been teaching the same subjects for 10+ years so all their planning is done, and they do most of their grading at work.

Most of the teachers I know bring home a substantial amount of planning & grading, including myself unfortunately! But, I have to say, the longer I've been teaching, the less work I bring home. My first year was a nightmare!

Re: Anyone not bring much (or any)work home ?

As many of you will probably agree, my first year was crazy! I did work on free period, during lunch AND at home. My weekends were work, work and work! I found ways during my second year to get more done at work, same my third year and so on. I'm in my fourth year now and the only thing I do at home are my lesson plans that I DON'T finish at work during my prep. period. I do grading at work as well because I like NOT having work to do at home!

Re: Anyone not bring much (or any)work home ?

This is my 8th year and I hardly ever bring work home. I manage to get all of it done before school or during my prep periods.

Re: Anyone not bring much (or any)work home ?

My prep periods and after school is filled with extra curricular things, so I don't get a lot done then. I've been trying to get more and more done at work, when I do have a free moment, but I still bring home plenty of things to grade. It's getting less and less every quarter - but when you teach 201 students high school social studies, it's hard to grade all of those essays at work only. And I hate those essays (as I am staring at a pile of freshmen essays!!)

Re: Anyone not bring much (or any)work home ?

I do a lot of stuff during my prep and lunch but I do at days myself bringing work- some days I may have none while others I have A TON depends on whats due and when!!

Re: Anyone not bring much (or any)work home ?

I've been teaching the same grade for a few years and still bring work home. I also don't go out for lunch, work through much of my lunch and get to school early. However...

-Things come up that take up my preps (phone calls, projects, bulletin boards, copyiing, etc.)

-I don't like to do the same things year after year, so I switch things up.

-I feel like I have more access to ideas at home (internet capabilities, no distractions)

-Curriculums change and need some time to acclimate

-OR administration changes how they want things done.

-I am constantly trying to adapt to my kids and what worked for one group won't work for another.

With that in mind, I try to minimize what comes home. I'd rather stay after school but I also just want to get home. If that means grading during the Biggest Loser or planning during Oprah, so be it.

I definitely DON'T want school to take over my home. But I don't think I'll ever be able to completely disconnect the two. Teaching is not nor will it ever be just a job. And it's certainly not a 9-5 job. There are too many variables involved for it to be anything else.

Re: Anyone not bring much (or any)work home ?

I have been teaching 7 years and it is very, very rare that I bring anything home.

I do go in a half hour early every day to set up for what I need to do that day and I also do some work on my preps.

I want my home time to be ME time

Re: Anyone not bring much (or any)work home ?

thanks again for all the feedback ! youre all an inspiration !

Re: Anyone not bring much (or any)work home ?

ME! First time this year. The teachers on my grade level plan together ( we get an extra planning period once a week)

I do all of my work at school including grading.

Re: Anyone not bring much (or any)work home ?

I rarely bring home work.

Once I was in a groove, I made a deal with my students...I don't assign weekend or vacation homework and they don't expect me to have test/essays graded on monday morning (no HW for me). It works great.

Re: Anyone not bring much (or any)work home ?

this is my 3rd year and i dont bring home work that often. If i do its not usualyl something that takes very long. I teach 1st grade


my first year though i would go in early, and stay till 530 it was the worst year of my life, but now i leave at 300 on the dot, my commute is too long to deal with the traffic if i stay later

Re: Anyone not bring much (or any)work home ?

Re: Anyone not bring much (or any)work home ?

they dont pay me enough to bring work home

lol

Re: Anyone not bring much (or any)work home ?

I only have a 45 min prep so I usually go in early and stay 1-2 hours each day to get everything done. I always wondered why elem school teachers get the least amount of preps, yet we teach 6-7 lessons/subjects a day! If I bring work home, it stays in my bag!

Message edited 3/28/2009 8:01:07 AM.