I am teaching K/1 this year & I am planning to finish at 36 weeks - but I'm not sure whether I will be able to make it that long. Am I being overly optimistic?
Hi there, I finished up at 34 weeks - because the holidays occured at that time. I would have worked up to 36 if it wasnt for the holidays. Having said that I wasnt in the classroom this year - I was helping out in all grades providing time release, so the pressure wasnt as high. Can you speak to your school-tell them your intentions and if you find it too difficult, leave a few weeks earlier?
In Vic you also have to have Dr's permission to work past 34 weeks.
Good luck!
I worked up to 34 and 35 weeks with my two as it coincided with holidays, but I could have kept going if I needed to. I teach secondary PDHPE, so sitting down is a luxury that doesn't come too often and the heat was hard to deal with - but I made it. This time I intend on working up to about 37 weeks - all going well. It really depends on so many things and you can't really tell how you will feel until the time comes around. You can always alter your leave form as the time draws closer if you really need to and we do have generous sick leave entitlements that you can take advantage of. I would say leave it as 36 weeks and alter it if you need to. If you are medically not making it you can be on sick leave with a Dr certificate up unitl mat leave starts, which doesn't have to be until your due date. Good Luck.
I would play it by ear. It could go either way - you are well and will be bored at home if you finish up too soon, or you could be tired and not well and really struggle, especially with such a demanding job. I would try to keep your options open.
As an interesting aside, my Mum used to be a school teacher and in those days you had to resign as soon as you were pg. Mum worked until 4 months as she was organising the school musical and wanted to see it through. She said if they realised she was pg and were concerned about it, let them be brave enough to ask her! They didn't, good on you Mum!
hey there- i'm a secondary teacher and i've got 2 days left (yah!!), so that means i'll be stopping before 33 weeks. to be completely honest with you, i feel as though i couldn't possibly work another day after that, and next time around (fingers crossed that there will be another one!) i would plan to stop at 30 weeks. my back and pelvis have been extremely sore, not to mention the insane tiredness i have been feeling. it's a very hard job to do when you're not feeling 100%.
With my DD I stopped at 35 weeks, but was probably to stop at 34 weeks as in that last week I fell over one of the kids chairs an landed on my belly- baby was fine but I had to go into hosp to have everything checked. I will probably work to 34 weeks this time even though I have the option of stoppin at 28 weeks when T3 holidays start, however I think I will be too bored over the next 12 weeks. I think it is good to pay it buy ear an definatley use up your sick pay if you get it.
I am a Primary sChool teacher and am finishing at 36 weeks though it would have been nice to finish at 34. I don't mind working the extra but I really really hope I don't go early. Teaching is fine but it;'s when I get home that I am soooooo tired. AS everyone said though - get paid for longer!
I finished about 1 1/2 weeks before EDD. I was teaching yr 5/6 at the time but coming from an early childhood background, probably would have finished a week earlier if I was teaching K/1.
Oh sorry, forgot to say - I finished later rather than earlier as I wanted to maximise the time with my bub when she arrived. I was healthy, having had a great pregnancy and wasn't getting too tired. If my pregnancy was getting me down, it would have been a different ball game.
Hi Girls,
Sorry to crash in on your convo. I've only just found out I'm pregnant but am already considering what happens with my leave entitlements. I'm a secondary HSIE/English Teacher but I'm not permament. I have just been offered a years block for next year but as I will now be due in July, I don't know what to do. I know I won't be enittiled to maternity leave but just wondering what you think I should do? When should I tell the school? Do I use sick leave? How long should I take etc etc etc?
Thanks girls!
i would accept the one year placement and tell the school when you are over 12 weeks that you plan to work until about 34 weeks.if you are not 12 weeks until next year, then tell them when you return from summer holidays in january. you are not obligated to tell them until after 12 weeks so i wouldn't.
Ellemae how long have you been working? You're on block placement now? If you are in NSW and you have been working for 40 weeks before the pregnancy then you are entitled to maternity leave, even as a temporary.
I was on a one year contract this year, after returning from maternity leave, but because I had one more than 12 months continuous service with the Ed. Dept I was entitled to Maternity leave until my contract ended. You are well within your rights to take up the position and tell the school in your own good time you are pg.
I would double check on what your maternity leave rights are, because you may find that you actually are entitled to some.
I'm in NSW now. I've only just started a block for 4 weeks.Have been teaching in the ACT for the majority of the year. So I'm not quite sure if I'll be entitled to anything. Just thinking I'll have to take lwop or sick leave. I'm due at the end of July so figure I'll take term three off and then come back for term 4.
What do you all think?
Hi girls,
i too am a teacher, teaching grade 5/6 this year. I am due at the start of April so decided not to go back next year! This means I will only be 26 weeks by tht time I finish off. When I looked at the dates for next year, I realised that if I stopped working at 33 weeks, I would only be going back for a couple of weeks so decided it was not worth the disruption for the school and would allow me to totally relax before bub comes along. I am sure to get bored though so hope to get lots of Scrapbooking done from my Africa trip earlier in the year. This way I still get paid for the Summer holidays as well as the 14 weeks maternity leave. My pay increment is due on the 26th Jan so at least I will get paid the extra amount for the 14 weks too which works out well. Mel
Mel your lucky to be able to start your mat leave so early. I wanted to start mine at 30 weeks but Ed Dept policy here in WA is that you cant start leave before 34 weeks- which meant I had to go back for 4 weeks of term, which was a total pain for everyone involved. Even with a Dr. cert. you can take sick leave or unpaid leave but not start your mat leave untill 34 weeks (or if bubs is born earlier you can start from then!)
Last year I was a Primary School Deputy Principal so I wasn't in the classroom all day (thank goodness because I had very frequent toilet trips in the first trimester) and I finished up really early because of the timing of Christmas holidays. I started holidays/leave at 26 weeks. I am now getting a bit bored as everyone else heads back to work but don't think I'd have been able to go back now (33 weeks) for a week in this heat (plus what would a school do with me).
The most fantastic thing is that WA teachers get 12 weeks paid leave (this goes up to 14 weeks in June), and can have 3 years of maternity leave (which has to be applied for each year) - one good thing about working for the government. I was wondering what the paid leave entitlements are for teachers in other states?
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