Teachers who have gone on maternity leave

What were you expected to leave when you went out on maternity leave?

I will be out from the last week of October, until the day we come back from Christmas break.

I was just informed today that they are most likely not hiring a leave replacement. Instead, other teachers will divide up my classes, each taking 1 class, while I am out. As a result, I was asked to provide 2 months of formal lessons and handouts for the teachers covering my classes.

Granted, my chair knows that I have them because I write formal lessons for every period I teach, but still. Our relationship is tenuous at best, and I'm worried that somehow she will try to use this against me.

Unfortunately, I work at a very small school, so I'm not sure what, if anything can be done if I even decide to involve my union .

Teachers who have gone on maternity leave

My maternity leave ran from late April to the end of the school year.

No one ever told me what I was required to leave behind, but I did not want to abandon my students and I am kind of a control freak so I did the following:

I left an excel file with the topic that I planned to cover every day I was out.

I left a digital copy of the two remaining units. This included all ppts, worksheets, video clips, etc.

I left a manila folder for every day I was out. In it, I put a master for each worksheet (do now, summary, activity, lab, etc) that the students were to complete. I also put an answer key for everything in addition to a print out of the slides to be covered. On the slides, I made notations about the areas to emphasize and little anecdotal stories to go along with the content.

I did not make formal lesson plans per se, but I pretty much laid out step by step what to do each day by leaving the folders and my ppts. My APPR was based on how the kids did on the Regents exam so even though I was not there, I wanted to make the transition as smooth as possible. My district hired my leave a week AFTER my DS was born - he was born on the day my maternity leave was suppose to start.

Re: Teachers who have gone on maternity leave

That's crazy!

I was so concerned about what to leave because I had her 2 weeks early and my chair was like, "Go enjoy your daughter and don't think about this place!"

It is not your fault that they aren't hiring a sub. While I wouldn't want to leave them high and dry, your only responsibility should be to leave a general idea of where you are leaving off, what topics should be covered, and resources for them to use.

And since it is other teachers covering you, shouldn't they already know what to do? Couldn't they use their own plans with your kids?

Teachers who have gone on maternity leave

What has been the policy in the past when other teacher's went on leave? I do not think it should matter the size of your district.

My school tried to convince me that I needed to find my own leave - I said, yeah, right!

Teachers who have gone on maternity leave

they already decided in april that they arent hiring a leave in oct? thats stupid.

do you know what you are teaching next year?

i would just leave your worksheets/lessons and be done with it. let them figure it out and enjoy your time with the baby

Teachers who have gone on maternity leave

Same thing happened to me. I worked for a very small school too. They didn't hire a leave replacement and just had other teachers cover my classes, they only had to do it for 1 1/2 months though cause I left in May. I did prepare enough material for my kids but didnt go crazy about it either, just enough. My principal was pretty good and understanding though (even though she wasn't a mom).

Re: Teachers who have gone on maternity leave

I'm not a teacher but I used to be, and that sounds absolutely insane to me. Fine if the other teachers agree to split your classes (I would hope they are getting paid pro rata for the extra class-- otherwise they are being taken advantage of), but to expect you to do that much work in anticipation of your leave without any compensation is not right... when are you supposed to find time for that when you have to plan, grade, and teach every day before your leave? That is a tremendous amount of extra work. There must be some rule against this. I would fight it.

Re: Teachers who have gone on maternity leave

Teachers who have gone on maternity leave

Definitely insane. First find out what has happened in other maternity situations. If not the same, then I'd involve the union.

Teachers who have gone on maternity leave

sounds like a union issue. I would talk with them.

Teachers who have gone on maternity leave

Thanks everyone. I've been at my school for quite a few years, and only 3 people have gone on leave, but none left this much when they went out. Unfortunately, we don't really have a policy, and my Union is basically useless.

Eta: I know what I'm teaching bc I've taught the same classes for years now.

Message edited 4/20/2016 8:03:42 PM.

Re: Teachers who have gone on maternity leave