To HOD or not to HOD – The poison chalice?

Occasionally, when I’m not being over-protective about this being “my blog” I hand over the reigns to a guest author and this evening is one of those times -having put a “shout out” for guest posts it looks like I’m going to have a series of  “from the coal-face” posts over the next few weeks.

This is a topic that is interesting to me as there have been times that I’ve felt like I should be looking for a role leading a department on my own and not as a “sidekick” but then I weigh up how busy I am with JustMaths and I don’t think I have the time to take the next step on the promotion ladder, so the whole work-life balance thing really resonates for me. 

Easter is coming…… along with the obligatory ping in inboxes notifying teachers of all the new opportunities and jobs available at various schools around the UK. Having spent a few moments on the TES website, a few quick percentages reveal how many of these jobs lie in the mathematics sector.

This does not take into account those schools that cannot afford to advertise in the TES, or who may be looking to fill the role internally. However, if you are a maths teacher looking for promotion then there would appear to be opportunities aplenty……

But I can’t help but think that a bigger problem exists. Why would anyone want to be a Head of Department in a subject like maths? Do people really want the pressure? And is it a job which is conducive to a healthy work life balance?

I am writing from my own experience, which may be subjective and limited in scope. I have been teaching for around 6 years. I love teaching, and have a real passion for the subject. I take responsibility for my own CPD, attending teachmeets, conferences and using twitter to engage in professional conversation with wider colleagues. I am a teacher who is not happy to stand still and consistently try to be the type of teacher that I would want my children to be taught by. I contribute to my department, share resources on TES and will try many of the new things that I find online (at this point, a massive shout out to Don Steward, Jo Morgan (resourceaholic.com) and all the other teachers that share so many awesome resources that contribute to my, and many other teachers, lessons.

But why have I suddenly found myself so reluctant to take the next step? Why don’t I want to go for the second in department roles, or take the plunge and apply for the head of department roles?

My main concern is the workload. The last few heads of departments that I have worked for have been at a different stage of their lives. The first was a highly driven career woman, with no children, who appeared to those who worked with her, to be totally committed to her work. It was often thought that her work was her life, although I’m pretty sure it wasn’t. I often felt that she had the time to commit the extra 6-8 hours at a weekend to data analysis, and receiving emails at 8pm on a Saturday was not uncommon. However, she was a fantastic head of department, despite being a little intense at times.

My second head of department is someone with a wealth of teaching experience. Again, her children have now all grown up and she often talks about the extra hours, working until 10pm on weeknights as well as carrying out analysis at the weekends. In terms of subject knowledge and the ability to dispense advice, which is supportive and excellent, she is again faultless as a leader.

I don’t feel as though the role of head of department is not something that I could do well and grow into, but the constant worry about maintaining the ever pressured balance of good teacher/father/husband is one that plays heavily on my mind. The workload as a classroom teacher is one that I have struggled with since having my two children (both under 5) and for the first time ever, I have felt guilt at having to make time at the weekend to do work, rather than spend quality time with them. That said, holidays spent playing Lego, painting and visiting the park are delights and whilst during term time, I feel like the worst father in the world, I make every effort to make this up when I get the chance.

Am I alone in feeling this? I don’t think so. Informal conversations with colleagues also reveal a reluctance to chase promotion, with the extra workload as one of the main concerns. One of my colleagues, who rather eloquently referred to it as the “crap sandwich” of jobs, with problems flowing up as well as down! Another colleague has spoken about how teaching is so far from compatible with the modern day realities of family life that they constantly struggle to make time to be both teacher and mother.

So for the time being, I’ll continue to leave promotions alone. I’m committed to being the best father/husband/teacher that I can be, and if that means that I miss out on a TLR or two then that’ll be fine with me. Perhaps, I should wait and apply in 20 years time, when the children have grown up…..

Anonymous Teacher

MEL: It makes me angry at the system that for many people taking on a head of department role should be an “either/or” decision and teachers such as this guest poster should be encouraged up the ladder and not deterred.