I've just taken a phone call from the head of music at a (very) local school, offering me 12 hours flute teaching a week for next year.

It's do-able (just), but would bring me up to around 30 hours teaching a week, with my private students, my college teaching and the other school I'll be starting at in September. I've got until tomorrow to decide whether I'm interested.

Part of says I'd be mad to turn it down, and part of me says I'll regret losing my free time if I accept. I also like working for myself, at home, and would hate to cut down my private teaching to make room for external teaching.

Anyone had any similar experiences to contribute?

I find that sometimes I don't really want to do any new work offered, again to protect my free time, but usually it isn't too bad. I try to make sure that I can arrange things so that I have as much free time as possible - teaching in large blocks of time saves too much travelling, even if it's really local.

Maybe you could work it out in financial terms, then plan to save the money towards something special - holiday, alto flute, whatever, so that your loss of free time is cancelled out by a 'treat'.

Good luck!

From your post it appears to be only for a year initially, so I would certainly go for it and see how it goes. I have found over the years that the busier you are, the more you can actually get done, and your free time will be even more precious. You can always decline next year if you don't like it and they offer you a further contract. Good luck.

Thanks for your contributions, salrec and nannyjay. I don't know how long I'll be offered a contract for, nannyjay, but they are looking for a permanent teacher, after having had a temporary teacher for two years.

On reflection, I think I'm going to accept. I was working around this much four years ago, when I was juggling flute teaching at home and college with teaching A level Psychology at a different college. I gave up the Psychology teaching to concentrate on flute teaching, and haven't regretted it. I earned so much during that last year before I switched that we'd almost paid for our extension before it was built!

One of my concerns is being too tired from teaching to be able to practise. But, there again, I tend to waste a lot of time when I have a lot of time free, so it may be just the right thing for me at the moment. I think it's given me the final push to give up running the church choir, though, which I've been dithering about for ages.

Andante,
It sounds a good job with regular income for a year. How about doing shopping on the internet, and maybe pay someone to do a little cleaning or ironing for you, so your free time is really free.
Beverley.

Oh to only work 30 hours a week.....bliss!

Unfortunately, that's only the hands-on teaching time. There's quite a lot of non-contact time need to support that amount of face-to-face teaching.

Congratulations, Andante - I'd go for it. At the very least it will look good on your CV. You can work out whether it suits you to work this many hours, and if the private practice starts to expand, well, you can always stop. It's easier to stop teaching in a school if you don't want to do the hours than get rid of private students.
This is what I did when I worked for a Cathedral school 25 miles away from home. I gave that up to fit in more private students and it's MUCH more convenient (and better paid!) at home. You will also get your name around (being as you say, very local).
Sounds as if you've fallen on your feet!

Thanks, AnnC. Having juggled around with my week, I think I can do it. I'm lucky in that I've taught a number of girls from this school over the last few years (as a result of the teacher before last not being very popular). The Head of Music has been very pleased with their playing in school concerts and GCSE performances, and that's how she knew my name. The most alarming thing was that she started off by saying that she was friends with a very well-known flautist, and would love him to teach but he was too busy. Not sure I can cope with being the next choice after this guy.

Speaking as someone who has more free time than I know what to do with - that is so true. My activities are obviously also limited due to my health, but having masses of time also means I waste shocking amounts of it.

Me, too, Sarah-Flute. I have loads of spare time, and therefore don't fill the time wisely. It's nice this weather, though, not to actually have to go out to work.

Excellent news, Andante! Go for it!

I am in a very similar position and in a way absolutely dreading September. One school I'm in lost their other flute teacher with no notice at the end of term so I was asked to cover all her existing pupes plus my own from September and will also end up with a waiting list from the new Year 7 intake. I was head hunted by another school and plus keeping the 2 state primaries I work in happy too I am absolutely going to do myself in. I teach from home all day Saturday, travel to pupes Sunday and evenings after school. This will take me up to 32 hours teaching a week (THUD). HOWEVER if it means I can actually get my bank balance back on the correct side of nought then it will be worth it. I love what I do, am dedicated to it and if I work flat out in the Autumn and Spring terms I should be able to do a short hop in the summer and actually take some decent time off (if anyone can define the words "time off" please PM me).

Frankie - as Andante has pointed out, 30 hours may not sound like much, and, as my (EX!) cleaning lady pointed out it isn't like I have a "proper job" - all I do is "blow and move my fingers", and by the time I've added on my own practice time, lesson planning, admin and hours and hours sitting in traffic it adds up. Not that I would change it. I have trained long and hard for this and the vocational satisfaction certainly outweighs the financial reward.

Andante, as a fellow fluting-cat, I wish you all the luck in the world with the extra work. We can compare exhaustion status next term!

Luv Bag xx

Thanks, Baggy. Nice to know someone else is in a similar position, with similar mixed feelings about it. I'm now half expecting the Head of Music to ring back tomorrow and say she's changed her mind. One good thing is that it's an independent school, so they have shorter terms.

Congratulations Andante. Always a difficult time of year to make decisions on work, the height of summer!

On balance though I think I'd go for it too. And I second Beverley's advice about online groceries and someone to do your ironing!

Keep us posted.

You've obviously forgotten our discussion about the relative merits of Tesco and Ocada (sp?) when I came to lunch. Unfortunately I already shop online and I rarely iron (despite my shiny new ironing board). I'll have to cut out reading the Forums instead.

Nooo don't do that!

Well, I've just said yes. Pay's a bit better than I thought it might be, too. I just hope I can juggle everything else round now. My main problem is that the college I teach at never know how many students they have, and when their free periods are, until the middle of September. Everything will shake down eventually, I hope.

Thanks to you all for your comments and support. It's made making the decision much less nerve-wracking than it might have been.

Well - I had half remembered it - now you have reminded me of the two names involved !

Well done for accepting. Ooh pay! that's always a bonus ; )

I've just realised that the dress code at this school is likely to be more formal than I'm used to - judging by what they make the girls wear anyway - so I've spent some of the money in anticipation on some more formal shirts.

Gosh I would struggle with that! That's one advantage of private teaching and accompanying - you can wear what you like! (i.e. not very smart!)

Yes, I know. I like the freedom too And I can get away with black trousers and a top at the sixth form college, but I have a feeling I'll have to wear a skirt at the new place.

I wouldn't fret too much about dress code, Andante. At the Really Posh Skool I teach at I soon realised that they see and love me as the hippie chickie kitty I am so I can grunge away in my teaching cupboard to my paws' delight....

The September sorting out IS nerve-wracking, but it will settle quite soon I am sure (I will be in the same boat so we can compare stress levels).

Keep us posted.

Bag xx

A skirt! That comes under "unreasonable demands" surely! I only do jeans, or black trousers for concerts and shows!

Next stage in the saga: I've just rung the vicar to tell him I can't run the choir any more. There's no way I'll have the energy on a Friday evening, as Friday's one of the days I'm going to be teaching all day. It'll be a big wrench, as I've done it for 8 years.

Nooooooooo! We'd miss you!