I always though I wouldn’t want to teach at the same school my children attend. It seemed like it would be awkward and stressful. So, when I was offered a job at the IB international school my children attend, I was more than nervous. However, I can say that after (almost) a full school year at the same school as my kids, I absolutely love it! Here are 8 reasons I love teaching at the same school my children attend.
8. I Get to See Then During the Day
One of my biggest worries has actually been such a nice aspect of teaching at the same school my children attend. I get to see my kids throughout the school day! My younger daughter is two classrooms down, and my older daughter is one floor up. It’s so lovely to see them walking through the hall, on the playground, or in the lunchroom. This was my youngest daughter’s first year of “real” school, and she was very nervous. Being able to say hi, wave, or even sneak in a hug throughout the day has been so good for both of us. I can see this being tricky in some cases, but in ours, it works.
7. I Get to Know Their Teachers Really Well
I was also worried that it would be super awkward to work with my kids’ teachers. I was afraid that they wouldn’t feel comfortable telling me if either of them were struggling academically or socially. However, it has been so great to know my children’s teachers so well. It’s really wonderful to know who they are. Again, I think this could have the potential to be tricky, but setting boundaries and having respectful communication is key.
6. I Understand Their Curriculum
As a teacher myself, knowing what and how my kids are learning is super important to me. What better way to get to know their curriculum than to teach it! This is one big reason I love teaching at the school my kids attend. Since I’m new to IB education, it’s been really cool to learn how to teach it and get to see it from my children’s perspective as well. I can be confident about what my kids are learning, and know what other things I want to focus on at home with them.
5. Drop Off and Pick Up is Much Simpler
Although this one is a bit of a double edged sword, drop off and pick up is much simpler since we’re all going to the same place. In Sweden, before and after care, called fritids, is provided for working parents. I am thankfully able to utilize this, so we can all get to school early and leave later. However, at the beginning of the year, it was a bit tricky for my kids to get used to going to school earlier. Now, the morning isn’t a problem at all. While my kids aren’t always thrilled that they have to stay after school for me to finish working and prepping, it is nice to be done work, pick up my kids, and all head home.
The only negative has been that I don’t get time to decompress between going from teacher mode to parent mode. This has been one area that has been difficult. One big thing that helps is giving the kids a snack to eat on the bike ride home and popping in my earphones to listen to an audiobook. That 15 minutes of pseudo-me time makes a big difference. Still, I am thankful that I don’t have to go to another school to get the kids once I’m done working.
4. I Get to Know Their Friends
We all know that what you hear from your kids isn’t always what’s really happening at school. One thing I love about working at the school my kids attend is that I get to know their friends. Since I often have recess duty that overlaps with my kids’ recess, I can see who they’re playing with. I already knew many of my kids friends, but it’s really cool to get a bit of a fly on the wall insight into how their friendships are going.
3. I Get to See What They’re Really Like in School
We all know kids at school tend to act very differently than they do at home. One of the coolest aspects of teaching where my kids work is that I get to see how they really are in school. It offers a helpful and unique perspective for sure.
2. I Have Less Mom Guilt
One thing that made going back to teaching easier was that I would be close to my kids. While, of course, we’re all in our own classroom, it’s really nice to know we’re all under the same roof. Being able to say hi or give a quick hug every once and a while is such a gift. There have even been a few times where I could help my kid out in a way I couldn’t if I wasn’t working at their school.
1. My Kids Like It Too
Lastly, one of the biggest benefits is that my kids love that I teach at the school they attend. I was a bit worried they wouldn’t like it, but that hasn’t been the case for us. (Maybe that will change as they get older.) Before I accepted my teaching position, I checked that they were okay with it. And, we’ve talked frequently about it as the year has gone on. Every time I ask, they tell me that they love it! The only thing they don’t like are the two later days each week. However, I think having mom at school makes the late days not so bad for them. And, in the end, knowing they love having me close by makes such a huge difference.
Should You Teach Where Your Kids Work?
Of course, I can’t answer this question because every situation is different. When I was considering teaching at my kids’ school, I asked some specific questions such as if they had any issues with this situation in the past. I also asked if there was any chance they’d ever put my own kids in my class (because that would be a hard pass from me.) Lastly, I asked my followers on Instagram what their experiences have been, and it was very much a mixed bag. So, I think it really comes down to you and your kid’s personality, the school community, and what you feel most comfortable with. Whatever you pick, this is my experience with teaching at the school my kids attend.
