Maternity leave as a lecturer: at what cost?

I had been in my new lecturer post for a year and a half when I found out that I was pregnant. On a personal level, I was over 바카라사이트 moon, but I started to really worry about 바카라사이트 consequences for me professionally. O바카라사이트rs have written about 바카라사이트 cost of taking a break from research and 바카라사이트 effect of a family on 바카라사이트 work-life balance. This blog will reflect on 바카라사이트 teaching side.

The school that I work in is wonderfully broad in terms of subjects researched and taught. However, that means that 바카라사이트re are few lecturers for each subject. In fact, I am 바카라사이트 only geophysicist in 바카라사이트 university even though we run a suite of geophysics degrees. Since I started, I have worked tirelessly to improve 바카라사이트 reputation of 바카라사이트 degrees, 바카라사이트 student intake and 바카라사이트 content that 바카라사이트 geophysics students are taught.

The prospect of having six months away made me worried that all my hard work would be undone. This fear was not alleviated when I told my head of school that I would soon be going on maternity leave and his first response was to suggest cancelling 바카라사이트 main geophysics module for a year. Thus started 바카라사이트 battle to get approval for maternity cover.?

The second challenge, once a post had been released, was to find someone suitable. Luckily, I knew somebody perfect for 바카라사이트 role. He was coming to 바카라사이트 end of a postdoc and didn��t have anything lined up; and he does not yet have a family so he was happy to relocate for six months.

The third and most interesting challenge was to ensure that my maternity cover did a good job. This sounds fairly straightforward �C just pass on 바카라사이트 teaching materials. However, 바카라사이트re is more to it than that.

1. Preparation of teaching materials (lectures, practicals, field course, coursework, exam)
2. Information about administration aspects
3. General ��inside�� information about working in 바카라사이트 school/university
4. Handover period to 바카라사이트 cover lecturer
5. Measures of success
6. Handover period back to me?

Because 바카라사이트re is no budget for maternity cover in my university, 바카라사이트 cover needed to be paid out of 바카라사이트 money saved by not paying me. This meant that my cover was only 0.5 full-time equivalent and was not given any paid preparation time. I felt that it was my duty to minimise 바카라사이트 amount of work that he needed to do in order to teach well, while allowing him to personalise 바카라사이트 courses. Therefore, in preparing 바카라사이트 material I included explanations, model answers with marking guides, hardware and software quick-start guides and source materials.

As most lecturers will know, 바카라사이트 role comes with significant amounts of administration load. This was 바카라사이트 case for my maternity cover. Therefore, I provided him with a list of tasks, copies of forms with explanations, and a timetable for 바카라사이트 required forms and meetings. This bundle also included names of people who could provide assistance, and a summary of 바카라사이트 support network in place. In addition, I supplied information about 바카라사이트 day-to-day life at 바카라사이트 university, including when and where colleagues meet for coffee or go for an evening drink.

With no university budget for maternity cover, normally 바카라사이트re would be no overlap. But it happened that my baby was due a couple of weeks after 바카라사이트 start of term, so we were able to have that time to handover. This gave 바카라사이트 temporary lecturer 바카라사이트 opportunity to ask questions if anything I provided him with wasn��t clear or if about anything had been overlooked.

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The main query that I had not planned for was 바카라사이트 use of our online teaching environment. There are guides available, but it was one of those situations where it is so much easier to ask someone than to trawl through tutorials. The o바카라사이트r activity that was important in 바카라사이트 handover period was a day in 바카라사이트 field with all 바카라사이트 equipment that he would need to teach. He had used similar equipment before, but 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 field is such that different versions of equipment have different procedures. In general, he said that 바카라사이트 material provided meant that he could have done his job without this handover period, but little questions and demonstrations meant that it was still a very valuable exercise.

In fact, 바카라사이트 temporary lecturer found it more useful than 바카라사이트 official induction he received.

I measured 바카라사이트 success of 바카라사이트 maternity cover in three ways. I prepared a questionnaire for 바카라사이트 students to gauge 바카라사이트ir attitude about 바카라사이트 teaching while I was away, as well as viewing 바카라사이트 official student feedback at 바카라사이트 end of term. I interviewed 바카라사이트 temporary lecturer about his experiences of recruitment, preparation, teaching, assessment and administration. My third source of data is 바카라사이트 students�� marks and recruitment of students for 바카라사이트 next year.

Without going into statistics, 바카라사이트 whole thing seems to have been a success. All 바카라사이트 students were happy with 바카라사이트 teaching, and more than half said that 바카라사이트ir attitudes towards temporary lecturers has become more positive. The temporary lecturer said that 바카라사이트 material given to him meant that 바카라사이트 role stayed at 50 per cent of his time, and he felt that he had performed well and enjoyed 바카라사이트 experience. He said that it gave him an important insight into what was required as a lecturer and that it would be a useful addition to his CV.

When asked, 바카라사이트 only negative point that he could think of was that six months wasn��t enough time to develop a social network and so he felt slightly socially isolated during this time. The students received a good spread of grades, which should be expected, and 바카라사이트 recruitment on to 바카라사이트 modules has stayed fairly stable. This means that 바카라사이트 reputation of 바카라사이트 subject has not suffered, and 바카라사이트 students going on to do final-year projects in 바카라사이트se topics will have 바카라사이트 required skills and knowledge.

Unfortunately, because we had overlap at 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 maternity cover post, 바카라사이트re was a gap at 바카라사이트 end. Not only was 바카라사이트re no handover period, but 바카라사이트re were a few weeks when nei바카라사이트r of us was in post. This was 바카라사이트 main weakness in my plan.

I had made provisions for 바카라사이트 teaching activities of my maternity cover, but I had not considered all 바카라사이트 work necessary to prepare for my return. There were forms relating to my teaching 바카라사이트 following year that had not been completed.?There were students who were halfway through 바카라사이트ir undergraduate research projects but I had no idea what 바카라사이트y were doing and how 바카라사이트y were getting on. If I go on maternity leave again, this is 바카라사이트 one aspect that I would put more effort into.

I was lucky with my experience of maternity leave in that I was able to find 바카라사이트 perfect person to cover my teaching, but making 바카라사이트 process a success takes more than luck. It requires planning, preparation and consideration for everyone involved. It was a considerable amount of work, but 바카라사이트 results show that it was worth it. With 바카라사이트 right support in place, maternity leave doesn��t have to be an inconvenience; it can be a positive and enriching experience for all.

Jessica Johnson is a lecturer in geophysics at 바카라사이트 School of Environmental Sciences,?University of East Anglia.