Been there, done that! I have 2 young children and a husband–all 3 don’t help out. Just do what is most important at the time. I found that it is easiest to do the ‘house stuff’ after work and then save the grading and college stuff for after my kids went to bed. Don’t forget to spend one-on-one time with your son each day…it can be something like a game, reading, or going to the park. You could even try getting your son to help you with little chores…make it a game for him! That gives you time with him plus a little bit of help. Depending on how young he is, this could be a good time to give him one specific chore that he is in charge of (setting the table, emptying the bathroom trash once a week, helping to sort laundry, etc…these all depend on his age though).

Unfortunately, you are going to get tired. But it is important to find some time to take for yourself. Schedule in time every weekend (or every other)…just 2-3 hours where you can get out of the house and do whatever it is you feel like doing. You can even take that time at home to read a book or something. After a while you will get used to the routine and the lack of sleep will not feel as bad. And DO NOT FEEL BAD if you decide to take an entire Sunday off of school/work/house stuff just to watch girly movies or take your son to the zoo. IT’S OK TO DO THIS!!!!!!! (Sorry, but sometimes we need that permission to do things!)

I wish you luck with everything. Before you know it you will be done with your school and things will slow down.

I will be starting next week, wow you start tomorrow…

As for teaching art, you can grade as you observe the project being done, you can then give them a quick rubric to answer and use that as one of the test grades you are required to have per 6 or 9 weeks.

I would use lunch time (30) minutes and plan and grade. I didn’t have duty. It took me 5-10 minutes to eat and then organize for the rest of the classes after lunch. Then plan for the next day/week after school, this is also using the daily planning period every day.

The main thing is not to take the work home with you so you can have a home life.

Pace yourself, whatever you dont finish can wait until tomorrow

I found that having an active prayer life helped a whole lot too.

Welcome to teaching. You will find that you picked a job where the demands on your time are always! there. I too did what you are doing. It really doesnt get any easier as time goes by. Even after my classes are all done, something is always there to take its place.

The best you can do is try to streamline the things you are asked to do. Use every second at work to do your paperwork and as much grading as possible. take home only what you know you will finish. Set up your grading so that there is levels to the grading … here is what I mean:

homework can be checked in multiple ways. you do not have to collect. you can spot check, have the kids fill out homework cards, hw quizes, there are many other ideas to limit what you have to check.

Essays can be graded in waves. I go for a quick read on the first draft, looking for bug fixes. When I feel a student has enough to fix for draft to stop. They then attach draft 1 to the new draft, so I can see their progress. It allows me to not have to read in detail until close to the final draft. I do this with big projects also.

plan time where you will not be interupted at home. you can use this to study or do paperwork. Make an agreement with your husband, that you need work time. I personally arrive to work an hour early to get things done, but as you have a young son, this may not work for you.

So the bad news is – You will get worn out, you will be stressed.

The good news: you picked a career where you can make a difference every day.

I understand, I teach high school, go to Grad school Tuesdays and Thursday nights, and have an 18-month old (I’m a single mom). It’s rough. The first couple weeks will be the worst. Last week was my first week teaching and at the beginning of the week, I didn’t know if I could do it. Plus my daughter was in daycare for the first time and acted awful because of the separation anxiety. I don’t know how old your son is, but spend some time with him after you get home from work. He is #1 always! I have been cleaning a little during the week and the majority during the weekend. Do all the laundry you will need for the week on the weekend, trust me!! I buy big packs of meats and separate them into 1 dinner-sized portions. For example, one pack of 10 pork chops will make 2 dinners for you. Wrap it up in aluminum and freeze them, pull them out the night before. Keep everything organized, and keep your stuff for school and work out of your son’s reach! Do grading and your own homework after he goes to sleep. Try to be in bed before midnight. Buy a coffeepot! Try to keep calm, and it IS ok to have impromptu lessons or have the kids watch a movie at school relating to the unit. And always do like me, on Sunday (today), every two or three weeks, get a pedicure!! Good luck, you can always email me to vent.

Just an observation…its pretty much bullshi*t that your husband won’t pitch in and help. Unless he’s got some kind of a dream job that prevents him from dirtying his hands with housework(and since you probably wouldn’t be a working student if he did- I’m gonna guess he’s got plenty of extra time on his hands) he should be contributing just as much as you to the upkeep of the house and relationship. I say you let the dishes and the laundry go for a while. A couple of days with an empty refrigerator, and I bet he remembers how to cook for himself.

I dont want to sound insensitive but I have worked full time, taken three or more college classes per semester (including summers), raised a child alone and served on multiple municipal and non profit boards for most of the past 6 yrs so I am absolutely positive that you can do it unless you are looking for excuses.

You will have to let something slide. If its the chores, so be it, if he won’t act like an adult and share in the household chores let him look at some of the things you can’t do. Take care of your son let your husband tend to himself. He is way old enough to do his own laundry, cook, and clean up. If he won’t help switch to paper plates, hire help, etc.

If you are not young, You should know to pace yourself and how to eat correctly. consider hiring a cleaning lady part time,