Re: teacher returning to work

Hi

I too am a teach and I had my stroke just over 3 years ago. My employer was fantastic and arranged a phased return to work. To begin with I think I tried a couple of mornings and built up gradually. It was quite overwhelming at the start both physically and emotionally. The school had employed a supply teacher to cover my sick leave who they kept on during my phased return to either help me out or who I could send off to other classrooms to lend a general helping hand when I was feeling more confident. This was all at primary level and in an independent school. Talk to your school and, if you are a member of a union, they should be clued up on returning to work after illness.

I'm now teaching full-time in a state school in New Zealand. I have never really explained about my stroke to my new colleagues unless they ask why I'm limping, which I do more noticeably when I'm cold or tired. I probably experience fatigue more acutely and teaching is a very full-on, stressful occupation at times. However, when I did go back into the classroom I just didn't have the time to obsess about what had happened to me which was a good thing.