KWR: Any teachers planning a wedding during school year (not on a break)?

Former teacher here. I think you are fine. I hated missing because it was always more work than it was worth, but that is your choice. Just because you are a teacher does not mean you should have to sacrifice even more of your life. The system is failing you and the kids, you are not doing anything wrong. Teachers are people who get married, get sick, have babies...why should you be expected to make those sacrifices on top of all of the work you do outside of the classroom for free, grading, using your own money for supplies? You have to do what is best for you and your family. You get those days off for a reason. I would not make it into a habit, but you were honest and upfront. You are not being selfish, the system is being selfish. When I was a teacher, I couldn't afford the summer travel rates. It is cheaper to travel in the Spring. If they don't want us taking any time off then give us a liveable wage. #rant #proteacher

FH and I are both teachers. I'm taking the Thursday and Friday off before the wedding to set up and go to the nail salon with all my girls. FH is only taking Friday before off. We are not taking a Honeymoon so both are going back to work the following Monday

#vine- High five !!!! YES.

FH is a teacher, and his calendar isn't released yet for **** including when his spring break will be, so it may or may not jive with our honeymoon right after the wedding. Right now he's just saving up personal and sick days.

We're also having a celebration of marriage for my family unable to come, but his one request was it take place after school lets out

I'm not a teacher, but most of my friends are teachers, and my MOH is a teacher (now principal this year). My mom and aunt are also retired teachers, so we have a lot of teachers on our guest list.

I purposefully booked my wedding on a Saturday, so MOH wouldn't have to take time off from work that wasn't a holiday/weekend.

Some teachers contracts do not allow extending a break, and there can be serious issues if you take an extra day before or after a scheduled break.

Also, maternity leave or extended sick time is not the same as taking time off for your wedding as some other posters have tried to say - that's garbage.

Personally, as a first year teacher in a district, I would never take that much time off all together when it isn't actually "necessary"

I'm a prof and getting married in early November. I've got subs coming in for the Friday and Monday around the wedding, but we're postponing the honeymoon a month until the holiday break. My mom is coming in for the week before the wedding and will handle anything that comes up during the workday, thank goodness. And my vendors have just had to be satisfied with early evening meetings if they need one. I'm sure I'll be pretty sleep-deprived by the end of that week, but I plan to sleep half of Friday!

I'm getting married march 25 which is usually around spring break time for most, but I am a preschool teacher & we don't have spring break. I am planning on taking 2-4 days off after the wedding. My fiancé is in the military so we are going to have our honeymoon a little later once he's out because he's restricted to where he can travel to right now because of it (we are thinking Cancun-something all inclusive, but he can't travel to Mexico while in military)

Im a teacher. I'm planning to take thursday, friday and the following Monday off to get my hair done and nails. And hopefully I'll go over final details with the day of cordinator. We are planning on taking our honeymoon at our normal summer vacation time. My choice though, if you have days, take them. I just REALLLLLY hate making sub folders.

Ah, ok. Your decision makes more sense. (It was 2am, and I wad going to rant, but decided the best of it).

Yes, it sucks for your colleagues and kids (I know, I've been on the receiving end). As an e?loducator myself, I think it's selfish to take that many days off in a row with the honeymoon. On the flipside. I also think the educational system works against our teachers amd we should be able to take time off from work. Or at least pay us more.

All in all, I think your decision makes sense. People will grumble, but you're taking off for a life event, not just for vacation, and I think it is justifiable.

I'm getting married on NYE and just taking 1-2 days off work after wedding. We are waiting to go on honeymoon in the summer. It seemed the most reasonable for work and pricewise for us to do it this way

I'm getting married September 23, 2017. I will be taking off the Friday before and the whole following week. I hate to take off a whole week as I fear it will negatively impact my students but so many of my co workers have/ are taking two plus weeks off for their weddings/honeymoons so in comparison I don't feel so bad about my 6 days.

Wow 10 days off from school?! That seems intense. I'm the same as you, I don't take many days off either, by id definitely not take 10days because my anxiety couldn't handle it. But I also teach Spanish so me taking 10 days off would be detrimental to the kids since we don't have Spanish speaking subs, our situations are much different there. I do agree with a PP that making sub plans leading up to the wedding can be stressful so just make sure you do them as early as you can.

Also, have some other teachers look through your sub plans for them to check if they see anything missing. My student teacher left me "sub plans" when she was out and completely forgot to leave a quiz for me to give them. Having a second (or third) set of eyes will really help to make sure you have left everything (in order the order you want them done).

Also how does your school allow for 10 days off? We have 15 sick days, but if we're out for more than 3 we have to have a doctors note. Otherwise we only get 3 personal days.

I think it totally SUCKS that you would get push back from anyone. You made plans, things changed.

I am very familiar with district teacher assignments. The teachers can plan and hope for the best but ultimately, their schedule/career for that year is in the hands of the superintendent/seniority.

IMO, you and your FH do what's best to fit your schedule.

Best wishes!

I'm getting married in November, which is during the school year. I'm taking the Friday before off and then Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday after. We have off on Thursday/Friday for teacher's convention, so I snuck a 5 day honeymoon in there.

I felt bad at first but the parents in my class have been nothing but supportive. Their elementary teacher missing 4 days is not going to make or break their educational career. So I don't feel guilty any more.

I have a student teacher right now, so sub plans for me are a non-issue. I can't imagine writing plans out for 2 weeks, but that's the trade off. As long as you're fine with writing them, then go for it.

10 days does seem like a lot but we only get two personal days a year and the can't build up from year to year so summer is my best option!

I'm getting married the same day, and I'm a teacher! Like you, I never take days off, but for this I am taking off the Thursday, Friday before and Monday and Tuesday of the next week. My wedding is about 4 hours away from where I work. At first my fh was sad about not taking the honeymoon right after, but we will just go in the summer! I am excited about it not backing up to spring break bc over spring break I can write the lesson plans and prep for those days out! I have the support of my principal and grade level team, but I think it's unfortunate that your coworkers would tell you how to spend your days-and not be understanding. my advice is nail down a trustworthy sub, and let your parents know early !

@meetthebrowns for maternity leave, you get a long term sub. That basically means that real learning and teaching is still going on in the classroom. For 10 days it wouldn't be a long term sub and very little learning and actual teaching would occur. It's extremely different.

ETA: I get 10 PTO days a year and I typically use about 3 of them.

I am also getting married in April this school year. I am lucky that the date will be right at the beginning of our spring break and I will be taking off only the Thursday and Friday before hand. HOWEVER... you have to do what you have to do. Your admin is supportive of it and that is the most important part. You never know what it going to happen to you in real life and the kids will always bounce back and be okay. You have to embrace your life experiences while you can and our lives should not have to operate around a calendar that someone else made for us. I had to be out last year for two weeks for completely unexpected eye surgery to save my retina (I teach 2nd grade). Guess what- I left sub plans for 2 weeks and the kids and parents were just fine. If you have a good team, they can help your sub if he/she needs anything. Ideally they can plan ahead and try to get you a consistent sub. You are traveling across the country to get MARRIED, leave your plans and celebrate, and don't worry about what anyone else says.

If I were you I would hold off on the honeymoon until the summer. Just take a few days for the wedding and go back to school. That's what my plan is.

We are getting married on Memorial Day weekend. There was some personal significance to the date, but I also just really wanted to now have to worry about going back to school for awhile afterwards. I am also choosing, for the first time in a while, not to work over the summer. Knowing me, I'm just going to need some time to breathe after it's all said and done.