If you are a teacher

[rbp]

Did/do you plan to you announce your pregnancy to your students? I will be 27 weeks by the end of the semester, so it will definitely be noticeable. I know they'll be talking about me behind my back if I don't make an announcement, but maybe I just shouldn't care what my students say about me that's unrelated to my teaching. Making an announcement seems awkward as my pregnancy shouldn't affect them at all, unless I have unforseen complications in the next two months. 

ETA: I teach college freshmen and sophomores.

[Blue Moon]

I would only plan to announce if my maternity leave would result in me missing a portion of their class or semester. I would say something along the lines of "I plan to take maternity leave from approximately xx date to yy date. Mr. or Mrs. so-and-so are available to address your concerns/take over the class during that time."

My current students will not be affected by my maternity leave so I'm not going to make a special announcement or anything. Mine are high school age though and I'll be around 30 weeks by the time school gets out for summer. I'm sure they will say something eventually and I'll be fine at that point saying I'm expecting a baby in September.

[smock]

I'm sort of dealing with the same situation!

I told my graduate seminar, in part because several of my students had a very pregnant professor last semester (my colleague with twins) so I was able to mention it like "well, looks like you'll have another pregnant professor this semester!" I knew most of those students pretty well before the class started.

In my upper-level undergrad class, I mentioned it when my very nice older gentlemen auditors brought me a doughnut, so I just made an "eating for two" comment. They've since told everyone in class, lol!

In my 100-level class, I haven't said anything, but I feel like I should! I just can't figure out how to say it. My plan is to say "Just so you know, I'm pregnant, but my due date is after the end of the semester so it should not affect our class. But I thought I should warn you that I'll look different by the end of the semester." (I'll be around 34 weeks.)

Buuuut it's so awkward to figure out a time to say something! So I keep putting it off.

[jackie011]

I told my class (preschool) around 15 weeks. They were SO excited and each day continues to bring more questions and suggestions. I really wanted the parents to know well in advance as this particular group has had a lot of teachers and transitions and here I was adding to that list. We have an excellent sub lined up and I think the parents are also very happy for us.

[rbp]

I am leaning toward not making an announcement in class, for reasons similar to those smock mentioned. It just occurred to me, however, that my students will be registering for fall classes in a few weeks, and I wonder if anyone will notice that my name isn't on the schedule? I only teach general chemistry so I never have the same students two years in a row, but if they were recommending me (or recommending avoiding me LOL) to a friend then they might notice. We'll see. I'm thinking I might just address it with students who ask because making a general announcement seems so awkward.

[smock]

I had a colleague who was due in July and didn't mention anything to her classes. At the end of the semester in May, one of her students came up and said, "Uh, uh . . . are you pregnant?" lol!

College students are old enough that they realize they probably shouldn't bring it up themselves, I guess.

[andthentherewere10]

I teach HS. I didn't announce. Teachers gossip as much as the kids so as the kids heard from the teachers, they asked me, and I told them. I am not an AW so I'd never be like "I HAVE NEWS!!" Just NMS.

[rbp]

Feb 24, 2014 20:15:47 GMT -5 andthentherewere10 said:

I teach HS. I didn't announce. Teachers gossip as much as the kids so as the kids heard from the teachers, they asked me, and I told them. I am not an AW so I'd never be like "I HAVE NEWS!!" Just NMS.

I don't think I'm an AW IRL either. I just play one on the internets

[andthentherewere10]

Feb 24, 2014 20:19:08 GMT -5 rbp said:

Feb 24, 2014 20:15:47 GMT -5 andthentherewere10 said:

I teach HS. I didn't announce. Teachers gossip as much as the kids so as the kids heard from the teachers, they asked me, and I told them. I am not an AW so I'd never be like "I HAVE NEWS!!" Just NMS.

I don't think I'm an AW IRL either. I just play one on the internets

DC grads learn humility early ;-) (we totally talked about this years ago when I had diff't sn; I'm not just a random stalker who knows too much about you)

[rbp]

Feb 24, 2014 20:24:28 GMT -5 andthentherewere10 said:

Feb 24, 2014 20:19:08 GMT -5 rbp said:

I don't think I'm an AW IRL either. I just play one on the internets

DC grads learn humility early ;-) (we totally talked about this years ago when I had diff't sn; I'm not just a random stalker who knows too much about you)

YGPM!

[sunshine608]

I told my class last semester on the last day of class. I was 15 weeks and giving my final exam/last class speech and I snuck it in. I actually thanked them because they were so cooperative with me through my morning sickness. Although I'm sure the days I had to let them go early had more to do.with that.
I teach freshman and they to create relationships with them anyway though since we have learning communities.



Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using proboards

[robinsbff]

i don't plan to make any announcements, just answer questions as they come up. but i work in an elementary school as a specialist so i see over 15 different groups of students over the course of a week. i'm not making an announcement 15 times. word will work it's way around the school. most of the teachers i work with know from seeing on fbook or hearing it from others in the school.

[catsarecute]

I'm not a teacher but I work in schools, directly with middle and high school students.
I waited to bring it up until I felt comfortable. Some students I had a closer relationship with and I felt comfortable telling them. Others, I still haven't really said anything and I'm 33 weeks. It's obvious I'm pregnant but they don't say anything so I don't either.
I say just do whatever feels natural. For me, it felt right to announce to some students and others, I just let them notice.

[papie]

With my first pregnancy, I got pregnant during the semester and announced to the students around 12 weeks.  A guy said "We've been discussing how you have no more waist!".  lol

With the other two I started the semester pregnant and sick, so I told them right away in case I had to run to the bathroom to puke. 

ETA: I am also a college prof

[rbp]

Feb 25, 2014 13:15:20 GMT -5 papie said:

With my first pregnancy, I got pregnant during the semester and announced to the students around 12 weeks.  A guy said "We've been discussing how you have no more waist!".  lol

WTF

[papie]

Feb 25, 2014 13:16:47 GMT -5 rbp said:

Feb 25, 2014 13:15:20 GMT -5 papie said:

With my first pregnancy, I got pregnant during the semester and announced to the students around 12 weeks.  A guy said "We've been discussing how you have no more waist!".  lol

WTF

I know.  He was like my age too, so it was super awkward.  It ws also my first semester teaching. 

[smock]

So this post inspired me to tell one of my classes that I'm pregnant, and they were surprisingly excited!

[rbp]

Feb 26, 2014 7:12:50 GMT -5 smock said:

So this post inspired me to tell one of my classes that I'm pregnant, and they were surprisingly excited!

Can you give me a script for this? I feel like if I wing it I'm going to be like "I don't know how much time y'all spend...um...looking at my midsection...but if you noticed that I'm getting fat...um...I'm pregnant." Red face. "So let's calculate some equilibrium constants."

LOL

[smock]

Feb 26, 2014 9:44:36 GMT -5 rbp said:

Feb 26, 2014 7:12:50 GMT -5 smock said:

So this post inspired me to tell one of my classes that I'm pregnant, and they were surprisingly excited!

Can you give me a script for this? I feel like if I wing it I'm going to be like "I don't know how much time y'all spend...um...looking at my midsection...but if you noticed that I'm getting fat...um...I'm pregnant." Red face. "So let's calculate some equilibrium constants."

LOL

I just said something like "If it's not already completely obvious, I'm pregnant. I just thought I'd mention it, in case you were wondering why I look different than I did at the beginning of the semester. It's natural. Don't be afraid." They laughed along and then asked about my due date. A few came up after class to congratulate me.