Calling all job sharers! How do you make it work?

[Twerking9to5]

I'm due to start a PT time (Mon-Weds) position in Jan after three years out raising kids. Bit daunted but excited to get back to the classroom. The other teacher has already been job sharing and they have communicated by email.

I wanted to ask what's worked really well for other job sharers? I feel like a google doc could be useful to keep a running tab of things, but I'm aware I sometimes have a habit of creating more work than needed

Would be great to hear any ideas. Thx

[Snazarooney]

Communication - handover book

[bangingmyheadoffabrickwall]

Texts and emails are how me and my job share used to communicate.

[Chottie]

A regular catch up meeting
Ensure that everyone copies you both into all emails
Remembering that you are doing a job share i.e. one job, so only one person needs to attend meetings

[BackforGood]

Primary?
Sharing a class?

Have different books they work in, so you can take - say maths books - home with you and mark / do prep when your partner is in school.
Try to share as much as you can in terms of subjects - so one does the music the other does art or whatever, which cuts down on sharing planning and handovers
After a couple of weeks, ask your partner what you do / don't do / how you leave the room that really annoys them - before it gets too big an annoyance
Keep parents onside by being really good at sharing info / messages / questions in an efficient way (whatever works for you - be that a notebook in the desk or school e-mails or a whatsapp group)
Work out how whichever one isn't at staff meetings, gets to be updated

[Iamcheeseman]

Having one control freak who is incredibly organised and one laid back teacher who is happy to go with the flow works for us.

[Twerking9to5]

Thanks all. NIce to hear it's working out for most of you! Think it'll take a bit of getting used to

[MrsGuyOfGisbo]

Googledoc is a great idea - far more efficient than email trails between you.
I have started one in my dept and it s working really well.

[ICantFindAFreeNickName2]

I find having a shared document that you both update as you go along is very useful, much better than loads of emails. I recommend having it open on your computer and updating as you go along, rather than trying to remember everything at the end of your week.
I also think having a chat after a month or so and agreeing what is and is not working is useful.
As you get to know each other maybe adjust your responsibilities a bit to suit your strengths and weaknesses.

[DanyellasDonkey]

Have separate subject areas that each one teaches. I did non-numeracy maths, handwriting, health and was able to take books home to mark without the other teacher needing them on her days.

Good communication and don't get persuaded into going to meetings, INSET and parents evenings etc that are not on your day or more than your pro rata.

Good luck - it didn't work out for me, but the other person I was sharing with has never had a constant sharer - nobody can share with her!

[rollonthesummer]

Constant texts!! Worked well for ten years!

[TheLongRoadToXmas]

Not a teacher but I've done two successful jobshares. For me, understanding the other person (we used Myers-Briggs) and anticipating problems that we might come across was useful. So if one of you is very organised and the other isn't, then you know that you'll both have to compromise and can plan accordingly, rather than end up cross about stuff.

I've also found it useful to have a really in-depth chat on the phone or in person as a handover - we write handover notes (in the form of an ongoing email that we update, with headings for each area of work so we only add what's new that week), but some things I don't want to write down!

[Twerking9to5]

Thanks so much everyone. I think I might give the google docs a go. I find it so weird that we'll never cross over. Am assuming we'll end up with a face to face during holidays. Which is annoying but might have to be done.