To think job-sharing for teachers of kids 8 and under is selfish?

[blowingBubblesinABreeze]

My kid is in Year 2. There are 30 kids in her class. She has teachers who job-share (monday-wed morning, Wednesday afternoon to Friday).
We had a parents meeting and it was very clear to me that the teacher barely knew my child, and was just making up things to say. Other parents said the same.

Do I blame her? Yes and no. No because it is impossible to know 30 kids in a class if you are spending half the time with the kids in the class that a normal teacher does. A full-time teacher with 30 kids in the class already struggles to know all the kids in her class well. (understandably).

Yes because she has chosen to do the job share. (In the case of the teachers in my class, I know that they are both well-off). I know that this is not the case for most teachers. But again I would argue that many teachers that would choose to job share are not on the bread-line.

A teacher should know the kids in their class. That is part of their job. The kids are LITTLE, LITTLE people. They are in school for most of their waking hours. Alot of them really struggle to go into school at a young age. So to be left in the hands of a person who barely knows them is simply not fair on them.

We are prioritising the desires of teachers over the NEEDS of children. Which is where society seems to be headed as a whole. The desires of adults is our focus, neglecting the basic needs of our little people.

Sorry but it’s rubbish to say that the teacher doesn’t know who your child is from a job share. Primary teachers have one class, 30 kids to know. Secondary teachers (me being one of them) for some subjects have 100s of students a week. I know all my students. Sometimes I have to think about it for a second, but by the end of the first term, teachers know their students. End of. If they don’t, they are doing something wrong.

Teachers are there to educate. They will know your child’s abilities in spelling, reading etc etc What exactly do you want them to know about your child other than what they can or cannot do? And how long do you think they should spend in school considering they get paid from 8.30 - 3 pm each day. I wish more teachers did the hours they were paid for and let the parents of all the little darling fill in the gaps.

My son thrived in a set up like this. The two different styles really helped keep him interested.

The complete opposite in our case.
for us job share teaching is great! Positive, fresh (teacher) and ability to adapt amongst who was teaching.
in primary 1 we had 3 teachers, all were great, all brought something to the table in their teaching and the kids loved the adaption. primary 2 we have 2 teachers again and children seem to love it.

someone else said in a previous post, maybe your child doesn’t “stand out”, maybe closed off with X or Y which can be normal as they adjust to 2 teachers, their learning etc.

sorry you seem to think it’s so bad 😞

ps. I also work in a school, job share teachers generally get more out of pupils than those that they see daily (and fed up of hearing!), the teachers work VERY closely together even when not in school

Who cares if a teacher does or doesn’t know your child incredibly well? 315 minutes a day shared among 30 children is a little over 10 minutes a day. Do you think teachers can perform magic?
Parents like you are complete nobs tbh. Bog off with your comments! You’re not personally buying a service so lower your expectations. Teachers are not at your beck and call.

😂😂😂

It’s kind of the law though…

Other people’s’ kids should be enough for her - she shouldn’t need to have her own kids? Are you for real? Teachers love their JOB - they’re don’t love your child!
Im presuming you work full time yourself with young children of your own…
PS Regarding the Holidays…Everybody got the UCAS form - perhaps you made the wrong choices.

Have to say, I’m a teacher and I still don’t know my pupil’s names. It’s hard to remember 600 students you teach - they often forget mine and I’m one person 😂 I am however able to say something about every single one of them, I’m just not great with names. A lot
of the names are also similar - Mia, mya, maya all in one class..!

We had shite job share teachers in year 2, however, I wasn't keen on the school's ethos in general.

I run a brownies group once a week _ I can get a measure of them within four weeks usually and we normally have quite a few with SEN. A decent teacher will be fine with a job share.

I went 0.6 after having my son and have since been told that I can’t go back full time, even if I want to, because I’m too expensive. Often the part time teachers are the more experienced ones who have moved up the payscale.

I definitely know the children. And I’m a SENCO so it’s not even just one class, it’s all of them across the school.

This is the most ridiculous things that I have ever read on Mumsnet. Most children go to nursery for only two or three days a week when they are even younger than school age. The nursery staff get to know the babies and toddlers just fine in those two or three days. You need to give your head a wobble.

What a great response. MN at its best. You started a discussion, lots of opinions and you had a rethink.

Definitely an issue with your particular teachers. My daughter is in year 3 and with the exception of year 2, all years she has had teachers job sharing. They have all got to know her well and she has felt very comfortable with them all. They know loads about her and ask her questions about her weekend hobbies and pets by name etc. They are part time working parents and they have a lot more energy to give to the role than the full time teacher who she had in year 2 that just looked frazzled all year.

Yes teachers are allowed lives, just like anyone doing a job. But we never had a good year with a primary teacher job share. 5 times, and each time class behaviour was terrible, my quiet children were ignored, parents evening was a blank wall. So in a child-centric world, I think it would be better for a primary school teacher who wants/needs to be part time to be a subject specialist, PPA cover, SENCO or some other role which isn't being the main class teacher.

I have said earlier that I have been given the other prespective, which I fully appreciate, and am happy to have received. Thank you.

In my defence, I'm EXTREMELY sympathetic to teachers, and I genuinely think they should be paid WAY more than they currently are, and it is a failing in our society that we are not prioritising teachers pay, as they play such a fundamental role.

HOWEVER, I am NOT suggesting that teachers should not be allowed to work part time. My eldest son, who is now in Year 6, did have teachers who worked part time in Years 3, and 5 and on reflection, I had no issue with it at all. I actually really liked the teacher that worked 2 days a week in year 3. My issue is the age-appropriateness. I think 4/5/6 years is too young. At that age, they need a sturdy, anchor that they can hold on to at school everyday, or at least most school days. And a 2.5 day job share does not provide that.

Job-shares for teachers should VERY much be permitted, but be put in older years when kids are more emotionally mature, and the teacher no longer needs to fulfil that role. However, I accept that there is a teacher shortage and (if) so beggars can't be choosers.

As a parent, I’d be upset at this too, but I do think that this is a problem with your school and the individual teacher, not jobshares.

I’m a secondary school teacher and share quite a lot of my classes, and so see some pupils for just a couple of hours a week. There are systems in place so that I know what is happening with all of those pupils. More to the point, I spend time getting to know them and how they work so that by December I have a strong idea of who they all are, how they work, friends, interests, personality quirks etc.

I suggest meeting with the head or individual teachers to address this.

My issue is the age-appropriateness. I think 4/5/6 years is too young. At that age, they need a sturdy, anchor that they can hold on to at school everyday, or at least most school days. And a 2.5 day job share does not provide that.

I just find this an odd opinion. What about children whose parents have split up and share custody? Are those parents selfish as well, or just teachers who spend only part of the week with the children? Quality is the most important thing.

In a nursery job about 12 years ago I had a Libby, Livie, Olivia, Lyra, Lila and Lilly 😭

It is worth considering that there is a huge difference between teaching Y6 and Y1. I know a number of teachers personally who teach one end or the other and could not and would not teach the other end. Unfortunately, your reasoning would argue that all those teaching in KS1 (and all staff in infant schools) couldn't work part time.

It’s not a “need” for children to have hours and hours of dedicated individualized attention in a government-funded classroom. Hire a private tutor is that’s what you’re looking for. You’re taking the bus and expecting limousine treatment.

I've group shared with a colleague. We did separate parts of the curriculum - I was out of my own curriculum safe space but worked with my colleague and, as far as I know, made it work.

My daughter is both a y6 teacher and an assistant head. She is with her class 4 days/week and the other is admin etc. She and cover supervisor share out the work.

My and her situation isn’t uncommon and nor are part time teachers.

Whether it works well or not is down to many factors - but largely down to the personalities and professionalism of the staff concerned.

Sometimes being stuck with one member of staff all day, every day isn’t ideal.

May be I’m wrong but I feel that the post was written with little thought for the situation and work/life balance of the teacher/s concerned.

Are you the parent who emails late and night and complains if there isn’t a reply by breakfast time?

Or the parent who goes on holiday in term time and asks for work to be emailed whilst away?

Or the one who asks for extra work to help with an entrance exam?

Or a daily email to report on the day’s progress.

My daughter and have had them all…..

my eldest had a job share in year 2 and it was great. Both teachers had different skills and worked really well together

"In my defence, I'm EXTREMELY sympathetic to teachers, and I genuinely think they should be paid WAY more than they currently are, and it is a failing in our society that we are not prioritising teachers pay, as they play such a fundamental role."

@blowingBubblesinABreeze

This shows how little you understand of teaching. I think you should volunteer a few days in school to see the reality.

Pay is not really the issue.
Working conditions with huge expectations, parent attitudes, children's behaviour, increased additional needs, massive focus on academic attainment when half the students lack the self control, ability to concentrate, and are not in a 'good state' physically, mentally and emotionally. These are the real issues.
And your post is a reflection of parental attitudes - and it's not from a place of true understanding.

@blowingBubblesinABreeze I know you’re reflected on the main idea in your post now, but I find it interesting that you think teachers go part time because they don’t need the money. I teach part time so I can be with my pre-school child and do the school run on some days with my eldest. I could very much do with a full time wage but I would miss a lot of my own children’s childhood. I’m regularly up until the early hours of the morning to make it sustainable.