to make a fuss about job-sharing reception teachers?

[EmmalinaC]

DD1 starts school in September. Last week we attended the new parents evening and discovered that she will have two part-time teachers: Mrs X works Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Mrs Y works Thursday & Friday.

Many of the parents expressed concern about this and were told that both teachers were working mums and it suited them better to work part-time. They didn't really offer any justifications that were to the children's advantage (apart from 'it's better to have two teachers in case you don't get on with one' )

I don't want to start off on the wrong foot with the school by making a fuss about this but I can't help feeling that it is totally inappropriate for a reception class.

So AIBU to complain the school? To the Head? Or to the Governors?

YABU.

When DS1 was in Reception he had two teachers, one working Mon-Wed and the other Thurs and Fri.

One was nearing retirement and so wanted to cut her hours down, the other had a young child.

It worked fantastically, he loved them both.

They both had different specialisms, so the children got the advantage of that.

Also it had the advantage that if one of them was off sick the other one could often cover, rather than getting in a supply teacher that the children didn't know.

My DS has two teachers; one full-time and one part-time. I think it gives out a good message that part-time working women are valuable members of the workforce.

Better 2 decent teachers than 1 crap one! Have been there and it stinks. DS2 has a jobshare main classroom teacher and 2 specialist teachers who cover PPA time teaching their subjects. DS loves it and gets the benefit of someone who knows their subject inside out. DS1 has just gone to senior school where he sees a minimum of 5 teachers a day I think DS2 will be much better prepared for this sort of setup in a few years time.

DS2 starts reception in September, and his teachers will be job sharing (2.5 days each). Personally, I think it will be to his benefit. They both seem to have a bit different strengths, and I think this can only be good for the children. As long as things are fairly consistent in the classroom, I don't see a problem with it.

one of mine had two part-time teachers in reception and it worked really well. One was very 'arty' and did lots of messy play type things while the other did calmer stuff. I thought it was brilliant that they got both

I am a school governor at an infant school where we have a number of job shares. When I started as a governor back in 2000 there was limited part time working and the school often lost staff once they had children. Now the teachers often come back part time. There is much greater continuity and experience is retained in the school.

My second dd starts at the school in September and has two job share teachers.

YABU - DD has had a jobshare in reception and it has worked very well. Both teachers are experienced and the children all seem very happy.

oh my god you are so BU! on quite a few levels too!

agree you have no right to complain, dont even go there!!!

Porcamiseria - Emmalina has already said that she's not going to complain now that we've explained things to her.

No need to carry on putting the boot in

Both ds and dd had reception jobshare teachers. As Domesticslattery mentioned, one advantage was that if one was off sick/on a course etc etc the other covered - there were never any random cover teachers.

No complaints here whatsoever.

Thank you Littlefish

And thanks to everyone who has posted their positive experiences of job-sharing. I actually feel really positive about now.

As this probably is a neurotic-parent-dreading-sending-Precious-First-Born-off-to-school thread, perhaps I should have posted in the Education Topic, rather than here in AIBU and getting attacked by you hardened cynics for whom being PFB is the most heinous crime of all Complaining to the school is clearly unreasonable to the point of being completely ridiculous but I don't think I'm being unreasonable to be apprehensive. There actually IS a thread in the Primary School topic which is almost entirely about the negative aspects of job sharing - which is what made me converned in the first place.

i did not read all the thread, so shoot me!
sorry emmaline!

You have two options

1. send your child to the school and see how it goes
2. send your child to a different school and pray the full-time teacher doesnt get pregnant

I have friends who live in holland where this is very common as teachers who have children rarely go back full-time

At my DD's school, all the children have two teachers right from the start (2.10 for my DD) - a French class teacher, for 3/4 of the day, and an English teacher (and the children are setted for English, so different group to class) for 1/4 of the day. It is such a non-issue to have 2 teachers - it is of huge benefit to all the children.

Personally I believe that job-sharing teachers have more energy for the job and the children will only benefit (unless of course 1 or other of the teachers is no good, but that is a separate issue).

When my DS was in reception he had the Head three days a week and a part time teacher two days a week. Worked fine. Both were very good teachers and worked well together in that they had similar ideas about how things should be done.

I had two job sharing teachers when I was in reception, and it ruined my life! No, not really- I just remember they were two nice ladies. I vaguely recall one had young children, and the other was trying to pursue a musical career in the rest of her time? Anyway, I can't see it being a real problem.

ow!

most kids have two parents. Also other adults who look after them. Four grandparents. VArious carers in school holidays etc. So yabu - kids learn different adults have different rules and are very adaptable. Plus do you think teacher parents have no right to part time working. I am quite at your question to be honest and think you are being very unreasonable.

OP HAS ACKNOWLEDGED SHE WAS BEING A LTTLE U. SHE HAS THANKED EVERYONE FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS

(sorry for shouting)

I had two teachers for my first year at junior school. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. All right we were a bit older but it was not a problem. Also some kids do better with some teachers than others due to differant styles/ personalities so two could be an advantage

Emmalina - as someone who has been-there-done-that with primary school I can honestly assure you that I am delighted that DS2 has the job share team for year 4 rather than the one rather ineffectual teacher who will take the other year 4 class.

Now my PFB is going to secondary school and my heart goes out to him as he makes that change, just as yours does at the start of reception. Circle of life and all that.

Sorry I don't think you're being unreasonable at all.

I think there is no place what so ever for a job share in rec. The only people it suits are the teachers themselves. I know life happens but I actually think job shares should only be allowed from KS2 up. Primary teachers should be able to teach across the age range so it shouldn't be a problem for teachers to cope with that.

I am an ex teacher with a lot of experience in rec and KS1.

I'm surprised your head has put a job share in rec as most wouldn't dream of it certainly in all the schools I've ever taught in.

Rec is an extremely important year and children need a huge amount of continuity and security. This is seriously limited with a job share. This is a child's 1st taste of school and it will take a lot for a child to cope with being in the full time care of a new adult let alone cope with learning to read and write and everything else school throws at you.

For a 4 year old to have to cope with a different adult,different teaching style half way through the week is just not on. It will just make the delicate procedure or teaching that child the very important basic skills that much harder. Learning to read and write needs to be handled very carefully you really need to build a child's trust and confidence. Not all children are super confident certainly not at 4. Also both will have PPA time and an assistant so frequently it isn't actually just 2 teachers involved.

I also think it takes an outstanding set of teachers to compensate for being a job share,how many of those are actually around? I've taught as a job share on supply and it was a nightmare trying to do the job as it should be if the other half has a life and sticks to contracted hours. Done properly there should be a hand over period every week(would take an afternoon if done properly),planning,assessment etc,etc.I was constantly chasing said other half who quite rightly didn't want to go over her paid time to discuss important issues that actually needed to be discussed.

I have several friends who teach as job shares and interestingly most like me don't think they have a place with young children at all. Older KS 2 children have learnt the basics, are settled into school and are a lot more confident,far better able to cope with the demands of a jobshare.

Complain big time,even if you don't get a result this year your head might think twice next year,could benefit you in the long run if you have other children.

I think your comments say more about your own limited (and obviously negative)experience of job shares MilaMae than anything else.

I had 2 teachers that did Job share in class 8 (which is now reception) and it was fine, split exactly like you describe. When you are in reception there are no massively different 'teaching styles'. Also, has she been to preschool? If so surely she has had more than one playworker there?

Please get over yourself.