AS and shared teacher - it'll be ok won't it?

[Flamesparrow]

New teachers have been announced.

DD1 is going to be having a teacher that is currently on maternity leave, so she will have part of next year with one teacher, and then when mat leave finished she will have job share going on.

I'm worrying.

I don't really want to go in and demand her changing class, but at the same time I am concerned it will make her very unsettled. As a general rule she is ok at school but I don't know if that is because she has had stability.

Do I just see how it goes, or ask to change class to the one with no job share etc?

Classes got shuffled last year so she has friends in both classes.

Hmm, this is a tough one. When dd (also AS ) was in year 2, her teacher went on sick leave. There were a stream of supply teachers and dd just couldn't cope at all -the changes in routine were just too much for her.
However, if handled properly, with regular staff and measures put in place for your dd, I think it could work.

It would involve school doing lots of work on transitions with your dd and making sure all the teachers are aware of her areas of difficulty and use the same practices and routines wherever possible. Do you think her school would be willing to put in the effort?
If not, a change to a different class might be a better option.

Hiya - just wanted to try and offer a bit of reassurance - I've been a special needs teacher in a special school for 7 years, 4 of those as a job share without any adverse reactions from the children - this has included a spell in the dedicated unit for those whose autism has a more profound impact.

I can copmletely understand your concerns. However, don't forget that whatever the setting the class teacher probably has a half day/full day's planning time every week when there will be someone else at the helm anyway. Whether your DD is in a special or mainstream there will be the need for behaviour communications, anxiety triggers etc to be shared within the class team, and the usual class routine to be adhered to - this should be part of good practice within the setting anyhow. If your DD is in a mainstream setting, share your concerns with the SENCo and ensure that transition booklets, transition plans, visual weekly/daily timetables etc are all in place...there should be no reason that job share would necessarily mean chaos and confusion!

HTH

Ds1 is severely autistic and has been in a class with a job share for the last year (and presumably the next 2 years). He's been fine with it, no problems at all. It's a stable arrangement though and communication is very good.

Ok DD1 has had 2 teachers all of this year and its has caused no end of problems fr her. It took a term to work out that she was sobbing all the way to school because she never knew which teacher she was going to have!

I made a notice for them to stick on the window of the door, it has velcro so they change it daily to whoever is teaching. However DD1 pointed out she would like to know for the whole week but thats not possible.
Hopefully your LO will be ok, i guess it depends on where her difficulties lay

Interesting mix there

I have had a chat with my mum this evening (works at the school and DD's biggest advocate always). She says it is set up so they are both doing 3 days a week (mon-wed, wed- fri).

As it stands at the moment with shared teachers if one is ill etc then they try as best they can to just swap ends of the week so there isn't the added aspect of a supply teacher.

The non-maternity teacher has a very good and strong teaching history (so not an NQT or anything) and mum sounds very positive about her. The maternity one I am less convinced by, but I think that the strong one will make up for it iyswim.

I will chat with SENCO (or possibly just the head as she seems to love DD ) about how best to keep her appraised of the routine. I think I will set up with mum to let me know if there is sickness or anything so I can prepare DD before we set off for school.

As it stands at the moment her teacher warns her wherever possible if there is changes for any reason (she is not impressed if the poor woman dares to get ill ).

I think we should be ok.

I am a bit gutted because the other teacher in the year group is one I have known all my life (taught me) and I know he would have suited DD1 perfectly, but I'm not up for shuffling her friends (the other class has 2 girls which ends up as a stroppy 3some with DD1 there too) just so I can get her the teacher I like if I think she will be ok as she is meant to be