Struggling with new job share

[Colchestergal]

I'm struggling to work with my new job share.

Can I ask a few questions about what's reasonable? I am a reception teacher working 3 days and she also does three days. One day we cover each other's PPA and team teach one afternoon.

I have suggested that we each responsible for half of the learning journeys and theme books. So, I have kept mine up to date and added printed WALT's where necessary. Partners are not up to date. She sends me an email asking where her WALT's are. Why haven't I made some for her as the children are doing the same stuff. But, my problem is this....she is always behind. If I make enough for her, I will always to making them for us both. She's too disorganised to do them in time for me to have them.

There's a back story to it. I am doing all the tidying up, putting away of resources. I tidy, set up our outside area. I have made quite a few of the resources. Quite honestly, I just don't feel like making her life even easier when she doesn't reciprocate for me.

Cow bag? Or not ??

The way I did it in the past ( Y1)was that we sat down and had a discussion about who would do what before we started. We split many things along curriculum lines and agreed to share the workload, tweaking it on a weekly basis. You have to work as a team or it doesn't work for either of you, and the children lose out.
Put WALTS and resources on a shared folder on the class computer, then she and you can both access them and it's no extra work for you. be very clear about what the problems are and expect her to be professional. If that doesn't work, then you need to ask for support further up the chain.
If she's not prepared, it's the children who are getting a crap deal.

The children are adding their own WALT's, we add them to photos or pictures they might produce related to our theme. Hence, you can do them afterwards. But, it's Oct and she hasn't yet added any to her theme books but mine have 8. She's annoyed that I've not made them for her. She hasn't annotated any of her learning journeys but mine are up to date.

I'm thinking of saying, your half are your responsibility. And trying to keep my head down!!

Sorry I meant to say the children ARE NOT adding their own WALT's

See your method doesn't make sense to me.

Surely it would be better to take responsibility for what you teach, and for your observations, rather than splitting the childrne into two groups?

If you do an UtheW activity on your day, you are responsibly for any work the children produce, and any observations made, then if she does a maths activity on her day she is responsible for getting the work into the books.

If you make observations and take photos during your time in the class, you get them into the learning journeys and annotate them, and she does the same.

That is how I did it when I very successfully job shared for two years in reception. I kept the class tidy when I was in, she did when she was in, and the TA picked up all the slack.

It is very hard job sharing in reception though! I am glad I am not doing it any more.

Why are you struggling with setting out the rules together? Keeping your head down isn't a solution, the problems will just increase. Why do you think she isn't doing her fair share? NQT who hasn't a clue? part-timer who isn't taking the job seriously enough?
What reasons is she giving for not keeping up, and do you really only have 16 children in the class?
How come no one in the SLT has noticed yet?

I used to do WALTS on sticky labels with the date, easy to adapt and save on the computer.

Class of 30, both experienced teachers. Photos are annotated, just need sticking into LJ's then the areas it relates to added plus add the characteristics of learning added too.

She hasn't added the CoL nor added the areas of learning the observations relate to.

We divided the 30 theme books and 30 LJ's up between us as she wasn't sticking stuff in and i was floundering keeping up with all 60!!

SMT are aware, they know what she's like but don't offer me any support.

She doesn't tidy up, set up outside or help me in anyway.

Then you need to bring in the SLT and ask them to support the jobshare, find out whay she's having problems keeping up and get them to fix it. The answer isn't to do it all yourself.
I think I got the numbers muddled by skim-reading and thinking you'd got 8 theme books looking fantastic and hers weren't. Apologies for the muddle!
Did you choose to work with her, or was this a botch-job put together by the school?

'She doesn't tidy up, set up outside or help me in anyway.'

Again, why not? It's part of her job.

Could your TA not do a lot of that annotating then? Perhaps that would be the answer?

I feel sorry for the kids if she never sets up the outdoor area.

You need to talk to SMT again.

I was on mat leave last year and she covered me by working full time. I came back to three out of control children (spitting, biting etc. when previously they had been delightful), a bombs hit classroom with no water/sand play and all the toys in a mess. She got so behind with her LJ's and theme books that she had to be given 2 days non contact to get them done.

I am fed up of doing the WALT's and all the other stuff myself whilst she swans in, reaping the rewards of my hard work. I want to say to her that she has to do her own and Im not doing enough WALT's for her too as Im sick of her taking the p*s!!!!

Then say that to her.

She sounds like a nightmare.

I agree, it's not just about the unfairness to you, the impact on the children is more important. Get SLT in to sort out the mess. Have you considered lining up a replacement for her if she can't handle the responsibilities?
Reception is a vital year, the problems need sorting now.

I would sit down with her and say we need to talk about how to divide our work equally as I feel very busy at the moment. She will continue to take the piss if you let her. This is v hard though. I have done a job share before but we fortunately both had the same approach and therefore it worked. If she is a piss taker then you need to cover your own arse by putting it all on paper and by sticking to your guns.