Part time teacher questions

[disneyprincess87]

I'll be returning to work after mat leave in September working Monday to Wednesday. My job share is lovely and we've worked togther when we were both full time. I don't want to go back but needs must and all!

What are your experiences after returning to work? I've been warned from other PT colleagues that I'll be working much more than my contractual hours; parents evenings, training days etc but school will pay me for these days.

I'll be getting an afternoon of PPA for one half term and one session for the next half term. Is this right?

Any hints or tips you can share would really be appreciated, trying to mentally prepare myself in any way possible!

Thank you xx

I am assuming you are primary so it maybe different but then I suppose all schools are different.

I have found the department dynamics very difficult and thought I was imagining being sidelined until other colleagues outside of my department mentioned that they had notice it. I find that I often don't find out information that need for my job and people perception seemed to be that I am suddenly not as capable as I was before. I have had to fight to get a GCSE a class this year and I have been given lots randoms things on my timetable.

You should have 10 PPA of your timetable as PPA so one afternoon is very generous.

Like I said every school is different and you may have a more appreciative school.

Thanks for your reply. I am primary based, I'm shocked by how give been treated by some of your colleagues. I hope they have realised you're more than capable!

Being kept in the loop is something I will need to watch out for. We will be using a communication book between myself and job share so hopefully we will on top of it! We're lucky we're in a two form entry school so ive find that there's normally one of us on the ball!!

I'm in almost the same position as you- working Mon-Wed from Sept but with a new member of staff as my job share. I too am wondering how I'll manage the work/life balance. I'm going to try and do as much prep as I can over the summer to help me through the first term at least!

Good luck to you! I've been into school for a few years and it wasn't as bad I thought leaving my little one, the anticipation of it happening was definitely worse.
I'm hoping that I'll be able to complete all my work in school and do minimal prep at home. I'll do what I've always done and work through lunch and break times to get as many books marked as possible.
Luckily I'm in the same year group as when I was pregnant so I know what I'm doing for th autumn term! After that I'm clueless!! Are you in the same boat mamma2016? Have you met your job share?

Hours not years!

I have done it for a year now and, to tell you he truth I hate it. I'm primary too, work Monday to Wednesday.
As a PP said, I am treated like a lesser teacher, as if you're no longer as capable as you were before.
People assume that if they have told your job share, that you will automatically know. I'm not really talking the big stuff here, but little silly things that can get missed in a weekly handover email.
You don't form anywhere near as tight a bond with your class. Reports are tricky to write because you don't have the full picture.

Regarding PPA, my job share and I get Wednesday afternoon together. Our school has had a few unsuccessful job shares and this was the only successful model.

Despite all the negatives, I do it for the bigger picture. I get to spend 2 full days with my beautiful children and have gotten very good as switching off on a Wednesday evening and I don't switch back on again until Sunday. It is now no longer my priority.
It often feels like I am not as good a teacher as I once was, but I think that she aide o used to give my everything and now I can't do that and raise children too. It has certainly helped me put it all in perspective.
I've only don't it for a year so we will see of it gets easier next year!
Good luck to you
(Oh and yes, I always claim back money to be laid on any days I've gone in for that are on a Thursday and Friday- like parents evening and INSETS that I've been made to go in for)

Thank you for replying. I hope you enjoy it more next year.

You've given useful points to think about. I do worry about making sure I've passed everything over that my job share needs to be aware of. Friendship issues for example or conversations with parents from the playground. It must take some time to write all these things up.
Reports and assessments is a tricky one. I'm presuming I'm going to need to meet up to discuss all of these issues. Somehow sorting child care out? So many extra things to think about!
Have you found you've been given plenty of notice to attend days that you don't normally do? INSET days for example?

I work in primary and also jobshare, doing 3 days per week. I have a fantastic jobshare and we work really well together. I haven't experienced feeling any 'lesser' either.

We split the class to complete assessments and write reports which has worked well in all the years we've worked together. We generally swap halves of the class with each assessment period/half termly. We just do a quick scan over each other's judgements before submitting them.

Other members of staff have become much better at emailing both of us with important information so that neither of us miss anything. We have a communication book in our desk drawer for anything that hasn't been emailed.

As for INSET days, if you work 3 days you only need to do 3 out of the 5 days over the year. My headteacher is pretty good at giving notice. A few years ago all the INSET days were on my jobshare'a days so I had to work those 3 as extras but over time it works out evenly. We save each other any notes given out if it's not on our day. Parents evenings are spread out over two days at my school so we do one each.

PPA together is really important for hand over and continuity.

I hope it works out well for you too!

Yes, I've always had plenty of notice. The only thing I've agreed to do on my day off is Parents evening. And I asked to be paid for it as it fell on a Thursday. I'm not sure they can 'make' you do it. I was lucky that my husband could come home early.

You have to be really on the ball with communication and sharing the workload. Last year I planned the English and JS planned the maths. However, we had different styles, so I would always spent my Sunday evenings re planning her lessons using the same objectives. It's maybe because I'm a control freak or set in my ways but this year I've suggested that I teach and plan all the number and she does all the space (for example)
Make sure you divvy out the work equally. I was dumped with all the paperwork for the IEPs as well as booking all the trips. It needs to be a fiat split

Sorry for the delay in replying. I did three days this week and then has a busy end of week- I'm exhausted. I am also planning to work through lunch to try and not take books home! Don't mind planning at home but I hate the guilt of having a box of books in the hallway, waiting to be marked!
New year group for me but one I've taught before. Good luck for Sept!

You've all given me great advice. Thank you. Im feeling little more prepared having read your comments so it's helping to reduce the stress of leaving my baby. Have a wonderful summer holiday everyone!!