Part time tips

[Pebbleinthesand]

I'm about to return to work after MAT leave next week doing 0.6. Anyone got any tips or advice for going back part time/managing not working constantly/working with a LO at home etc.?

Primary or secondary? Full days off or patchwork timetable?

Primary and three full days with half a day PPA every week.

I’m not in that position but I would expect you need to nail down with your job share exactly who is doing what and make it fair and reasonable (no telling the other teacher where you got up to at 10pm the night before they’re on). Sort out expectations for meetings, parents evenings, INSET. If you miss a meeting how will you find out what was discussed? And systems in the classroom so you both know where everything is.

Will you be working in the evenings or have you got childcare for a day off?

Work long days when youre in, so it can be mostly done then.
Email other teacher with info as soon as possible.
Presumably someone is responsible at the school in admin for typing and emailing out meeting notes anyway, handy for if they fall on your contracted day off.

You cannot be directed to attend on your contracted day off so if you, in agreement with your head, choose to do parents evening or an INSET on those days, it is paid.

I’ve gone back after may leave on 0.8.

I have a good relationship with my job share but it does feel like I’m the “in charge” one - partly because I’ve been in Y3 for longer and partly because I do more hours in there. She’s always asking for advice, what I want her to cover etc.
It’s my own fault because I also find it hard to relinquish control.

That aside though....

I plan lovely things with my baby for Fridays and it keeps my maternity alive! I work my socks off for those 4 days though and also when she naps over the weekend as then I don’t feel guilty.

MissClark this is what I'm worried about as I will be doing more days, doing all planning and my job share is long term supply! Like you, I also think I'll struggle to relinquish control but I guess I'll just have to get over it.
Love the idea of days off feeling like extended maternity and I'm so glad I'll have this to look forward to each week with my little girl.

I'm 0.6 and I love Thursdays and Fridays with my girls

Do not respond to emails on your non-contracted days. Set up an email signature giving your working days and explaining that you will respond accordingly.

Even a 0.6 teaching load can easily expand to fill a whole week if you let it and the onus is on you to ‘train’ your colleagues that you are not available on your non-contracted days.

I have done 0.6 for several years in primary. My tips are:
Do as much as you can on your work days to make the most of the childcare. Split the timetable so you each plan and asess the subjects you teach. If possible let the 2 day person take stand alone maths and lit. E.g. spag and comprehension or problem solving. Handover by email in detail at the end of your 'week' Particularly and conversations with parents so you are both in the loop

Oops! On my phone and hit post too soon!
On your days off plan to go out/meet people as it is very easy to let work slip into your time.
Don't reply to emails on your day off.
The key to a good job share is good communication. Have lots of chats/ meetings with your JS partner Particularly initially so you know how each other work and can be a good team.
😊

Loved working part time but I had a fantastic relationship with my partner teacher and am still very good friends with her even though we haven't worked together for nearly 2 years.
Work out what you are going to teach and then keep it separate so your both not trying to teach the same stuff. We block taught so divided up subjects e.g I has maths she had literacy I did history and geography she did art and music etc

Worked really well for us.

Same as others really. Decide between you who will teach what. Email each other frequently with what you've covered and things going on in the classroom and school. Don't assume that because the head tells you something, they will also tell your job share, so email.

Be flexible, things come up so you may need to adjust planning because a lesson didn't get covered.
And don't work on your non contracted days. Enjoy having a life outside school.

Noble said it ^
Split as much as you can so you aren't sharing.... eg subjects like art or music or RE that take up a smaller part of the timetable, make sure one of you does, so there is less having to 'hand over'

When mine were little, the best year I had was when my dc went to childcare for school hours on one of my non-working days. I did all my schoolwork then, and then had 3 guilt free days doing nothing to do with school. Much better than the other days when I just had this whole battle of guilt for not doing enough school work but also never giving my dc full attention. I realise this is only if finances allow, but in terms of mental health / sanity, it was great.