How to deal with a job-share partner who is resistant to change

[desperate4spring]

I start a new role this week teaching Reception as a job-share. My 'other half' has been teaching in the same class for as long as anyone can remember and has recently reduced her hours down from full-time, hence the job-share.

She is having huge wobbles about upcoming changes (new phonics scheme, a move towards more continuous provision) and I'm struggling to know how to best work alongside her. We went in today to 'sort out the classroom' and she was so resistant to even the slightest changes that I suggested. She is also a massive hoarder and the cupboards and drawers are absolutely full to the brim of goodness-knows-what.

How can I be sensitive to her feelings and honour all of her experience and expertise, whilst at the same time helping her to move forwards?

I think you will really struggle to have a good working relationship in this situation, and I would honestly have a very frank discussion with this person or look for a new role. She is refusing to compromise, or take on new schemes that are likely what is best for the students. I guess you could just very good naturedly keep asking 'why?' every time she refuses a change or compromise until you wear her down. Or just teach around her.

I think a class is a hard thing to share. I've been on both sides of this, patiently trying to get even the smallest changes out of someone who's entrenched in their room, and patiently trying to accommodate a huge number of initiatives from someone who only has to make them work one day a week. In some ways it was just easier to be there full time. Once you're in the class though you can just get your own thing going, the children adapt really quickly to different teaching styles and you can just teach around each other.

Sorting out a classroom together is always going to be the worst part of the year too, especially if it's all her old crap that's coming to light, so I wouldn't judge how the rest of the year will be based on that alone.

@Barbie222 I'm really hoping that's the case! I tentatively suggested emptying one of the cupboards today, purely so I could familiarise myself with what resources are available. That went down like a lead balloon. I think a lot of it is her own personal stuff...

Just give it time. She may or may not come around but you will find a way to work together. Keep communicating, stay positive, find good in some of the things that she is doing, talk about things you are finding hard so she doesn’t think it’s just her & you are a bright new person to be threatened by, show that there are things you can learn from her & her experience of being in that class in that school. Never, ever be negative about her to other colleagues.

Hopefully in time you will find you are a team.

My current job share & I honestly hated each other at the start! It was really hard. However now a couple of years on we would both say it’s the best job share we’ve ever worked in. It just takes time & getting to know each other in a positive way to make that happen.

I’ve also had job shares where I just had to do my own thing on my days because that was all the other person wanted to do. That was hard but worked fine for the children - we just played to our strengths.

If your new job share has decided to go part time, that’s possibly a sign she’s not that happy in teaching atm, plus all the changes (tho I’m quite horrified cp isn’t well established already in a reception class ) are hard & can make us feel very emotional. I’m sure with patience you’ll get there.

@EllieNBeeb

I think you will really struggle to have a good working relationship in this situation, and I would honestly have a very frank discussion with this person or look for a new role. She is refusing to compromise, or take on new schemes that are likely what is best for the students. I guess you could just very good naturedly keep asking 'why?' every time she refuses a change or compromise until you wear her down. Or just teach around her.

Where does it say the OP's colleague is "refusing to" do anything? Op said she's having wobbles - she may be expressing worries or anxiety (she may also have experienced some of these changes the first time they came around and see the pitfalls more than a less experienced teacher). OP don't go in demanding a big clear out. That's not a great first step tbh!

Can you split some of the cupboard so that there are some shared, some that are totally hers and some that are totally yours? That way she can keep a lot of the stuff that is personal to her and doesn’t feel like you are encroaching.

What is the split like? Who will be the children’s main teacher?

If she has done the role a long time then it might take her a while to let go of the reins. Do speak to the head /head of KS to get advise before it becomes a big issue.