teacher job share - how to make it work

[mrsflux]

as above really.

i'm going back in september to job share with a colleague that i like and get on with but haven't worked closely with before. and i've never job shared before!

how do you communicate?
what works and what doesn't?
any top tips???

many thanks X

Hi, no tips for you I am afraid but I am in a similar situation. I am going back to work in september after maternity leave but i am starting in a new school on a job share. the other girl is already working in the school but is on mat leave at the moment too.

I am slightly apprehensive as to how to make it work aswell. I guess you have to be open with each other and make sure you talk regularly. I think its important that we both have our own space in the classroom and that we know which things we share and which we do on our own. I dont know yet anythign about how we will share planning etc.. but we are both experienced teachers so it shouldnt be too bad.

Good luck x

I did a teaching job share years ago. Agree that having some agreed 'own' space for storage, display etc is useful.

The absolute key thing is communication - you will need to liaise very closely as there is just so much that you will both need to know to make the job run smoothly - day to day info on kids, how they are each progressing, what work you have covered or not covered etc. We kept a log book in school for written communication, but to be frank, there's no substitute for speaking regularly, and this will have to be done in your own time. As far as I am aware, job share or flexible working has a clause which kind of states that this liaison 'cannot be at the school's expense' which is entirely reasonable. For example, in an ideal world you would have maybe a two hour crossover when you're both paid to liaise, but in reality the school can't do this because it would be an unreasonable use of funds. So be prepared to have to put in a good amount of time for communication.

I think at all times, it helps to remember that a jobshare is literally that - you are sharing one job. It's not two part time jobs, it is one job which has been shared, so the school will want everything to be as seamless as possible. Parents may have anxieties about inconsistency etc, so it would also be useful to think these things through and have positive responses if anyone is concerned.

HTH

SEcondary or primary?

My exp is secondary, with a good friend (and fellow mnetter ).

Worked well for us. Email is a godsend; we also used to meet up once a halfterm or so to discuss planning (usually did this on one of my days off cos partner did 3 days so had more non-contact time). We usually taught different strands - e.g. if one person was doing Shakespeare the other would do poetry or skills; had separate books for children's work etc. Would sometimes teach the same unit of work but this required lose co-operation.

thanks for the tips so far!

i'm primary and will be sharing a class with the deputy - i'll have them when she has her deputy head time so we'll have opportunities to chat quite regularly as she'll be in school the same time as me.

have a feeling we'll split the planning etc.

next question tho...

would you work monday and tuesday OR thursday and friday - can't decide which and head said it was up to us to decide!

Thursday and Friday. You avoid that Sunday night feeling but get the Friday feelin!!!!!

I have job-shared for many years (with the same job-share partner), both in mainstream and a special setting. In Primary. Our current job is unusual as we dont't normally share pupils, just the room and support staff, and we both work a Wednesday, so we chat all day!

We are currently both working 3 days a week - I work Wed - Fri. I like the end of the week because I get Mon and Tues to catch up after the weekend and often the beginning of the week is busier with meetings, etc. However, I can see that in Mainstream you would have to follow on from the work your job-share had started, which could be more tricky than starting the work yourself.

You will definitely need joint planning time. Email and notes can be good to keep up-to-date on day-to-day stuff. I agree that you should have your own storage spaces as well as joint storage, but display depends on how you work the curriculum - we are very adhoc and discuss as we go!