Cubby

dawnc78

Hi,

Someone mentioned the other day that you do a job share (teaching?) I am thinking (trying) to arrange a job share for next year and would love any advise or ideas or warnings that you can offer.

I will be teaching 7th grade Math (you teach K right?) so i know it's different, but any help would be greatly appreciated!

CubbyMama

Hi!  Yep, I'm doing a jobshare in kindergarten right now, and did one in 3rd grade last year.  In my district, it has to be 50/50 and you have to divide up the days (not have one person do mornings and the other do afternoons...although I think some do it that way anyway and just submit "legit" work schedules to the district!).

With last year's jobshare, both of us were new to 3rd grade, so we spent a lot of time planning ahead as far as our procedures, etc. went (pencil sharpening, quiet signals, and so on) so that we were consistent with the kids.  This year, my partner is a vetern K teacher and I knew zero about it going in, so I basically went in to observe her and then just did everything the way she does it. 

I work Mon-Tues, she does Th-Fri, and we alternate Wednesdays.  Usually, I pencil in the following week's lesson plans when I'm there on my days, and then she adds/changes whatever she wants before I start the next week on Monday (does that make sense?).  On my work days, I check off what gets done in the lesson plan book so she knows where I left off, in case some things were left undone or in case we got ahead in some areas.

On the last day each of us works for the week, we send the other a detailed email with updates: student issues, conversations with parents, etc. so that each of us comes in feeling up-to-date and not lost when we start our week.

I'm not sure what else you might need to know, but feel free to page me if you have any specific questions...I adore jobsharing and really feel like it's the best of both worlds, because I couldn't make as much money doing anything else part-time, and yet I really only work 90 days a year, so I have plenty of time home with DD.  Good luck!