Job-Sharing??? Would love opinions!

SevenT7Switch · May 2012

So I'm an elementary school teacher. My principal has given me the fantastic opportunity to job-share next year, which means I would work 3 days on, 2 days off (or something similar). Another colleague/friend wants to do the other half. I am so lucky to have the chance to do this, but I am totally torn...

1. I'm worried that it will end up being just as much work as a full-time teaching gig. My partner teacher and I would have to coordinate our schedules to plan units together (my district does not have a set curriculum). We'd also have to keep one another in the loop about students, progress, etc.

2. The friend who wants to take the other half of the job has made me uncomfortable in the past with her teaching practices.I have a super hard time being honest and open about how I'm feeling, so I'm afraid I'll just stew and be miserable. Totally accept this is my own issue; just nervous I won't be able to get past it before or during the year.

My real hopes is to find a part-time teaching gig that does not involve job-sharing (i.e. interventionist), but not sure if any will become available by the fall. If I say no to job-sharing and nothing comes up, I'll have to go back to my full-time classroom. Of course, the whole point is so I can stay home with my little man for half the time!

I'd love your thoughts and opinions! Thanks in advance!

megahof · May 2012

As a teacher myself, I wouldn't want to do this. I put a lot of effort into my lesson plans, and follow a carefully laid out curriculum that I feel is best for each of my students. Having another teacher share my job would jeopardize not only the flow of information that I'm trying to pass along, but also the rhythm of our lessons together; it takes a student at least a couple days to get used to a new person teaching them, even if they know it's coming. Personally, because I'm such a control freak about my teaching, I'd rather just keep the full-time job and do it the way I know to be best for me and my students.

Granted, that doesn't solve the issue of you wanting to stay home with your babe, but it's how I see the teaching issue.

mintea · May 2012

I know nothing about teaching elementary school, but could you set it up so you teach certain subjects on your days and your friend teaches different subjects on her days? Ex. MWF you teach Math, Science, and History; Tu&Th she teaches Reading and Writing. That way your lessons wouldn't necessarily have to intersect.

Or do you have to teach every subject every day?

tittytwistertortoises · May 2012

I am a high school teacher and my friend and I have been given the go ahead to job share next year. We are in the process of figuring out the schedule. Our school is debating on continuing a block schedule (which would allow us to do have our own kids but work every other day) or if they will go back to traditional (which would makes us share kids and split the week Mon/Tues every other Wed or Thurs/Fri every other Wed). So I know what you are going through.

My thought is that if I hate it, then I won't do it again the following year. It really is only 10 months and a good way to think of it is that you will actually be home 5 of those months:) Yes we will have to be super organized and maybe talk more than we want. Yes we won't agree on all lessons, yes some kids will like one over the other, yes there will be issues regarding how we handle the students, yes there will be a time maybe more that things go completely wrong. But the way I have decided to look at it is that for my son, it is more important for me to be home with him. If I have to sacrifice a stressful job situation for half of the week (and maybe it will work great) to be home with DS the other half, than it is well worth it. Also, I can't imagine going back full time. I So to me it is the only way this will work.

Hope this helps.

SevenT7Switch · May 2012

Thank you for all of your thoughts! I very much appreciate them.

Sadly, at my school we do need to teach basically every subject through out the day. I have seen it done where one teacher takes AM and one takes PM, which makes it possible to switch subjects, but the other teacher is not interested in doing that. Splitting subjects sounds the easiest to me.

I seriously never realized how much of a control freak I am in my classroom! I have no problem planning with others, but when you have your own room you can tweak it however you want.

Just talked to my principal and she's asking for my decision by June 1st. Maybe part of me is just hoping I can some how figure out a way to stay home full time!

SevenT7Switch · May 2012

tittytwistertortoises:
My thought is that if I hate it, then I won't do it again the following year. It really is only 10 months and a good way to think of it is that you will actually be home 5 of those months:) Yes we will have to be super organized and maybe talk more than we want. Yes we won't agree on all lessons, yes some kids will like one over the other, yes there will be issues regarding how we handle the students, yes there will be a time maybe more that things go completely wrong. But the way I have decided to look at it is that for my son, it is more important for me to be home with him. If I have to sacrifice a stressful job situation for half of the week (and maybe it will work great) to be home with DS the other half, than it is well worth it. Also, I can't imagine going back full time. I So to me it is the only way this will work.
Hope this helps.

You totally just shifted my thinking on it! Time with my DS is worth it. Thank you!!!

tittytwistertortoises · May 2012

No problem. These are the things I have to keep reminding myself, so I am glad I wrote them down. I am with you on wishing I could figure out a way I could stay home. I feel like if we adjust stuff then we could do it, but I think DH is scared to have all the financial responsibility, plus we both know that if I leave, it will be really hard to get back in if I have to. You sound similar to me where you don't like to half-ass anything and you refuse to half-ass your LO which means work might have to suffer which probably drives you nuts. Well if you decide to do the job share we can use each other as a way to vent if needed

Then we won't take it home with us.

SevenT7Switch · May 2012

tittytwistertortoises:
No problem. These are the things I have to keep reminding myself, so I am glad I wrote them down. I am with you on wishing I could figure out a way I could stay home. I feel like if we adjust stuff then we could do it, but I think DH is scared to have all the financial responsibility, plus we both know that if I leave, it will be really hard to get back in if I have to. You sound similar to me where you don't like to half-ass anything and you refuse to half-ass your LO which means work might have to suffer which probably drives you nuts. Well if you decide to do the job share we can use each other as a way to vent if needed Then we won't take it home with us.

You have described me to a "T"! I have no idea how people work teaching full-time with a LO. It blows my mind...

I'd love to have a venting buddy! I have no idea how to PM on here, but my email address is the.terry.kate.merger@gmail.com. Although, I hope we both win the lotto or some other amazing thing happens so we can be SAHMs!

Chrisaloyd · May 2012

Before my husband got a promotion and therefore a pay raise (now I get to quit my job!!) , I was planning to job share next year. I felt very comfortable working with the other teacher. We have vey similiar teaching styles, and have both been teaching K 3 years. We were planning to each work 5 days a week, but she would work 8-12 (90 minute reading book, lunch, and part of writing), and I would work 12-4 (math, science, specials and Intervention groups.)

although I didnt love the idea of coming to work every day, it just made more sense to split up subject areas. This way I woud be completely responsible for planing, assessing, Progress monitoring, and everything else for my subject, and the same with her. I didn't want to have to find time to meet each week to discuss every single subject area.. This way I worry about my stuff, she worries about hers. It's odd to me your county doesn't have adopted curriculum... How do you decide what to teach?

A couple of negatives to it for me were: sharing a salary, not getting the same insurance benefits/coverage, going to work every day even though PT, having to fill in for each other if the other is out, finding time to meet to fill each other in on staff meetings and team decisions, and feeling the need to run everything by someone before making decisions. I love running my class the way I want, and having to give up one of that control can be difficult. Good luck in whatever you decide!

kmhb2010 · May 2012

I teach 1st grade and I would love to job share, however it isn't even in the realm of possibility in my district. I know that it might be stressful, but teaching is stressful, so I think it would just be a different kind of stress. Like a PP said, the time with your child - in my opinion - trumps all stress that you'll have. Good luck with your decision!!

SevenT7Switch · May 2012

Chrisaloyd:
It's odd to me your county doesn't have adopted curriculum... How do you decide what to teach?

Well, I guess technically my district's "curriculum" are the state standards. They just don't provide anything to teach those standards with, so we have to create everything.

How fantastic that you get to quit your job!

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