Job sharing

I have job shared a few times in my career.  It is a great thing to do if you want to keep your foot in the door, not lose tenure, and want to not work every day.  Some people have trouble giving up control when they job share.  Similar to a marriage, there are different ways to do things, and you need to respect that your partner's ways of teaching or reacting to students is as good or sometimes even better than your way, even if it doesn't seem so in the moment.  Once again, that is extremely hard for some teachers!!!!  Many teachers are used to being in charge, when you job share you are not in charge anymore.  Plus, when you job share 50% of the work, you are not just working 50% of the time, you are actually working about 75% of the time (or MORE depending on your job share partner AND your personality!)  If your job share partner is a workaholic then you will feel extremely guilty if you are also not acting like a workaholic, even if you do have a young child to tend to.)  

The solutions are to discuss work habits before you agree to job share.  Record in writing what you are willing to do, and not willing to do, and each sign.  Also, meet with the principal with this agreement and have them also discuss what they want, need, and expect.   Are you willing to come in on your day off to meet with parents who request a meeting?  Are you willing to come in on your day off to go to SST meetings, IEP meetings, or 504 meetings?  Are you willing to come in on your day off to go to weekly staff meetings?  Are you willing to come in on your day off to go to parent conferences for report cards?  Who will go to events in the evenings such as the science fair? 

If you have trouble leaving work at school, and enjoying your weekend, then job sharing may be extremely difficult for you.  When you job share you have to let go sometimes.  I have had a hard time doing that sometimes, and tend to worry about work even thought I'm not there!  I think all teachers do that, but when you job share it is hard to not be able to go in the next day and finish up what you started the day before.

In general, the key is knowing yourself, and knowing what you need and want from your job share partner.  Who will do what?  The key to a successful partnership, I think, is dividing and conquering!  What are each of your strengths?  If one teacher is extremely great at math, have them be in charge of math (even if both of you teach the subject.)   Happy job sharing!