Are Most Teachers Controlling?

During summer school today, I was chatting with a colleague who split a contract (50/50) with another teacher last year. They both have young children at home and didn't want to work full-time. Anyway, my colleague was the AM teacher and another lady was the PM teacher.

She said it was so incredibly difficult to share a classroom with someone else. They both had different views on classroom management and classroom arrangement. One wanted the classroom to look in pristine condition, while the other was pretty messy and not concerned with tidiness whatsoever. Additionally, one was relatively strict and no-nonsense; the other was super laid back and easy going.

At the end of the conversation, my coworker said she's returning to full-time teaching in the fall. She said she's "much too controlling" to ever share a classroom with someone else.

It got me thinking: Could I ever share a classroom with another teacher (even if we were never in the room at the same time)?

Your thoughts?

 

I could as long as we had our own personal spaces in the room. I would want my own desk and area of the room that is "my space." As for the other issues, I would address the other teacher about cleaning up, that is just ridiculous to leave a room a dirty mess. There isn't much you can do about behavior management, but I would just let the kids know when they had me I expect them to comply with my expectations.

 

I don't think I could. I'm an only child, which I think adds to it

 

I don't think I could do it! I definitely want things "just so." Probably due to a tad of OCD mixed with my passion for all things organization.

It would be very hard for me to relinquish the room to another teacher half of the time. I actually hate having subs for having to do damage control the next morning. When I get a sub that doesn't leave a mess, I always email to thank him/her and request them the next time!

 

I think I would have to find the 'right' person to share with. I definitely couldn't share with just anyone!

 

I think I could do it if things were put back. I would clean up after myself and leave things the way they were before, so I would expect the same courtesy. I've had people use my classroom for after school things before and move all the desks, leave trash, etc. THAT'S when I start to get irritated.

 

I'm too controlling to share my classroom with another teacher if we were to split it into AM/PM. If I had to share my classroom I would rather have a co-teacher so that I'll be able work with them at the same time. That way we'll hopefully be able to compromise as how things are to be done.

I have 2 assistants in my room every year and I hate messy work areas -- I feel that we should model cleanliness with students if we expect them to be neat. I also hate having to explain myself to someone else or discuss things every day (sometimes I just want to go home right after school). I've done it for 6 years and I'm done...

My preference will be to work by myself. I love bouncing ideas off of my co-worker but I have a definite way on how I like things to be done.

 

Nope, not a chance. As a teacher we have to set up the learning environment in our classrooms, there are just too many different ways to do this, too many different expectations..etc.

I love talking education, but I need control over my classroom.

 

Initially, they thought it'd be wonderful. I think they realized that their personalities were much too different to share the same space. Plus, the kids got confused by their completely different management styles (AM teacher wanted it one way...PM teacher had completely different expectations).

 

I have co-taught with other teachers before, and didn't really find sharing space to be a problem for me for a period, but it might be an issue if it was an all-day thing. A few years ago I had a student teacher who was extremely messy and disorganized, and it drove me crazy.

 

Just thought of something else--two teachers at my school shared a classroom for a couple of years. While they were both in there different periods (with different students), they had different styles and both ended up having a huge argument with each other over space issues. One of them ended up moving into a different classroom for the remainder of the school year, and then moved back into the room when the other teacher retired. The funny thing is, both of them are really close friends, and are able to laugh about it now. They both just realized that they couldn't "live" together.

 

I'm controlling, but I don't think sharing the actual classroom would bother me. I don't like sharing my kids! Of course now I have a completely different situation since I'm in music. I really enjoyed having my own class, so I miss that!

Oh, but I guess I kind of do "share" my classroom. My room has the staff restrooms, so adults come in my room all the time to go to the bathroom during my classes. I don't like it!

 

I have met exactly two teachers that I could theoretically do this with, one is my mentor and one is a close friend. Other than that, I wouldn't trust anyone else with my stuff. Who knows what kind of classroom management they have? I hate even having to allow other teachers to use my classroom for 1 period during SOL testing, because their kids always mess with my stuff and it irks me beyond belief.

Not knowing what's going on in my space would drive me to distraction.

 

I met a teacher who taught a high needs, special education program in a hospital. They set her up in the hallway and she had to use bookcases to prevent her students from running down the hall. She also had an outside door in her "classroom" and some of the hospital staff had problem walking through her class to when they were arriving to work or leaving.

 

I did it this past year and, for us, it worked well. Personality-wise, we were very similar and had similar discipline styles and behaviour expectations. I'm more of a "piler" than she is, but I kept it in check. I know that there are very few people I could have done this with, but not because of control; my concern would be more for consistency with the students.

 

I don't think I'd be very good a sharing a classroom with that kind of split... I can see rules and procedures being a nightmare between two different people.

Now, if it were on the type of block schedule we have at my school, and one person worked A day and one person worked B day, I think that would be much easier since no students would *actually* be shared.

 

I'm not sure work conditions and reactions equals controlling. It would be very difficult to have te sets of philosophies in a co-teaching situation.

 

Personalities definitely make the difference. I thought I would be too controlling for co-teaching. I asked myself that question many times with my first co-teacher. Now that I'm paired with someone who is more like minded to me I realized I'm not too controlling. I'm just very passionate and a little Type-A and OCD lol but I know where to draw the line and make a compromise. Sure it takes letting some things go. But being able to work as a team has far more benefits than negatives in my mind.

 

Also, I cannot believe the school would even allow this. It doesn't seem purposeful for the children even if the two teachers did get along. Did the morning teacher have the same exact students at the afternoon teacher? I've never heard of such a thing.

 

I had to share a classroom for four years. I hated it. I always felt like I was invading someone's space.

 

How old were the students? Did AM teacher always teach the same subjects. Cause in that situation (though I don't think it's a good idea) it's the same as being in middle school and having to adjust to okay science teacher wants this and math teacher wants this but English teacher doesn't want that...etc.

 

I don't think I could ever do it.

I used to work with a couple of teachers who did this. They had been first year teaching partners and did everything the same. Same routines, procedures, rules, etc. Best friends. You rarely saw one without the other.

Teacher A had a baby, returned to work. Teacher B then had a baby. It may have even been that they started job sharing while Teacher B was pregnant and Teacher A was the "sub" when B was on maternity leave. Neither one wanted to work full time, nor could they afford to stay home. I don't remember how they split it: it was either each worked 2 1/2 days or one week 2 days, next week 3 days. If one needed a day off, the other covered.

However they split it up, it worked for them. They both were able to be home part time with their babies and it worked with their child care arrangements.

 

We do have to share with the Spanish teacher. Having said that, she only teaches for one hour a day with each of her groups, so her required space is less than mine. She gets a wall, and an area keep her things. I suppose if the two teachers sharing were pretty particular than it could become a problem. Fortunately I have not had any issues sharing (but I do always have to double check with her if I want to do any major changes).

 

This is a very common thing in my district--especially for new(er) moms who don't want to teach full-time.

Yes...same set of students all day long in the same classroom. Two teachers, though.

 

I can't believe it. It sounds like a nightmare for administration.

 

First grade.

AM teacher taught language arts (reading/writing) and social studies. PM teacher taught math, science, and P.E.

 

I could def. do if and would love to job share if the opportunity came up. I know two women who did it and it worked well for them.

I don't know if teachers are controlling or just territorial. The job is a little unique in that you get this big space to call your own that you manipulate to reflect your teaching style.

I have worked in other professions and shared office and lab space so maybe that is why it seems less distasteful to me.

 

Sad thing is, the children probably handled it better than the adults. Teachers are controlling. I think part of it comes with the territory. If you aren't a little bit controlling, things will get crazy!

 

I don't know if I would care if someone used my room while I wasn't there. As long as they didn't leave a mess, break stuff, ect. Now co-teaching sounds pretty miserable. I can understand this in lower grades where you teach all subjects(teachers could split subjects based on what they like best) but I would hate another history teacher being with me all day.

 

My K teacher shared with another teacher- she taught the afternoon class and the other teacher taught the morning class (half day kinder). There were all of these really cool toys/activities in the room that we weren't allowed to touch because they were "for the morning class only." My teacher was newer but the other one had been teaching for 20+ years, so I'm guessing she had accumulated all of this stuff and didn't let the other teacher use it. I also remember my teacher panicking about cleaning and putting everything just so. Even as a 5 year old I could tell it really stressed her out!

I think it would drive me crazy. I worked with two teachers a couple of years ago that job shared and they loved it. They were good friends. It was middle school though, so although they taught the same subject, it wasn't like they had the same students so the only thing they really had to work out was what the room would look like.

 

I think I'm kinda controlling. Maybe that's one reason why I lie teaching, I can tell the kids what to do and they have to listen. Lol. Just kidding!

But I wouldn't really like it if other teachers used my classroom. If they wouldn't change anything, it would be ok, but then I'm sure they wouldn't be truly comfortable.
I've been subbing at juvenile hall, and here the teachers go classroom to classroom, taking everything (including textbooks) with them. So they don't really have their own classroom. I REALLY don't like that.

 

I like having a classroom to myself, but I also think a job-share would be really nice with young kids (I have a 4 and 2 year old).

 

I don't consider myself controlling in my day-to-day life, but as a teacher, yes. I am co-teaching a summer school class right now. It's going just fine, but that's because I know this isn't my "real" class and it's only for 16 days. I would never want to share my class with another teacher.

For one, people's styles are different (management, organization, grouping preferences,etc.) Secondly, it sounds like a planning hassle.

 

I spent a year sharing a grade two classroom. It was a terrible experience, largely because there wasn't just one PM teacher, there were four different ones in a grade two class. I was so grateful to have an EA that year, because at times, my students wouldn't have a teacher show up for part of the afternoon. (Admin team was responsible for them on Friday afternoons... They'd often "forget".)

I had to walk out on conversations with one of the teachers a few times because she really disliked one of my students.

To me it wasn't so much about control, as it was not being good for the kids.

 

That is just so wrong!!!!!!!!

 

I co taught last year and it was a great experience. We shared the teaching duties...he taught one subject and I assisted and vice versa.

 

Never again!! I had to share a room last year and I would not care to repeat that experience. Our school was overcrowded so during my conference periods I shared my room with the French teacher. His classes were consistently leaving my room a mess or my supplies would come up missing. The teacher also moved my desks everyday; they were set up in groups because we did a lot of work in groups. I was also out one day and he decided that he did not like the placement of his desk so he moved my entire classroom library (6 tall bookshelves that were bolted to the wall) to the other side of the room which totally messed up the flow of my room.

 

I share a classroom. I did have to learn to let go of needing things my way. Unfortunately, I let go of too much control and the room got kind of trashed and cluttered. This year I will be sharing with a different teacher and I will give more input than last year.

It's hard to share a classroom. Not because of being controlling, but because everyone has a different organizational style.

(I wanted to add that, even though we had different organizational styles, I did enjoy the company of the teacher I shared with.)

 

I think the majority of teachers are more controlling than the average person. Of course, there are always exceptions.

I share a classroom. Is it a bummer that I can't just hang up a poster without showing it to her and asking her opinion? Sure. But it's certainly not horrible enough to ruin my day or make me hate my job. I really get along with my "roommate", so that probably helps. We make it work, we enjoy being in each other's company. She is a veteran teacher, and has given me so much guidance in my first few years of teaching. I'm really glad we have such a close relationship.

 

But is it? That's one of the issues I'd have with sharing a room. If I've spent hundreds of my own dollars on "really cool" items, should I be required to let other teachers use them willy-nilly? I have no control over how that teacher uses them or how much control she exerts to make sure students don't willfully break them.

You can be forced to share a room, but you should absolutely should have the right to say "please don't mess with my personal items."