Are Most Teachers Controlling?

I have to agree. Even if the other teacher is careful with my items, I know that the students act differently with different teachers and they don't always respect the items they use. I know that I can ask my students to be careful with certain thing - they respect me - they don't want to disappoint me - so they take care ... but I've seen those same students act differently with other teachers.

 

I've had teachers float into "my" room and there is always more damage done during those times than with my own students. One teacher frequently takes days off and leaves very little instructions for the subs. The kids told the subs that they were allowed to go into my personal storage and use what they wanted. I lost over $50 worth of items ONE day that my room was not supervised properly.

The last time that I shared my room I spoke to the floating teacher at length about our expectations. She was a wonderful floater.

 

Toys and materials out on display should be for community use. Especially at that age! Now, yeah, that is controlling!

 

If I use my personal money to buy items for my classroom and expect others to not use it..that is controlling?

 

From a teacher perspective, I can understand not wanting other classes to use items I spent my own money on...but from a 5 year old's perspective, it was horrible! All of the best toys/center activities were right there in front of us and we weren't allowed to play with them because we were the afternoon class. Obviously it didn't make sense to us at all.

 

Yes, because you are brining the material into a known common space, a classroom shared by two different teachers.

It is like pulling out a pack of gum in a crowd and not offering. So, a person's choice if they don't want to share would be to not pull out that pack of gum at all.

I understand not wanting personally purchased things ruined by some other class or completely used up on another class. However, it is a form of control. So, either all do with out or both teachers share the cost of the items with a "replacement clause" in a written contract that covers use of disposable items and replacement of items broken. That would not be controlling if both could come to an agreement.

 

I admit it... I'm a big control freak. First step is admitting it right?! I'm a control freak in terms of things being organized and put back where they came from. I share a classroom and it has worked because both teachers put things back where we got them and expect our students to do th same. If something is broken or has run out, we usually just take it upon ourselves to refill it (if I see we are low on pencils ill pick them up and visa versa). I think a lot of this comes down to communication between the teachers. But yes, I'm a complete control freak but it think it helps me stay organized and have strong classroom management ... Or so I tell myself that

 

Yes, it is. If have signed up to work in a shared setting, then you are also signing up to share materials. Obviously professionalism should rule the day. It is like having company over and leaving all this great food out, only they can't touch it. "Sorry, that's not for you. It's for the company that's coming over later." You can see the message that this would send to students.

I also think, however, there is a difference in teachers who float and teachers who actually share the same space day after day in a team situation or where one is teaching am and one is teaching pm. If I were floating, I wouldn't dream of using another teacher's personal items. On the other hand, it's kind of dumb to leave something valuable out that you've spent your own money on if you have shared space.

If I am sharing a room consistently, however, I would expect that anything left out is for common use. If I had something that I didn't want used, I would not leave it out for the other class to see and wonder why they don't get to use it.

I think the teachers need to think about the impact that their actions have on the students.

 

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. How do you expect little ones to understand that the big ones don't want to share?

 

Good post, Rainbowbird.

 

Well, I suppose that reasoning (and the posts that follow) are a big reason why I don't teach small kids! I teach high school students and I do think that impacts it.I would have no problem telling a 16 year old "nope, not ours" and if that caused them emotional distress, there are other issues.

Of course, the solution IMO is not to force the teachers to share, but to invest in a large, locking cabinet. I would not, under any circumstances, accept "just because you share a space, you have to share material". I would just lock them up so no one could complain about what students could see.

 

Same applies to 4th grade students. You just have to set up the expectations. You can easily have things out for some reason or another, and students aren't negatively affected by not being able to use it.

 

This is silly, I can pull out pack of gum and choose not to offer it to anyone. No one has a right to take it out of my hand and help themselves to it.

A shared space, unless written into an agreement/contract does not imply that personal items are usable by everyone that shares that room.

However, the fact that we disagree about this just magnifies why I would NEVER be able to share a room, students..etc with another teacher.

 

I could share with the right person. It would have to be someone I trust to look after my stuff and the physical space as well I do.

In the past I've shared my room with a roving teacher who taught in my room during my prep. It was more difficult than I thought it would be. Mostly that stemmed from classroom management issues. Her students would dig around in the teacher desk (MY desk, MY personal belongings in there), steal snack items that were stored in my room to be sold by the club I sponsored, tag up the desks and walls....It was bad.

 

Caesar,

I had to buy an extra lock for my desk drawer for that very reason. Took a lot of my supplies home because they were getting messed up during my planning period. I got to the point where I'd rather MY students didn't get to use my stuff if it meant keeping away from the other students. Then at least I could use it another year.

 

I think I could, but it would involve a lot of communication for both teachers. Our kindergarten teachers share rooms and they do it really well. I think I only have 1 colleague I couldn't share with - and not because I'm controlling, we are just waaaaay too different.

 

You are right. You can go waving your gum around and no one can take it out of your hand. However, you will be looked upon as rude and inconsiderate for putting something out there that you aren't willing to share.

 

100% agree, but we were not talking about being rude, we were talking about whether someone had the RIGHT to use your stuff.

 

People came into my room for centers. Anything my kids have access to, anyone else's children had access to--even when I wasn't there. If I wanted it for special occasions or to control the item, I put it away and out of sight. It's courtesy. Unless the OTHER person was too anal about their stuff or the set up, I don't think I would have a problem sharing my room with others. Honestly, it's just stuff. I might have a problem with different classroom management, philosophies, etc. more so than actual space. Heck, I changed things in my classroom to suit others that came in only for an hour. Not a big deal. With aides coming and going, most stuff gets touched anyway (except what is in my desk). Again, not a big deal. The only thing I ask is that you don't REMOVE the item from the room without notifying me (unless it is a pair of scissors or something I have duplicate of to complete something I asked for and you bring it back).

 

Funny, I thought part of this discussion was talking about how awful and inconsiderate and mean it would be to have to tell the kids they aren't allowed to use the stuff in the afternoon because it is the other teacher's stuff because a teacher was too controlling. I remember that being part of the discussion we were having.

But I'll let you win and allow you to be so exact in your argument that you must narrow it down to someone having a RIGHT or not. You are also right that you have the right to be rude and inconsiderate too rather than keeping personal stuff locked up when you share a room. So, yes, you buying stuff and not expecting people to use it is "too controlling" as well as rude if you let it sit out for others to have access to in a classroom situation when you know you have another teacher you share the room with.

 

I shared a classroom for 2 years. It was difficult for both of us. I've had my own classroom for 3 years now and couldn't go back to sharing.

 

Thanks.

 

I've thought about this, and decided that there is absolutely no way I could ever do a job share! I am way too picky when it comes to the physical environment. I would consider myself borderline OCD. I honestly get a bit stressed at home when my fiance leaves his socks on the floor. I can't even imagine sharing a classroom, and having to see another person's mess, and having to consult with them on how to organize the classroom. I would be very stressed!

 

I'm on the messy side, but it is MY mess. I had a floating teacher take my piles of stuff and dump them in with other piles. We had to agree on separate spaces after that.

 

By the way, as a para, I used to work with a teacher who would allow me to completely reorganize cabinets, bookshelves, files, etc. any time I wanted. I could even rearrange the room to a degree. She wouldn't even necessarily be there when I was making new arrangements. The only thing she asked is that I know where I put it if she asked for it. Now THAT is amazing flexibility. I don't think I could go that far.