MARSHALL
Mary Surprenant and Kari Buysse have learned communication is key when you share a job teaching, especially when the kids try to pull one over on you.
The duo have shared duties teaching third grade at Holy Redeemer School since the beginning of the school year.
"This is a valuable tool, I think, for anyone doing a job share," said Buysse, holding a small notebook. She teaches reading, grammar, spelling and handwriting in the mornings, and Surprenant teaches religion, math, and science/social studies in the afternoon.
"There's 20 to 25 minutes to catch up, discuss the kids and what kind of day they are having," Buysse said. "We usually talk, but we also have the notebook to jot down reminders about conferences, class pictures."
They leave it on each other's desks if there's something to say, otherwise, the notebook stays in its designated spot.
Third-graders being third-graders, they admit to trying to take advantage of the situation and play one teacher off the other.
"Yes, a thousand times," said Isaac Schmitt, adding they'll say Buysse let them do something. "Mrs. Surprenant says 'So? She's not here, I am.'"
Chino Nwakama said it's worked just once when they told Surprenant that a lava lamp "had a short in it and Mrs. Surprenant fell for it," he said.
The kids like having two teachers.
"They're both nice," Schmitt said.
"You get to see them both every day, instead of the same one," said Meredith Bock. "They're both goofy."
They have "creative fun ways to teach kids," Surprenant explained.
There's some difference of opinion as to whether it's easier or harder.
"It's a little bit harder," said Natalie Louwagie. "We have to keep track of all the stuff that we need to do."
"I think it's easier," Nwakama said. "(The teachers) can go home and have a little break and do your other job."
That's the idea, said Surprenant.
About five years ago, her daughter, Jenna was about to enter high school and she wanted be able to go to Jenna's activities. Surprenant had heard of job sharing and had seen it done successfully about 10 years ago at HRS between Missy Klaith and Joyce Evert.
"I wanted to free up my time," Surprenant said. She approached HRS Principal Carol DeSmet and they decided it would work best if one teacher took the mornings and the other the afternoons and each taught her own subjects, rather than traded days with both teachers teaching all subjects.
"The goal was to keep quality teachers in the building," DeSmet said. "And if the schedule can fit her lifestyle and her needs, it means a happy home environment and work environment which is better for the students."
Surprenant teamed up with Sheryl Kaiser, a veteran teacher who also wanted to go part-time. Kaiser recently got a job at Southwest Minnesota State University and Surprenant had no desire to switch back to full-time since her other daughter, Abby, was about to enter high school. That meant finding a new teaching partner and Kaiser recommended Buysse, who had done some substitute teaching at HRS and was the mom of three current students.
Buysse started job sharing as a teacher back in 1998 after her third child was born. She teamed with Jana Southwick, each doing half-days at Park Side Elementary. She also shared with Karen Peterson in the 1999-2000 school year. Then Buysse stayed home for nine years, but "kept my license current," she said. With the youngest of her four children in second grade, "I was ready to come back, but no way full-time," Buysse said.
"I knew I wanted someone like Kari," Surprenant said, someone with experience not only with teaching, but job-sharing; someone who wanted to job-share, not do it as a second choice. "In my mind, there was no doubt she was the one we were looking for," Surprenant said.
Since it's their first year, they are spending a bit of time working out the distribution of duties, but "I could not have hoped for a more smooth transition," Buysse said.
Both teachers get what they want: "more family time," Buysse said. "And I still get to use my degree and expertise."
It's a plus for the kids, as well, Buysse said.
"The kids get two fresh teachers every day," she said. "It's a clean slate at noon."
The situation generates interest.
"A lot of people ask me about it at workshops," Surprenant said.
"It's worked well the five years we've had it here," DeSmet said.
