There are so many reasons why people decide to work part-time: whether it is to spend more time with children, care for an elderly relative, pursue other interests or maybe it’s because teaching full-time is so exhausting that a few extra days off are needed for rest and recuperation.

Whatever the reason, in most cases it is a conscious choice to share your time doing something else, so it is important to make sure you get full value from working part-time.

I have done it for a few years now and the following have been the crucial steps that have made it work for me.

1. Get out of full-time habits

When I returned to work part-time after maternity leave, it was extremely difficult to break the habits of being full-time and I quickly had to learn to adapt.

In the first few weeks, I found myself taking on extra responsibilities, like I always had done as a full-timer, and struggling to squeeze it all into my four working days, which meant I was working on my days off.

It sounds obvious, but if part-time is going to work, you need one clear rule from the start: you never work on your days off.

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As teachers, we are always looking to reach the end of the never-ending to-do list (an impossible task in itself) and there’s always the temptation to spend your whole day off marking, planning, writing reports, "just to get on top of things" or "to clear the decks before a new week".

While this seems like a great idea, the truth is you will never reach the end of the never-ending to-do list, because, as the name suggests, it is never-ending. Once you have completed a job, another job gets added.

Goodbye days off; hello working for free.

My advice is to do as much as you can while you are at school and tie off any loose ends before you leave, then write yourself a list of what needs to be done when you return to work after your days off, while it is still fresh in your mind.

2. Don't feel guilty for flexible working

As teaching tends to be an all-consuming job, it is easy for our colleagues around us to forget that we are part-time, and there’s often a pang of guilt when Inset days, courses and other important events are scheduled on a day off.

Rule number two is: don’t ever feel guilty.

You – and your colleagues – have to accept that you can’t attend everything and be a part of everything going on in the school. It’s easy to slip into "just coming along" and that quickly becomes an expectation.

That said, it is worth speaking to your line manager to discuss the flexibility in working days on these occasions.

Schools rarely have the finances to pay overtime any more. However, many schools offer time off in lieu for working the extra day instead, which is great to save and use for special occasions or an extended break.

3. Job sharing

Finding the perfect job-share partner is like finding your perfect life partner. When it works, it really works. The stars align, the classroom looks amazing and the children get the fantastic deal of having two great teachers, who walk into the classroom fresh after more than just a weekend’s recovery.

However, when a job share does not work for one reason or another, this is a very different story and more like watching a very uncomfortable break-up.

So rule three: if your part-time role depends on a job share, make sure that partnership is right from the start. Any cracks and a disaster will seep right through.

When finding the perfect job-share partner, it is about looking for someone who matches you – your expectations, your values and your general outlook on education. It is then about using these to play to each other’s strengths and share out the jobs accordingly.

This also ensures that both parties are doing their fair share and avoids any resentment building.

Understandably, this can be tricky and one part-time colleague has suggested setting up a "Tinder-style" job-share finding website to find your perfect job-share partner (Watch out Dragons' Den!).

4. Communication

The key to job-share success is communication. There are so many different ways people choose to do this, whether it be a communication book, phone calls, daily emails, a handover lunch, mid-week dinner dates or a Sunday play date with the children, it just needs to work for you and your partner.

Rule four? Talk, talk, talk.

Some of the most successful job shares I have encountered (and been part of) were when both teachers had a crossover day or session together. This works so well on so many levels, as you can physically hand things over and communicate in person, team-teach together where appropriate, cover each other’s PPA time and work through any issues together as a united front.

It also means that any important meetings can be scheduled for that day so neither teacher misses out on significant information.

Having enjoyed nearly two years of part-time work, the most important piece of advice I have learned is to make the most of your days off. For whatever reason you choose to go part-time, you have got to make that your priority on your days away from school and not feel guilty about it.

The school will still run without you, the pupils will be fine with someone else, and your to-do list will still be there for when you get back – hopefully with no more jobs added to the bottom!

Rebecca Misselbrook is deputy headteacher at White Meadows Primary Academy in Littlehampton, West Sussex