Room leader woes

[trekker]

As a room leader (or a line manager / setting owner) how much autonomy is there for setting up the room, deciding what areas / resources are in it and how its laid out?

I have been steadily trying to create an environment that supports independence and to introduce more of a continuous provision approach.

My line manager was, still is so far as I can tell, very positive about this and things were going well…Ofsted went well about a year ago and the children are flourishing. 

However I keep having to start over to maintain this as out of the blue the layout the room is reorganised or even changed back to a previous incarnation Ive since moved on from - always when I am not at work. No warning, no discussion before or after. 

Ive come to expect it now but It is very disheartening and I am finding myself losing motivation to even try to initiate any changes or plan any future developments ☹

Its also giving me a bad feeling...surely this is not normal. I almost feel like my 'line manager' title has no meaning if I cant do what I need to with the room.

Any advice?  

Edited September 28, 2019 by trekker

[mundia]

Can you bring it up in supervision, or raise it with presumably your manager? Do you know who is responsible for the move around  and why? 

It would annoy me so much, my line manager did this to me once in my classroom, just completely rearranged it one day after I had left. I must admit I was spitting feathers, as it was my classroom. It never happened again but I wouldn't be happy if it were a regular occurrence. I do think a conversation to get to why would be helpful.

[blondie]

Yes definitely needs to be discussed. Who is reorganising it? Not very helpful for the children either having room constantly changed around days about. It could be a discussion you also have at a staff meeting - ask for suggestions/feedback about room changes - negative and positive and talk about why you have done these changes and the positives you have seen. 

If we are going to change the room we usually do it at staff meeting discussing where things could be placed etc.,Once room rearranged we give it a good period of time then review it at a staff meeting.

[trekker]

Thank you for your replies.   Its  my line managers  doing it...which makes it awkward...I thought that they wanted me to develop the environment but this is making me feel my input isn't welcome. When it first started happening I asked about it and was told I could just move it back as it had been moved around so the room could be used for something else and whoever did it just put it tidy….so for a while each time I've moved it back...but it keeps happening  and its for no reason. I've got to the point where, to  save my sanity I've left it and tried to work with it....but then its been changed again anyway...I am at my wits end!  I dread going back to work after time off as I know my work will have been just wiped out again.

I know I'll either have to put up with it or raise it with them but I cant help but  worry if that will make it worse.