What a week . . .

What a week. It is so busy at work during the summer for me. This month I have 9 field trips a week! I know, I know, field trips don't seem like hard work, but they are. Not only am I responsible for 80 children that belong to other people, but I am responsible for making sure they don't get lost, injured or dead. It is quite unnerving most of the time. I am always on alert, always vigilant and always disciplining. It is not just sun tanning at poolside. It is making sure someone else's kid doesn't drown.

I am also in charge of training and orientation at work. I have people how need their CPR and First Aid renewed, and new staff coming in who need their orientation. . . it's a little crazy! I enjoy being busy though since it makes the day go quickly.

I work with 50 women. I have worked there for 16 years. It is a place I care about and have a vested interest in. I also have the strange predicament to be in that I work in the office and in the "field" so to speak. I get to see how the office works and how hard the supervisory staff works to make certain that regulations are followed, parents are happy, questions are answered, ratios are followed, staff are doing what they are supposed to be doing and when they are supposed to be doing it. It is a DIFFICULT job. I get frustrated when I am in the classrooms and hear complaints about the office. These complaints are unfounded and foolish. The staff have no idea what goes on minute to minute in the office. It's a bunch of women talking about something they don't understand, feeding off each other and creating their own reality. I know there are issues, there are issues in every job you work. People are people, you won;t get along with everyone. You won't always get hard workers. Do your job and do it well. Yes, other people's performance will affect your duties. Sorry,, that's how life is. You can do more to change it by taking it honestly to someone above you than you can do complaining about it . . to anyone who will listen. . . and changing the "facts" each time.

Yes your job is difficult. Yes you are underpaid, if you don't like it get out. It's not a job that you should be in if you hate it. Good bye and good riddance. In my 16 years I have seen staff hang on for WAY too long and other leave too early when I think they show a true talent and love for the job. I have heard ALL of the gossip, sometimes even about me. Every time I listen to one staff's "information" I would love to say, "interesting that the person you think is on your side was just giving me a different explanation 10 minutes earlier." I rarely comment on this "information" usually I direct them to tell someone who can help, as opposed to simply complaining. I am a fixer, not much gets fixed unless you deal with it. It is always so interesting to me how someone can be so trusting of people who you know are talking about others as though they aren't talking about you too. It's like marrying the man who cheated on his wife to be with you. DUH! But that person always swears these employees are loyal to you . . . yeah right! And best of all . . . after doing this job for 16 years and working with hundreds of petty women you do really think I don't know what's going on anyway?? Uh . . . yeah.

WOMEN.

We need more men who do their job and do it well and don't play these games. Oh. . . and who will work for mere pennies.