When I was initially hired for my position 4 years ago, my schedule allowed me to leave with enough time to pick my kids up from school. The next year, they changed my schedule so that it barely worked to pick my kids up from school, but I made it work. Fast forward a few years now, they're not happy with me leaving at that time (even though I'm in the building for the entire student schedule) and now want to push my schedule back even later, which won't work for my family. I've ultimately been told to adjust my schedule or I won't have a job next school year.
Half of me is relieved because I haven't been entirely happy with my position since day 1, but the other half of me is very hurt. I have worked so hard to start this program from scratch. I have put so much extra time and effort into this job and I do my job well. It is now extremely organized and I am constantly told how great of a job I do to multitask and manage everything. They know my home situation and they know that me staying those 10 extra minutes just isn't possible. So, for them to do this, it just stings.
Bottom line: don't kill yourself over a job that can let you go just like that and not have any remorse about it. It's not worth it.
On a happy note, I do have contacts with other districts, so it is time to start exploring.
When teachers gripe to me about missing lunch or prep I usually give them the "look". I actually have taken to leaving the building during my lunches. It took a little time for everyone to get it and quite a few frantic texts and phone calls that the sky was falling, but now I think that the rest of the building is starting to realize that the ouchies and 3 day old headaches really will survive for the 42 minutes that i'm out of the office. Who-a thunk it??
I had a teacher sobbing in my office because she had to be a high school lunch monitor during her lunch break & her supervisor's response was "just eat lunch while watching the kids." FYI 80% of our high schoolers leave campus for lunch so she had to monitor like 20 kids. I just stared at her. I eat lunch while watching kids barf every day. Don't see me crying.
I had a teacher sobbing in my office because she had to be a high school lunch monitor during her lunch break & her supervisor's response was "just eat lunch while watching the kids." FYI 80% of our high schoolers leave campus for lunch so she had to monitor like 20 kids. I just stared at her. I eat lunch while watching kids barf every day. Don't see me crying.
I might have eaten lunch while she was there crying depending on the time of the day.
This was me last year. I started at my first job in the Fall of 2015 at a brand new school and built that school health program from the ground up. I loved my job and did a lot for the school and the students. As each year approached, they asked me to increase my hours and I agreed. Fast forward to the Spring of 2018 and they asked if I could do 7:30-4. I agreed to do 8-2:30 and they said either work until 3:30 or I don't have a job ? . I was really hurt but agreed to work 7:45-3:30. The 2018-2019 school year was really really hard. I felt all year that I should have just left and my heart just wasn't into it. I spent the year anxious that I wasn't there for my kids after school and also felt a lot of guilt. I let them know in the Spring of 2019 that I would not be coming back. I have since found an amazing position that perfectly suits my needs in terms of hours and I now get to work with an amazing cohort of nurses in the district. Definitely follow your heart and gut.
Oh yes, I remember that last year! I'm glad that things worked out for you. You say that you spent last year anxious that you weren't there for your kids after school...that's EXACTLY how I feel and now they're trying to make it impossible..just like they did for you. I am following my heart and gut. Even if it somehow would work out for my home life, I'm seeing how dispensible I am and now there's no way I can go back next year. I repect myself more than that.
I had a teacher sobbing in my office because she had to be a high school lunch monitor during her lunch break & her supervisor's response was "just eat lunch while watching the kids." FYI 80% of our high schoolers leave campus for lunch so she had to monitor like 20 kids. I just stared at her. I eat lunch while watching kids barf every day. Don't see me crying.
yep -sitting there eating our lunch while a kid is shivering with fever AND listening to a teacher complain how their lunch was interrupted because they had to give a make-up test to a kid and that was the only time she could come... I eat my sandwich and say to them "Cool story, Bro".
This is why I started leaving. Honestly it took them less time than I expected. I had one administrator tell me" I don't know that there's ANY good time for you to take a lunch..." My reply was that she just strengthened my argument that 2 schools NEED 2 nurses.
I would be upfront with your administration and ask why? I would explain the hardships it would place on you and that you may not be willing to compromise with a longer day. We are kind of in the same predicament. We had a CMT lined up to give us afternoons off. She ignored our requests the first week and forced us to check her credentials. She wasn't a CMT who could give meds, she was a GNA. We were forced to stay all day, giving us an income of about $8/hr. We have had to rearrange our schedules at our paying jobs to accommodate the afternoons. Administration is not keen on us not being here for my wife's knee replacement in March and has asked us to find our own replacement for the three days we plan to have no one here. Next year will be interesting.
I would be upfront with your administration and ask why? I would explain the hardships it would place on you and that you may not be willing to compromise with a longer day. We are kind of in the same predicament. We had a CMT lined up to give us afternoons off. She ignored our requests the first week and forced us to check her credentials. She wasn't a CMT who could give meds, she was a GNA. We were forced to stay all day, giving us an income of about $8/hr. We have had to rearrange our schedules at our paying jobs to accommodate the afternoons. Administration is not keen on us not being here for my wife's knee replacement in March and has asked us to find our own replacement for the three days we plan to have no one here. Next year will be interesting.
Wow, that's awful! How do schools think they can get away with that? They need to be finding a sub for you guys, not the other way around.
My admin is aware of my situation. I told them I wouldn't be able to change my schedule when they tried to change my schedule on me a few months back...mid school year. Not wanting to lose me mid year, they said they would allow me to continue leaving when I do-after student dismissal. They claim it to be a student safety issue, which I partly understand, but the other part of me wonders why they don't consider it a student safety issue when I'm in the other building.
It is only unsafe when it is on their terms. There is no safety concern if students have been dismissed. This is a teacher centered complaint. I leave at dismissal because each of those children have an adult waiting outside that can handle an issue. I don't feel bad at all. I guess it depends how important this is to you for your work/ life balance. I stay for my son's tuition, he graduates in June, so I know I have an end. Who knows, if you stick to your guns, it may work out.
BrisketRN, BSN, RN
916 Posts
I had a teacher sobbing in my office because she had to be a high school lunch monitor during her lunch break & her supervisor's response was "just eat lunch while watching the kids." FYI 80% of our high schoolers leave campus for lunch so she had to monitor like 20 kids. I just stared at her. I eat lunch while watching kids barf every day. Don't see me crying.