Okay.
So I messaged the company VP right after the craziness of Camp Screechalot.
I texted her about scheduling for this week and added, "We need to chat. Not urgent, but important." Not urgent because camp is over for the summer except for the half day drama camp I'm running this week. Important because we are holding their little hearts in our hands and goddamn it, we need to take care of their spirits!
We met Monday at my work location. I pulled out my phone, we sat down at a table and I read her the previous post.
Left out the profanities, although she would probably have no issue with them.
I expanded on some of the things and added some of the things that weren't in the original post.
I told her that I wasn't going to name any names, that I feel most of the adults who were engaging in that behavior weren't doing it because they were malicious, more that they didn't have a clue why what they were doing was wrong. They have had shitty examples of what their function is and are acting accordingly.
She listened to everything I had to say.
I felt seen and heard and valued and supported.
She agreed with me that things weren't handled appropriately, and then, she ruined the rest of my week. How? She asked me to write up ideas for training so that we can teach people better ways for dealing with children!
So I've been sitting here every evening for a couple hours reading through my old posts about work (I started this blog in 2005 and there are 1,736 posts labeled 'my job') and trying to put thoughts into some sort of coherent order.
But the ADHD way I do everything has my brain whirling around in little circles and I haven't managed to organize a damn thing.
So my good friend Tami offered to help me with it. We're going to meet up this weekend and because she's smart, I'll be able to present some kind of 'here's what we need to do' thing to the VP.
I want to cover things like just not being an asshole. There must be a way to say that without calling someone an asshole, but you know, if the shoe fits...
Do you have any suggestions? I'll take all the help I can get. I would like to get this right, I actually have the power to make a difference.
I think the first thing would be a rule about no phones while watching the kids. Unless it's an emergency. Use your phone on your own time. No shouting. If you have something to say to the kids, get up and walk over to them and say it in a normal voice.
ReplyDeleteThey HAVE a 'no phone' rule, but as long as there aren't any managers around, quite a few of them have their phones out. I try to set a good example by putting my phone in my backpack the whole time I'm at a site. Don't think anyone actually notices... haha, they're probably too busy looking at their phone.
DeleteYes! GET UP AND TALK TO THEM!! There are times my voice has to arrive before I do (like if someone's in physical danger) but otherwise, it's much more respectful of kids to go talk to them. I would never allow someone to speak to me the way these people talk to kids.
I don't always get it right, either. Sometimes I've had to apologize to a kid for being abrupt or saying something that made them feel bad.
Good luck. No help here. My management style melted snowflakes faster than an Arizona summer.
ReplyDeleteWanna come yell at some power tripping assholes?
DeleteI honestly don't know what's taken so long for somebody to ask you to write up training methods!? I feel like you could lead an entire workshop about it, with your knowledge and experience. Of course, you'd make it a short workshop cuz you get to the point and make it simple. Unlike most workshops that spend way too much time on "getting to know each other" b.s. And, also, don't ask for questions cuz we both know there's always at least one person that asks the most asinine questions and have ridiculous "what if" scenarios.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. Sorry. I may be a little angry at the whole staff meeting thing. Sorry.
What I meant to say was, they'd be very wise to take any advice you offer up!
I'm not a fan of meetings either. And the next couple weeks are just jam-packed with meetings. Oh, they're calling it 'training' and 'team building' but it's just, you know, meetings. Fortunately I am not discouraged from doodling/coloring during the meetings, in fact they encourage it. I'll be bringing my big clipboard (has a space inside for paper and pens etc) and drawing the whole time.
DeleteI guess I can look at it as paid art time.
I really want to address some of the things that are just over the top crazy with regards to how they talk to kids, how they handle situations and how much work they're making for themselves with all their stupid rewards and tickets and charts. Makes me want to slap, really.
My first thought was “no good deed goes unpunished”, lol. I’ve done the same thing at work, and ended up doing the same. At the same time, it’s good for them to have guidelines (don’t they already have those?) that include everything you’re going to put in.
ReplyDeleteThey do have guidelines. And they're actually really good at telling people what needs to happen. But people are people, and when there's not a manager observing, they, well, they fuck off a lot. I don't like most of them, based on observing them with kids. There is no reason to be shitty to kids.
DeleteMy ADD is in high gear lately, so I'm sad to sad that I'm not much help. Funny though, I just ran into one of the girls that had my kids in the afterschool program when they were LITTLE. She told me I was a good mom. *sniff*
ReplyDeleteYou ARE a good mom!! I know that our influence over the kids we serve is very large... they won't remember every little incident and interaction, but the general overall feeling of how we treat them? Hell yes they'll remember it.
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