Attendance is always an issue at the centers. Especially when there isn’t a good reliable sub-list. I’ll never forget when I was a floater in the lab school at my college. I LOVED that job.
One day I was working on a group project for my business class…not a child development class. I needed to be at work at 2 and it was 1:45, if I left immediately I would make it. I began putting my things away and the group I was working with was complaining that I was leaving.
I calmly explained that I had to go. I needed to be at work and I hadn’t told them to plan on me being late. I’ll never forget the one guy in the group turning to me and saying, “Can’t you just call them and tell them you are going to be late. You can finish your work later.”
Now, dude, I CAN’T finish my work later. My work is the children. If I’m not there, they can’t put the kids on a shelf. It’s not paperwork that can be attended to at a later date.
Then I walk into a center the other day and see this:
Apparently, our children CAN be put on a shelf and will wait for us. :)
Just kidding, about them waiting for us. This child very much enjoyed putting himself on a shelf for most of free choice time. No, he’s not asleep, but it was funny.
This post is really just a reminder to all of us that when we call in sick or show up late, our work CAN’T get done at a later time. Those are two eyes that aren’t there to supervise. Those are two arms that are unavailable to hug a child as they come in and have to say goodbye to mom. Those are two legs not there to jump up and run over to stop a block from flying across the room.
Yes, you are needed there EVERY second that you are scheduled…even IF your supervisor doesn’t make a big deal about it. See, just because she isn’t making a big deal out of it doesn’t mean it isn’t a big deal; it just means that she is ecstatic that you are there now and doesn’t want to tick you off until later in the day…like on your way home.
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