Aaaaagh!

[Guest]

Okay so I'm a newbie on here with a grand total of 8 posts to my name, but I feel confident that you'll read the following rant, and ooh and ah in the appropriate places to make me feel better (please do)! You seem a lovely bunch!

 

I'm in a nursery with two members of staff who have been working in said nursery for AGES. By AGES I mean the best part of 25 years.

 

This experience is invaluable and don't get me wrong they are lovely women and good at their jobs. But...

 

...they are both so stuck in their ways, its unbelievable. I've been there for four years and still feel like the new girl. I often hear the comment 'well we've always done it like this', which quite frankly drives me up the wall and towards a large vodka.

 

The biggest problem is they feel that they are so accepting of change when they really aren't. I have to push and push to get 'new' ideas across. Sometimes they are implemented and months later are still described as 'new'!!

 

I've myself to blame in some ways as I've tolerated their attitude for so long without politely saying anything (what??) and now is really starting to bug me.

 

I know that there must be others working with similar attitudes, can't imagine for one minute that its restricted to the school I'm in! What do you do? How can I get my opinions heard without being rude or hurtful?

 

Its not helped that the head knows what they are like but does nothing to ease the situation. He's a bit of a chocolate tea-pot when it comes to early years, seeing as he's secondary trained and stuck in his own ways!!

 

ANOTHER issue is that like many LEA nurserys this one is a seperate building from school. The nursery staff don't like to mix at all with school, which makes for difficult relationships with school staff. I try my hardest to bridge the gap and love getting school and nursery involved in things together. Again the head knows about this as i've asked him for help with this before, but still he does nothing.

 

Perhaps its time for a change of job?

 

Just to point out, I am a TA and the women I work with are a teacher and the school's senior TA

Edited May 1, 2006 by Guest

[hali]

in one situation or another most of us are in the same boat...but basically if you are strong and dedicated enough you just keep plodding along until hopefully you get there... i am sure you are doing a brilliant job, just keep at it as the rest of us do...... and have a large vodka as well, good for the sole.....

[mundia]

ooohhh, aahhh, ooo ahhhhh

 

Ok now that Ive oohed and ahhed in hopefully the right places, Im sure we have all been there Fluff.

 

Sometimes Im afriad you have to pull rank. If you are the teacher in charge of the nursery then what you say goes. You are the one at the end of the day that carries the can if things go wrong and OFSTED would want to know what you are doing about it if they were aware that there were issues.

 

Has your school got a culture of perfomance managment for support staff..ours has and this has made the staff realsie that they HAVE to move forwards with the school. This is a good way of looking at contracts and job descritpions and usually their job descritpions will say somehting like 'work under the guidance of the teacher in charge....' Put simply if they fail to put into practice changes you want to see happen, then they are not doing their job.

 

Take a good look at the things you want to change and why you want to change them. Tell them this very clearly (eg we need to raise standards in this area, this isnt working smoothly etc etc). keep changes to a minimum, workng on the most urgent ones first. Agree that you will 'trial' them but expect constructive feedback after the trail period. Keep the dialogue open but make it known that you have to do certain things.

 

I know it isnt easy, I just got criticised in my pefromance management observation becuase one of my very weak TAs didnt do the right thing and Ive worried all weeekdn about what im going to say to her tomorrow, but Im just going to have to take a deep breath and say what neeeds to be said.

 

Im sure more useful advice will follow....

[Susan]

Hi fluff, have been there, or in a very similar situation and it is hard work!

I've also worked in a school, where because of different routines in FS, it often meant I felt disconnected from the rest of the school, so dont think that is unusual either.

I think though that you may have hit the nail on the head and it might be that you need a change of sceen now ie a new job. Four years is a reasonably good time to be thinking of making of a move too especially if you dont want to be labelled as part of the furniture! Also seems to be an optimum time to look too!

[Guest]

I too empathise, I am not a supervisor but a deputy who has to see very "old school" ideas used and a reluctance to take on board new ideas - it's frustrating, I"m not even in a position to say anything, but feel that makes it worse, I think I will bide my time, study to a degree level and then maybe look for a supervisory role where I can be confident enough to have the courage of my convictions. Some of my colleagues think I"m too keen because I am studying,(NVQ 3, which they done years ago) but I would just like to see things done as we are being advised too, and incorporate new ideas welcome new research, I feel worried I have been mean, they are lovely ladies too!

[Guest]

Just thought it may be worth pointing out that I am a TA and the women in question are a teacher and the school's senior TA.

Edited May 1, 2006 by Guest

[mundia]

sorry Fluff I had missed that bit in your original post.

That is difficult if you find that your line manager (presumabaly the teacher?) cant move with the times, and sadly it could be noticebale by OFSTED if/when they turn up. You can continue to drip drip your ideas,backing them up by what you know to be right, but you may well be flogging the proverbial dead horse in this situation.. soemtimes when people have been in ajob a very long time, they are literally biding their time until they retire and absolutely nothing wll change them.

 

I alwasy need to move on after 4 years, I think its long enough in any job, so maybe it is time for you to spread your wings and look for a more progressive place to work..Im sure you would probabaly be a lot happier.

 

do let us know wont you..

[Guest]

Hi Fluff, know exactly what you mean! Hope your rant made you feel better! Sometimes it's all you need isn't it?

[Rea]

I read your post and thought it was me talking

Luckily for me I finish at the current nursery on Friday (I'm supply) but I've been there since january. I've ranted on here and to a couple of close friends about just the same issues. Today a member of staff refused to contemplate a Teddy Bears picnic because the children dont remember to bring a teddy and 'Why should we give them ours?'

Take a look at where you are, and what you want, a change might be just the thing. Either that or drink more vodka