Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Thinking Ahead

My principal told me, a week or so ago, that she needed to trim my work day by an hour. She let me know that I do have choices. I could go to HR, let them know that I want to keep my permanent hours and that I'm willing to move to another school to do so. Awhile back, I watched another aide go through this. They opted to move and then were told there wasn't a position with that many hours available. They ended up plugged into a spot with even less hours than what they had been demoted to. Me? I'm happy to stay, but I'm already thinking about the shape of my work day.

I can do it--flexibility is on my resume. So, it's not a big problem (except for working a year or two longer than I intended), but it's never fun to hit the road running. Which is what will happen when I arrive at the same time as the students.

When I first started working in kindergarten, my day matched the students. The teacher dealt with all of the prep and the two of us used part of the students' day to talk things through. It was the same when our family moved and I found another kindergarten IA job in Salem. I can still remember when my principal (at that time), Cathy Mink, pulled me aside one day and said the district was adding an extra hour to the kindergarten IA's work day.

And now it's heading in the opposite direction. I'm a bit sad and wondering how a budget can be balanced on the backs of one of the lowest paid employees, but it's all part of the swinging pendulum of change. I wonder if I'll still be around when it begins to swing in my favor again?