Got complimented recently!

I’m a float at a daycare center, due to my school schedule. If I worked full-time, I would 100% be a lead in a classroom, but I also absolutely love being a float. With that being said, I have some classrooms that I prefer being in.

These past couple months have been crazy with being short-staffed, trying to hire in new people, but then they keep calling off. It’s just been a rough time period. Last week, I was in a room of 3-4 year olds that has had one steady lead teacher for the past couple of years, but a high turnover of a second teacher. I was filling in on the days that I worked, while they were training in the new lead teacher. This room is definitely a challenge. A lot of people are intimidated by the kids, due to their behaviors and chaos that they typically see.

I personally love this room, the lead teacher and I get along very well, and I love the kids. The room from the outside may look chaotic because the kids love to talk and play, a LOT. But when you’re actually in the room and you know the kids, you realize it’s definitely controlled chaos, LOL.

Typically, when I’m in this room, the lead teacher lets me take over for teacher-led activities, circle time, story time, etc. This always makes me feel good because she told me, “I don’t worry when I look on the schedule and see your name. You know my kids and I trust you, you give me a space to relax when I don’t typically have that, especially with people coming in and out all the time.” That made me feel SO good. Knowing that she trusts me enough to take over what she typically has to do because nobody else really knows her kids.

Anyways, our AM supervisor was doing room reviews. I was nervous, only because she knows everything there is to know about all of the rules, procedures, etc. and I did not want to disappoint. She happened to come in for the room review when I was doing circle time. I kept doing my activities with the kids, while she watched and also just took note of the room. I read the room review later, and she wrote that she really liked the activities I did with the kids and the way I interacted with them. Definitely a win in my book.

Later that day, my AM supervisor came to talk to me about the room review, and she praised me again for being able to handle the kids in that room, noting how difficult they can be to handle sometimes. She also mentioned that she hadn’t seen the lead teacher look so comfortable while a float was in her classroom in a long time. It just feels good to be noticed for truly putting in work to ensure that these kids are learning. Sometimes I worry that I get looked down upon for being so young (19) but being told I’m doing a good job makes me feel so much better.

A small side note: I always tell the kids that I love them, and I blow them a kiss with my hand. Well, I was in a different room that has a glass door, so people can see inside if they look, and the classroom I was talking about above, all walked by and started blowing me kisses, and I could hear them saying “I love you”. It was such a rewarding moment 🩷

I know that this post probably seemed all over the place, I just have so much on my mind! I truly do love my job, and I love the kids even more.