In need of some advice. [New daycare worker]

[ShannonW]

I have been planning to be an early childhood teacher for about as long as I can remember. I recently finally found a job in my desired field, I am a substitute daycare for a pretty wonderful little daycare in my town. I have been there five days and simply after the first one I began dreading going in. I can't tell if it's simply because I don't know the building, children, or what it is but I literally broke down and cried on my lunch break today.

I don't know what to do to make this experience better but having the thought that my career path that I have been planning for so long may not be what I am meant for is killing me.

I would love any advice to make this easier or some words of wisdom. I substitute for rooms dealing with infants to 4-5 year old. There are eight classrooms in total and it is a nightmare in almost every classroom.

[Unregistered]

I'm sorry it was so hard. It sounds like you were thrown into it without being prepared with any information of how things were supposed to go. Do you have any education or experience in ECE? If not, it would be difficult to just go in as a sub one day and no what to do. You should have a chance to at least work a little in the classroom and observe and learn before being left to sink or swim. What exactly went wrong?

[AuntTami]

I'm so sorry that it didn't go as you had hoped

May I ask what went wrong? What were you expecting and what was different? Maybe knowing that we can help steer you in a direction to make this easier

New jobs are always hard and scary. At least for me. It's normal for me to cry every day for the first week of a new job. I did with my daycare for the first 6 months because it was so financially stressful just opening. I wondered if I made a huge mistake. But it worked for me. But if it's not normal for you to cry like that, then obviously something isn't right.

[TXhomedaycare]

:hug: I couldn't imagine starting this job in a daycare setting. My first day was a year ago in my home and I was overwhelmed and fustrated . I had no childcare experience and I had 6 full time kids for 11 hours 5 days a week . It takes a while to get use to and I still have a difficult time when I get a new family. This is not for wimps. Don't give up, you can do it! You can read and train but theirs nothing like on the job training. This is not at all what I expected it would be like but I find myself getting more invested and learning to be flexible and more relaxed.

[jenboo]

Subbing in different classrooms is the hardest thing! The kids always act up and try to get away with things. It happens anytime the adult is switched out.

I would give it a few more weeks to see if you adjust (it can be overwhelming at first). What is your background? Have you taken child development classes? Is this your very first experience working with groups of children?

[Febby]

Subbing is hard, even if you're experienced. I've worked in child care for about two years and with every age group, and there are times when I get thrown into a group that makes me want to cry.

Perhaps see if it would be possible for you to become an assistant in a single room for a while. Learn how to handle the children, one group at a time.

[Unregistered]

I'm sorry it was so hard. It sounds like you were thrown into it without being prepared with any information of how things were supposed to go. Do you have any education or experience in ECE? If not, it would be difficult to just go in as a sub one day and no what to do. You should have a chance to at least work a little in the classroom and observe and learn before being left to sink or swim. What exactly went wrong?

I have asked if I could do that but the place is understaffed right now from a few women leaving on maternity leave. I have gotten about eight hours in every day so far with little information on the children. It seemed everything went wrong really, I had no idea what to do with the children, what their schedule was, how to get certain children to nap, and just a little of everything. And all that was only yesterday. I have no experience. The only experience I have is I have had to observe in many daycares around my area.

[Unregistered]

Subbing is hard, even if you're experienced. I've worked in child care for about two years and with every age group, and there are times when I get thrown into a group that makes me want to cry.

Perhaps see if it would be possible for you to become an assistant in a single room for a while. Learn how to handle the children, one group at a time.

I wish I could but as I mentioned to someone else that it is just impossible for me to get that time with the teachers when they need a sub somewhere else. There are three subs on staff, with six full time teachers, and eight classrooms so there is very little room for me to be able to be in a classroom with a teacher for any period of time other than lunch transitions.

I was just worried that it was subbing that was difficult and it was just me. I know my little experience is hindering my abilities with them but the amount of stress is just terrible.

[ShannonW]

I forgot to sign in to reply to everyone. >,,< Sorry about that. But those unregistered ones are me!

[ShannonW]

I'm so sorry that it didn't go as you had hoped

May I ask what went wrong? What were you expecting and what was different? Maybe knowing that we can help steer you in a direction to make this easier

New jobs are always hard and scary. At least for me. It's normal for me to cry every day for the first week of a new job. I did with my daycare for the first 6 months because it was so financially stressful just opening. I wondered if I made a huge mistake. But it worked for me. But if it's not normal for you to cry like that, then obviously something isn't right.

I was expecting to have the rooms and children they way they are but I was not expecting to be thrown into the wolves without any information on them. They know I don't know them and they use it at every opportunity to see what they can and cannot get away with. I think I did well in the particular room I was by myself in all day yesterday but we'll see when I'm back in there next week.

[childcaremom]

I was expecting to have the rooms and children they way they are but I was not expecting to be thrown into the wolves without any information on them. They know I don't know them and they use it at every opportunity to see what they can and cannot get away with. I think I did well in the particular room I was by myself in all day yesterday but we'll see when I'm back in there next week.

Oh these little ones are a lot smarter than we give them credit for

I have never worked in a daycare centre however, even at home with a new child, I feel some stress until I can get a chance to get to know the new little one and they have a chance to figure out the routines. Once we get our groove, it's okay, but those first few weeks can be trying.

I couldn't imagine subbing a new group each day.

I did work in an afterschool program. No experience with the age group (just my own and their friends) and no training and they threw me in the first day. Thankfully it was a pretty good group but I did feel out of whack the first few weeks there. I had some pretty great coworkers, too. Can you ask some of the other teachers (when they aren't busy) for some input on the groups? They might be able to share some ideas and tricks.

Until you get your groove, just take it easy on yourself. I focussed on accomplish one thing that I had trouble with the day before (such as learning everyone's names, learning some of their interests, talking to someone I hadn't had a chance to chat with before, etc). Little accomplishments at the beginning

:hug: You will get there

[racemom]

I work in a small daycare also and have for almost 11 years, and it does get easier. It is hard to go into a room where you have have no idea what is going on. Here is my advice for different age groups:

Infants: do you have written schedules for them. Otherwise my advice is to change/check diapers every two hours unless dirty sooner. Most infants eat every two to three hours.

Toddlers 1 and 2 years old: this is the hardest group for me. They are busy, busy busy! Do group activities with them, sing, exercise, have free play, and keep them entertained!

3 year olds: puzzles, coloring, reading, help them to build with blocks. They are ready to start short amount of circle time. Weather, day of the week, read story.

4 and 5's: usually can find things to do on their own, use them as helpers. If they are doing something wrong ask them to make a better choice. Make them responsible for their actions. Story time, circle time and crafts.

Hope this helps. One thing I do when going to a group I don't usually work with is be very strict at the beginning because they will test you! Some times I feel like a drill sargent, but it makes things better when they know you mean it!!!

[kendallina]

I have worked in many centers before, including as a director and for them to just throw you in without training/time with teachers/getting to know the children...that is awful. Many many centers run in crisis-mode. They are never staffed enough, teachers do not receive proper training, the kids are not getting their needs met and chaos is often the result. It really seems like that's what's going on here. If they're not always in 'crisis mode', they are now at least, and that is tough! Just the fact that they hired you, knowing that you didn't have experience yet and throw you in without at least a few days experience with their methods, is concerning. I DON'T mean that as a knock on you, but even experienced teachers deserve shadowing or training before being with the kids by themselves because every center has a different way of running things.

If you think that this may be a good place just going through a tough time, then give it some time, hopefully it will get better. I would definitely talk with your supervisor and let her know that you really want to do your best and that you were hoping for some time with teachers just shadowing them. Or at least a schedule that they usually follow or some information about what they typically do with the children...

If you think this is probably how they always run-- run away. Find a place that trains their employees before starting them (I'm not talking about out of the class training, the best training is shadowing a good teacher and then trying it out with having the teacher shadow you). Best of luck!!

[Febby]

If you think this is probably how they always run-- run away. Find a place that trains their employees before starting them (I'm not talking about out of the class training, the best training is shadowing a good teacher and then trying it out with having the teacher shadow you). Best of luck!!

This.

Even the worst center I ever worked, new employees got to spend at least a little bit of time with other staff members before being dumped into classrooms by themselves and that center was absolutely terrible.

I do fully understand being in a good center running in 'crisis mode' though. That said, unless they're crazy understaffed, a director or assistant director should/could be in the classroom training you at least part of the time. Expecting you to instantly know the center's methods and how best to apply them in each classroom is unreasonable.

That said my default "I don't know what to do with you guys right now" activities are coloring, play-doh, and blowing bubbles. Also, the longer you can spend with them outside on playground having free outdoor play, the better. They'll get a chance to run some of their energy off so they'll be calmer when they're back inside.

[Unregistered]

This.

Even the worst center I ever worked, new employees got to spend at least a little bit of time with other staff members before being dumped into classrooms by themselves and that center was absolutely terrible.

I do fully understand being in a good center running in 'crisis mode' though. That said, unless they're crazy understaffed, a director or assistant director should/could be in the classroom training you at least part of the time. Expecting you to instantly know the center's methods and how best to apply them in each classroom is unreasonable.

That said my default "I don't know what to do with you guys right now" activities are coloring, play-doh, and blowing bubbles. Also, the longer you can spend with them outside on playground having free outdoor play, the better. They'll get a chance to run some of their energy off so they'll be calmer when they're back inside.

Being outside has been my saving grace in these situations but it's been raining so much we only can get in one outside time. The worse part though is the infants. I get placed in a room with four infants, by myself (the max for my state is five per one adult) but it is crazy! I have never had any kids so my knowledge of infants (other than trough textbooks and the occasional cousin having a child) is the only interaction with infants I have had. I literally cried for a good five minutes with two of the infant today because I don't know their schedule or what that particular cry means. The older kids are a little less nerve racking but the younger ones are just nightmare inducing.