I'm a trainee working in a long day care, so 4 day 38 hour working week, and my position is an Assistant in toddler 2-3 yr old room. I started out as an RDO Aide and they offered me a full time position as an Assistant in the pre-kindy room. It was fantastic, yes stressful at times and sometimes doing my cert took a back seat because I was concentrating so much on room duties and outdoor duties (we have a rather large outdoor area with a bike track, playground, sandpits, grass areas, waterplay and a verandah with various activities set up). I started near the end of the year and found out we have regular room changes to get experience. I applied for the junior kindy room hearing that it was going to be implementing the new changes (smaller room numbers from 12, gradually going down) and thought this meant I could really concentrate on my study and really getting time with the children as I have had wonderful Group Leaders who really allow for input from their Assistants. Long story short I got the room I applied for and was ready for a new beginning. However with our occupancy low overall yet overbooked in the toddler room below us, this meant we had to take on the numbers because our room could technically have 16 children...although I later found out it can't be more than 12 unless they are all over 2.5 yrs old. My group leader went on her 2 week vacation during January which is when we are supposed to be getting our room checklist done so although she did quite a bit, it did not stand out as best as other rooms because she is a single parent taking the time off to experience her child's 1st year of school. So the Director put a lot of pressure on me to get the work done to timeline and set up the room. Unfortunately this let me inexperience shine through. I had no idea what I was doing and what information to put up, where to put things that would create changes to the room for the new EYLF (even though I tried; the Director wanted me to take down my Group Leader's set up and her things and at one point called it "Horrible" to her while she came in one day from her holiday as I stood by changing a child). I understand the frustration but unfortunately this was a dilemma and she asked the Assistant Director to come in and change it. It turned out to be great in my eyes, but at this point I accepted any change to keep the Director happy. I did however disagree with coming in and changing a room setup not of it's teacher's set up, my Group Leader was rather depressed about this. Through all this our staff numbers have been far too low with make-up RDO's, sick days and holidays which means everyone takes the hit. I was for 1 week doing someone elses room position or covering the kitchen aide for a whole days work. When I was in the room there was no constant group leader available so they would often combine classes with the pre-kindy if numbers permitted or move children up and leave the lunch float in there, thankfully she is fantastic and has experience as an SNES teacher so is great with kids. They recently put her in as a constant cover for my group leader until she got back, but she can only work part of the day because they have her doing bus runs to pick up schoolies. This means constant changes, me waiting for someone to arrive in the room, and always covering my own lunch break when time permits. This has all happened in 1 month and is a constant battle to keep up with my work in complete my required study, let alone think about it.
The day that put me over the edge was 14 toddlers, mixed age group of 2.1 - 2.7 yr olds on a day where they were getting the floors cleaned. This meant that during rest time we had to stack everything on shelves and wheel things out of the room-only 1 of us at a time. We hadn't had a lunch break with me working for over 6 hrs without one and my group leader waiting for 4hours so already running out of energy on our humid day and being overwhelmed by the class size and receiving of 4 new children that neither of us have any experience with and one of them who has special needs but is not diagnosed. During this time I was put over to different rooms to help out and then get my break, but unfortunately the special needs child had woken the other children up instantly by screaming which we weren't prepared for (no toys/activities set up). So I had to go over to get the children settle but another child had arrived to the room making it 15 and was wide awake jumping on beds which inturn meant a follow through of other children. I was trying desperately to get sheets into bags, changing and toileting whilst supervising and make it safe with putting beds away. The group leader came back with the child who had calmed down a little and was trying her best to finish nappies while I tried to get belongings back in right place. Group leader had to leave to do bus run and I was left alone with 15 toddlers running around an open room trying to calm the crying ones, calm the special needs child and keep them entertained. A parent arrived at this time as I was trying to calm a child who had just been hit and pushed, looking for his child's blanket (he had wet the bed and my group leader had put it in the bathroom) but I couldn't find it, thinking maybe it was accidentally put in wrong bag in all the commotion. I looked up to see 2 children wheeling 2 other children in an activity shelf across the room, a child climbing ontop of the bed stacks, 1 child pushing down a room divider and another one hitting another child in the face. I ran to as many as I could to stop them and move things but this lead to another thing happening while I couldn't see. I had to pick up a child who was hurt on the ground. I had called out to the next room that I needed someone and I could just feel I was having an anxiety attack. Luckily the parent found the blanket in the bathroom and said thankyou, I said goodbye, embarrassed and panicing. I literally became overwhelmed as it all started back up again and children were screaming/crying/making noises that I just dropped to the ground crying in histerics. I had no idea what to do and the saddest thing was the children came over asking me if I was ok (this sort of helped me get my thought track back on) even though I was still hyperventilating. The new group leader finally arrived and tried to assist me as best she could by finishing toileting and getting the afternoon tea from the kitchen.
I have had about 2 similar anxiety attacks to this due to similar but not as extreme incidents as this at my workplace due to being left with too many children or too much work/no energy waiting for breaks. I have had barely any study time at work as is supposed to be provided because of people doing relief work. I don't want to seem like I can't work as hard as the others because they are stressed with all this happening but are getting through it. Mind you I am the only one still studying as an Assistant. I just am unsure I can cope with this position if things like this are let to happen frequently. I am starting to doubt my abilities even though I love this job. I feel as though they should get someone qualified and experienced if the centre is going to be under so much stress that they can't provide with staffing issues. However last year was fantastic and I wish I could go back to my old room as the Assistant but I know it's not possible. So I am unsure of if I should complain/ask for a new position out of a room until I finish my studies/just wait until my group leader returns and wait it out hoping. I am really struggling to understand if this is normal?
The day that put me over the edge was 14 toddlers, mixed age group of 2.1 - 2.7 yr olds on a day where they were getting the floors cleaned. This meant that during rest time we had to stack everything on shelves and wheel things out of the room-only 1 of us at a time. We hadn't had a lunch break with me working for over 6 hrs without one and my group leader waiting for 4hours so already running out of energy on our humid day and being overwhelmed by the class size and receiving of 4 new children that neither of us have any experience with and one of them who has special needs but is not diagnosed. During this time I was put over to different rooms to help out and then get my break, but unfortunately the special needs child had woken the other children up instantly by screaming which we weren't prepared for (no toys/activities set up). So I had to go over to get the children settle but another child had arrived to the room making it 15 and was wide awake jumping on beds which inturn meant a follow through of other children. I was trying desperately to get sheets into bags, changing and toileting whilst supervising and make it safe with putting beds away. The group leader came back with the child who had calmed down a little and was trying her best to finish nappies while I tried to get belongings back in right place. Group leader had to leave to do bus run and I was left alone with 15 toddlers running around an open room trying to calm the crying ones, calm the special needs child and keep them entertained. A parent arrived at this time as I was trying to calm a child who had just been hit and pushed, looking for his child's blanket (he had wet the bed and my group leader had put it in the bathroom) but I couldn't find it, thinking maybe it was accidentally put in wrong bag in all the commotion. I looked up to see 2 children wheeling 2 other children in an activity shelf across the room, a child climbing ontop of the bed stacks, 1 child pushing down a room divider and another one hitting another child in the face. I ran to as many as I could to stop them and move things but this lead to another thing happening while I couldn't see. I had to pick up a child who was hurt on the ground. I had called out to the next room that I needed someone and I could just feel I was having an anxiety attack. Luckily the parent found the blanket in the bathroom and said thankyou, I said goodbye, embarrassed and panicing. I literally became overwhelmed as it all started back up again and children were screaming/crying/making noises that I just dropped to the ground crying in histerics. I had no idea what to do and the saddest thing was the children came over asking me if I was ok (this sort of helped me get my thought track back on) even though I was still hyperventilating. The new group leader finally arrived and tried to assist me as best she could by finishing toileting and getting the afternoon tea from the kitchen.
I have had about 2 similar anxiety attacks to this due to similar but not as extreme incidents as this at my workplace due to being left with too many children or too much work/no energy waiting for breaks. I have had barely any study time at work as is supposed to be provided because of people doing relief work. I don't want to seem like I can't work as hard as the others because they are stressed with all this happening but are getting through it. Mind you I am the only one still studying as an Assistant. I just am unsure I can cope with this position if things like this are let to happen frequently. I am starting to doubt my abilities even though I love this job. I feel as though they should get someone qualified and experienced if the centre is going to be under so much stress that they can't provide with staffing issues. However last year was fantastic and I wish I could go back to my old room as the Assistant but I know it's not possible. So I am unsure of if I should complain/ask for a new position out of a room until I finish my studies/just wait until my group leader returns and wait it out hoping. I am really struggling to understand if this is normal?
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