For example, she no longer wants me to do the child study or curriculum planning course observations in work time. The reason I was given was 'we don't pay you to do that and it's not as if we asked you to do the course'. Yet of the ones I have produced so far, I unexpectedly identified a child who was having problems that we had missed. Yes, undoubtedly, the course does require me to do more observations, but is that a bad thing? Halfway through a sample observation on a child who had caused concern at the school, the teacher realised I was taking the observation and found me some photocopying to do during whole group time. The room was ready for the next activity and I was sitting with the children and working discreetly.
Ironically, I had asked the teacher's and the head's permission beforehand and showed them my course material. Once the head realised I wasn't asking for any funding, she said it was a great idea on the grounds that anything that develops staff skills will benefit the children and has to be a good thing.
So why does the teacher I work with feel this way? I enjoy my role as a nursery nurse. I wanted to do this course because ancillary staff in the school are not offered the chance to go on training courses. On teacher training days, we have to clean. Since starting the course I have found my observation skills are improving and I am considering aspects of childcare I haven't thought about since I first got involved in training.
Because of this conflict I now have to study in secret. I try to write up my observations in my breaks and read my course work at home rather than in my lunch break. I do not let it interfere with my work.
Another concern fellow students talk about is the issue of working extra hours and the fact that we are expected to put in these hours without being paid to do it. I feel so demoralised. I earn 5.62 an hour and I have lots of experience and further qualifications I paid for myself in previous jobs. I am paying for a degree and funding it by doing extra cleaning work at the weekends. I have a family of my own too.
Are any other Nursery World readers encountering similar problems?
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