ECT leaving after 4 months at first job

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ect2016
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Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2015 4:49 pm

ECT leaving after 4 months at first job

Post by ect2016 » Tue Aug 01, 2017 11:07 pm

Hi everyone ,
I am a graduated ECT with also a Masters degree in Primary Education. I decided to go into Early Childhood as I am very passionate about early learning and child development. I don't mind dealing with the children - that's part of my job, however, I can no longer stand the staff at the centre. The staff are VERY unprofessional here for the following reasons:
1) When I started, they (the director ) wrote on my time sheet that my qualification was a diploma level educator when my employment contract clearly stated that I am an appointed ECT for the service. I found that a passive aggressive form of not recognising my professional status as a teacher and I found that to be quite demoralising. This 'mistake' continued for 3 months, despite me pointing it out several times. I ignored this kindly.
2) I'm sorry but I cannot take the educational leader here seriously with 3 years industry experience and a diploma and not even continuing any professional development. She encourages the use of rote learning, stencils, structured school based activities just to impress parents. She has nothing beneficial to offer and basically uses her position to boss others around over how they should run the room and criticises every small decision I make e.g. Why we decided to have lunch outdoors
I believe that even 20 years of experience means nothing if you are not doing things the right way and not continuously improving your practice.
3) the trainee runs the room seriously, she's very loud, obnoxious and gives orders to everyone and mostly avoids doing the dirty work because she thinks she's too good to do it + she's lazy. I rearranged the room very specific to the children's learning needs- one week later she rearranged it again.
4) director ignores my concerns- director believes that everyone has the right to make changes and give each other orders.
5) director got in trouble off the upper management and let out all her frustrations on me. She said if people are 'unhappy' (she knows I'm unhappy here over what I described above) that they can leave. I was almost going to cry.
6) there was one time I was cleaning toilets 5 days a week especially when parents were coming to pick up their children. I was never taken seriously and felt demoralised as I wanted to interact more with families but my duties were more important so management didn't allow me to do so.
7) Parents have complained about the toys, resources and rude staff around here
8) whenever I give a suggestion they (director and 2ic) challenge it all the time because ect doesn't know anything
9) I aspire to be a director myself one day or second in charge. But when I show these aspirations I am told to 'calm down '
Aren't I allowed to be ambitious? Aren't I qualified ? Aren't I capable enough? I'm very sad. I don't think it should take me 20 years to be a director. I don't think it should even take me 5 years to be 2ic. It took all my other class fellows from university 2 to 3 years to move into 2ic roles. But I feel like I can never move up here. Nobody in management is university qualified and now I'm thinking ECT degree meant nothing. I am started to doubt myself now. Everyone is rude here and so I have decided to resign.


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Lorina
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Re: ECT leaving after 4 months at first job

Post by Lorina » Wed Aug 02, 2017 1:48 am

I'm sorry to hear about your experience! It doesn't sound like a very good place to work and it sounds as though they were trying to take advantage of you since you're the newbie! It frustrates me and angers me to no end hearing that mature woman treat each other like this in this industry! Some centres have their own group of educators that have known and worked each other for years (including the Director) and when someone new comes along, it's fine a dandy for the first week then the true colours start to show. Being new, they try and intimidate you, they don't take you seriously, they make you feel like crap... they are all in it and gang up... If one of the educators in the group passed a comment to another about you than the bitchiness takes over and then they basically push you out the door! It's not your fault at all! The centre wasn't right for you and why waste your time where you're not appreciated or given the opportunity to grow into your career in childcare. I would have resigned as well! Good for you!

:geek:,
Lorina

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Lorina
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Re: ECT leaving after 4 months at first job

Post by Lorina » Wed Aug 02, 2017 1:52 am

I just wanted to add, in my opinion, educators are leaving this industry NOT because of the pay, or the work hours or the responsibilities they are leaving because of the constant bullying and bitchiness that seems to be going around the centres. It's bloody pathetic and makes my blood boil, with a number of stories I've heard just in the past couple of months!!

Always trust your gut instinct and don't feel guilty about leaving a centre behind!

They don't deserve you!

:geek:,
Lorina

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