Aussie Childcare Network Forum

Its been 8 months now and since the Diploma has been changed i have 3 months left before i find out if im Diploma Qualified. I am ther tue and Fri 9-2.30 and cannot get anymore hours or days at the centre. At the start I was loving being in the kindy room and getting to know the children then my mother died suddenly an i had to do all the organising for her funeral and so took 6 weeks off. Term 2 (as i cannot do school terms being a single mum) Im in the babies room for 4 weeks and loving watching them reaching their milestones while getting the baby part of my diploma marked off. Next i was in the Toddler room and im told a few weeks into my placement there not to get my book out AT ALL except for my hours. I was doing group time and activities with the children putting them down for naps etc lunch and snack time comforting, playing with the outside etc but was not being marked off. I asked the Director if i could have my book looked at before school break started so that the Team leader can mark what i have done in the 6 weeks in the room but the Director replied " You havent done enough hours to be marked off for anything" So now im back in Kindy to do a few weeks there and the other room till end of term. I bucked up the courage to talk to the Director again to ask if i can have my book out but she would rather i didnt. I am to have a plan of what i want to do in the room and hope that i can understand what is being asked of me because i am so stressed i cant focus. I have 90% of my book to do in the 8 weeks left of term and only 2 days at the centre so basically 80 hours to do my entire book. I feel under alot of pressure to understand and plan my day to competently prove i am capable of having my units signed off when i cant talk about it to the educators, plus the team leader isnt in the centre on the days im there so how can i get it signed off. I feel like the Director is setting me to fail as other students from the organisation havent had this problem and i dont understand why im being treated this way. I didnt spend all this time to fail i want to become qualified so i can start work and show my girls that hard work pays off and work is rewarding but i really believe that the Director is deliberately trying to make me fail obtaining my Diploma. i want to go over my book and make notes so i can plan my days int he centre and get the book done but the Director believes that half the tasks being asked may be impossible for an Educator to moinitor or see me do. Feeling very disappointed and heartbroken at eh moment.

They never sign my book they are waiting till i have done 240 hours before they sign.

I record my hours in my book after every placement and i sign a sign in sheet aswell for the diploma 240 is the minimum hours for the diploma placement

Exactly! while the deadline is drawing nearer and nearer i have no clue about how im doing and what i need to work on more. So I have decided to get as much documentation done as i can and have had help from a few educators who have taken photos of things that i have done so i can make it into like a project and then i cant have the 'Its my word against hers" situation. Also some of the educators who cannot sign me off will still be able to verify that they have seen me do the activities. They know that the Director can be difficult even to them and are willing to sign as a witness that i did actually do some of the tasks without photo proof aswell to cover me even more. I also spoke to one of the Educators who have agreed that i can date when she has seen me do something and will let the Team leader know that i did infact do that task and that it just needs signing. They find it odd aswell about my book and are being very helpful at trying to get around these hurdles as they know i want to complete my Diploma or i wouldnt be coming to placement every week. I just hope its enough to be qualified. Even the obs im unsure about i mean ive done them but one i have done a follow up and im not sure if im suppose to write it the same as the first ob aswell as link an outcome to it but i am going to just use it and give a copy to the parent aswell as give them the opportunity to give me feedback if they wish. This stress is really making it hard to focus and my anxiety and depression is going into overdrive but im not going to let it consume me i will push on and see how it goes.

I have support in some aspects now which is good but still there is alot to do in little time. With 7 weeks to go and only 2 days a week in placement i am stressing i wont complete some things. I need help with :

Facilitate compliance in an education and care service

There so much more and i just panick when i see the book wondering how to do some of these tasks

well i had a meeting with the Director and the Trainor and discussed the work ive done and the folder of experiences,obs, hazard forms etc. Everything was going well and was even given the challenge of mind mapping a curriculum for the kindy room. Chug along as i have already and try not to ask the Director so ill direct questions to the Educators instead. Then i go back to placement today and the educators were notified not to help i must figure it out myself. so much for the support!

I know! I am at my wits end and I have no idea why I am being treated this way. Its situations like these that make me feel even more in doubt with myself and my capabilities. I already have low self esteem, anxiety and depression, I don't need to be put down anymore or made to feel like I am on my own. I made the decision to study and make something of myself. This is making me think its too much stress and hassle some days. Feels like I'm back in school dealing with the popular bully who has her group of giggly girls to back up her words or in this case her rules/decisions to make things even harder. At least I have a few educators I can confide with but obviously keep my distance when the Director is around. Thank you for offering to help me I feel I'm becoming a nuisance to my fellow friends from study asking questions. They are a bit clueless but I think they have not been asked to go above and beyond with their units like I feel I have needed to so there in the dark as to how they can help. I will go through the book and see which unit to tackle next. I'm planning on doing a mind map curriculum for the kindy kids using bookweek as my theme. Not sure whether to choose a book in particular or books as a whole. Also looks like I will need to find another centre after this term to finish off the book as I believe there will be 4-6 weeks left to complete the book. (Sigh just keep it together Jen and don't quit my placement that's what the Director wants)