Is it okay to use students for cleaning?

[milena]

Hi everyone!

I've started my work placement for cert III and I have been asked to do a lot of cleaning around the centre.
I don't mind the cleaning, it is part of the experience.What I am concerned is that now I will be starting my 80 hours in the 2-5 yo room and I will have to do a lot of observations (anecdotal, learning story) and if they keep taking me out of the room to clean bathrooms and kitchen I won't have time to do it all.
Last week I started my first day in the 2-5 room and it was boring! They have lots of group time (discussions with the children, news, activity sheets and story telling) and they put them all to rest for 1.5 hours (the kids who can't sleep get a bit bored and tired of lying down for so long!). So at the end of my 8 hours at the centre I don't have much time to interact with the children and get them to know me or trust me. When I finally had some time to interact with my focus child (free play time) they asked me to clean the 3 bathrooms and take out the trash.
So, my question is: Is it okay? Has anyone had the same problem? What happened, how did you deal with it?
I don't just do a little cleaning. I clean a lot, every day! Vaccum, mop, sanitise (3 bathrooms), the meals room (sweep, mop, clean the tables) and sometimes at the end of day washing some dirty dishes.

[SilviaSyd]

Yes, but it should be equally divided. I mean expecially for things like kitchen and bathroom there should be roaster and like laudry is nursery, kitchen is butterfly, and so on. If everyday someone ask you to do kitchen, bathroom and vacuum you can replay nice and calm "I did yesterday/all this week, I think is someone else turn to do it". Just remember that you can observe children during mealtime, grouptime and so on it's not just about free play and try to get a balance, speak, always nice and calm, with your room leader about that, ask him/her and other educators in the room suggestions, tips.. Involve them in your things and if you still don't feel right speak with your assessor/teacher, you should have someone in your school to refer to. Good luck!!

[EmmaJane_234]

Talk to your supervisor or director about the matter and explain that you don't have enough time to do you prac work as well as, clean as much as you do.

[Lorina]

How's the cleaning going? Gotten any better?

I think you're doing way too much cleaning! You're not a cleaner! Your their as a student to get practical experience and knowledge. Unfortunately some staff will treat you as such and make you do all the crappy jobs. They know you probably wont say anything so they will continue to do it. So, please say something. You're their to get your work placement and assignments complete so you can gain your qualification. Alright so if your uncomfortable talking to the director/room leader about it then go to work with a plan. Talk to your room leader when you arrive in the morning about what your plan is for the day. You have to set up this experience, observe your focus child, write your evaluation etc. So she is aware of what you need to do. Maybe you wont get given so much cleaning if you tell her your plan for the day....

Hope this helps,

,
Lorina

[linsaa fdc]

Cheeky aren't they? Sounds like they want to dump their responsibilities on you and get some cheap cleaning done.
Linsaa fdc

[milena]

Thanks all for the replies!

Yes, I was talking to my OTEN teacher and she advised me to speak with my supervisor/director.
I have my work placement only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Last Wednesday I missed the opportunity to ask a parent permission to observe because I was cleaning the bathroom and didn't see them. When I returned to the room, parent and child were gone! Missed the whole week, now have to wait until next week to obtain permission, meaning I'm stuck in my obs. because I still don't have parents permission

[Lorina]

Yeah..that sucks! You will need to speak with your supervisor/director about this asap and give that example...

,
Lorina

[milena]

Thanks Lorina!
I find myself in a difficult position, I don't want to stain my relationship with them. I need them and they know that! So I'll just keep doing the cleaning of bathrooms and lunch room and entrance hall during rest time, all the kids including preschoolers are put to sleep or have to remain lying down on a bed for at least 1.5 hour! I think this is ridiculous! The older kids just can't sleep and they get bored of lying down for so long. It's bad for me also, because it's another hour wasted on my work placement.
Sorry, just lashing out! I need to finish this and get myself out of there!!! Luckily there are 2 nice educators that are helping me and really teaching me about the service's routine and daily job there. Not the supervisors and room leaders, they are the ones putting me to cleaning.

[Lorina]

If the supervisors and room leaders are making you do the cleaning then are you able to talk to the Director? Are you only doing most of the cleaning during rest time? Forcing the children to lay down for 1.5 hrs is ridiculous and it shouldn't happen. Preschoolers should be given quiet activities to do. Are you able to provide the children that are awake with quiet activities to do on their beds while they rest? Maybe you can print off some colouring pages or some tracing that the older kids can do quietly. You can put these "worksheets" in a folder (or make one) or stick them in an exercise book to give to each of the ones that are awake, along with some pencils for colouring... Is this possible?

,
Lorina

[milena]

Hi Lorina,

Things are better for me now. My supervisor is on holidays and they have a new student, so I have a helper to do the cleaning! And by the time my supervisor returns, I will be almost done with my assignments.
About the preschoolers lying down, I have thought about doing something since day one. I am just trying to get the courage to say or suggest something. I have tried talking to them or asking why... they all say, "it's the best time of the day, don't you think? It's quiet and that's the only time we have to do the reports and stuff". So, what can I say?! I totally disagree, and I feel awful for the kids. On my last week of work placement, I will suggest some tracing, connect the dots, mazes to be offered to the ones who are not sleeping. They have a machine to laminate paper, so I will suggest laminating some activity sheets to be done with dry erase markers or crayons. My son used to have lots of fun doing the activities and erasing and doing it again.

[Lorina]

Hmmm... it's hard to speak up when you''re a student. You usually get the "rolled eyes" by the staff when suggesting something or just a "yeah" for the sake of it when knowing full well your suggestions aren't going to be considered. Argh! Frustrating! Just because you give something for the preschoolers to do on their beds during rest time doesn't mean that they're going to spoil "best time of the day" as that educator had put it! Laminating activity sheets is a brilliant idea!Love it! Rather than suggest it, can you just go ahead and do it and see what happens. I mean the worst they could do will probably tell you not to give them to the kids but at least you tried!

,
Lorina

[Sue_70]

I have assistants that I have to ask to do specific jobs and have wondered in the past, about how long it took them to do something. The best way of knowing was to have a go at doing the job yourself, and then I felt I could give that perspective and know myself the details about what I was asking them to do. But I am lucky to have a director who will also get their hands dirty and do these types of jobs.

[Lorina]

I think it's important that we all get a turn at doing the jobs that need to be done. We should get a share of the jobs and work together to maintain a healthy and safe environment for educators and the children...

,
Lorina