If teachers had secretaries

[seastarmath]

Don't you wish you had a secretary? Someone who would do your filing, filling out that paperwork that someone is forever calling for, doing those little things like making labels, putting the "equipment baskets" ready for class, checking supplies, etc.? I am trying to think of another profession where you have to do EVERYTHING without the aid of a paraprofessional or clerk or something. Nursing does come to mind. Can anybody think of another one?

Can you tell I am in the "beginning of school paperwork overload" stage?:wowee:

[Brit]

hmmmm....how far can we go in training the kids to "help"?...I think I have one or two I might nominate to be a "secretary"...I was at school for 11 hours today, mostly dealing with planner money, tracking down start-up forms, filing, sorting papers, and calling parents.

[seastarmath]

My school will not let us have student helpers or even parent helpers as it supposedly violates the privacy act.

The second week of school and we are already into dealing with a fundraiser. More forms to fill in, more money to collect. When the orders come in, we have to go through each order with each individual child to check off every item. It makes me hope nobody participates.

I wish people who push this stuff on us would stop and think what they are asking.

I wonder what it would be like to work in a place where the teachers only job was to teach the children.

[Kase]

I teach toddlers so I'm kinda lucky to have 2 assistants. Although sometimes, whenever they're in their lazy stage I feel like I do everything on my own. And for teaching toddlers, it's crazy the amount of paperwork I do!

[Brit]

God I hate fundraisers. They're very against my idea of education as a public institution, and they're a pain in the ass, if you'll excuse the langauge. I ESPECIALLY hate the money that's spent towards getting prizes for kids who sell certain amounts. Couldn't we just get the group to DONATE the money they spend on buying the incentives, then NOT fundraise?

I've said it before, I'll say it again: tax me up the ying yang, but let me have a good education system and good free healthcare. Long live socialism.

[War_Eagle]

..........

[MissTeach]

Fundraisers can be frustrating. At the beginning of each year we have a school wide fundraiser. About a month after the money is due, our principal is on the phone calling parents for money! But with all the recent budget cuts, fundraisers are a fact of life at our school.

[Jena]

I heard a rumor that field trips were cut out at my son's school until they can come up with a better way to raise money. Fund raisers are hard work and time consuming, and most of the time, events aren't covered with the money that is made! With the cost of transportation, it's no wonder teachers aren't riding the bus these days. lol (sorry for the sarcasm)
I can't help but wonder where in the heck my taxes are going to.

[nikky]

unfortunately, i work with 18 4-year olds,and i dont have an assistant..ony a teacher aide woh helps in cleaning up the room after snacks...one of my bulletin board displays was suppose to be for"Little Helping Hands" but it hasnt been filled up since school started...which was last june.LOL..i do all stuff for my class from preaparing visual aids,setting tables for messy activities and cleaning up right after(since we use the same tables)..yeah,how i wish,we have secretaries here so we can have more time thinking and planning....My class is just in the mornings but my afternoons are not enuf ofr preparation time since i was already stressed out fr the morning class...but still at the end of the day,,,i llok back and feel glad,,i made it through another day..HAhAHa!!!

[Kase]

I actually get somewhat of a secretary for a day!!!!! My boss just informed my center that she is going to have 20 students from a school that need community hours come and help out. Help out with cutting, or laminating or cleaning. Even help out with the kids! I'm so stoked! I just wish it would be everyday!!!

[dsmms]

[QUOTE=seastarmath;33279]My school will not let us have student helpers or even parent helpers as it supposedly violates the privacy act.

Our parent volunteers now have to sign the same Confidentiality Statement that the employees have to sign. We just started doing this at the beginning of the year.

[Just ducky]

My school will not let us have student helpers or even parent helpers as it supposedly violates the privacy act.



Is there a thought as to why this the case? I could understand not allowing to deal with records or grading, etc., but nothing at all? I really hope that this is not going to be the common thread because I have a right and left arm in my room.

This lady is a wonderful gift from God and I do mean that seriously. She is actually a child caregiver of one of my students from last year and friend of his family. (Child's family is also close to me.) She volunteered last year and did about everything that one could think of. She asked if I wanted her to stay in fourth grade or move up to the new room. (That was the laugh of my day. Not a second thought. She did not get promoted to the next grade.) Already this year, she has sewn my curtain covers I wanted on a storage area. She also discovered that my construction paper was hard to get to so she commissioned her husband to make me a sectioned storage rack for it.....(My bill-- $32 for supplies.)

My files are ready for the new students. I am more organized than I have ever been. Trust me, she knows no more about my class than she would have from her little guy coming home and talking with the exception of being able to put a face with the name. She could do that by simply going to one of their athletic events or a school music program.

That will be the next thing. All students will be anonymous in programs and events, because we would not want anyone to know that was Johnny or Susie that set the record or did that amazing solo. Yeah, right. Try telling that to a parent!!!!

[seastarmath]

Seems like the pendulum always has to swing to things getting out of control before sanity is restored. Our county office avoids confrontations with parents at all costs. Since one parent betrayed a confidence, they are afraid it will happen again. (I don't think they noticed the world didn't end when it happened the first time.) We are just now getting a PTO. Remember how we couldn't even let the kids exchange papers before the supreme court ruling that we COULD do that? My district is still hestitant to let us do that. I can't figure out why they run when they see a disgruntled parent. We are a fairly large district and you just have to expect that. I think there may have been a huge parent feud at one time too. (So and so said something about my daughter. That type of thing.) Oh well. C'est la vie!

[kmurphey]

As a paraprofessional, I am the secretary it seems. LOL

[Briley]

When my children were in school, it seemed the parent volunteers were the "secretaries" only with a different title - "room mom". When the room moms were restricted in how they could help the teacher, it affected the entire school it seemed. The teachers were bogged down with paperwork and didn't have the freedom to teach. They became overwhelmed and some lost their spark.

Having parents sign a confidentuality form seems to be a step in the right direction to allow teachers to teach.

[teacher5]

I am fortunate to have a full time aide in my room who has been with me five years. Not only does she file all tests and quizzes in folders in a big plastic tub, she has heard the curriculum enough times I can give her a group of students and she can "monitor their performance." I am not allowed to say teach them. She is a smart mature lady who had kids of her own and knows how to use our behavior mod plan and speak to children so they learn respect and use manners. As for fundraisers, many years ago we won in the teacher's contract that we are not allowed to handle money, period. If there is a field trip or fundraiser, the money is put in a sealed envelope by the parent or guardian with the necessary form or forms signed and all we do is collect and forward these to the main office. Some teachers still collect and handle book club money and have been disciplined by the union. To get around this, a parent is designated as the book club parent and takes care of the ordering and distributing of the items.

[gypsy]

It would be very nice to have someone to do "just some" of my endless (SPED) paperwork. But I guess teachers and nurses are such efficient people that the world thinks we don't need help. Boy, I wish they were right!!!:rolleyes:

[Brit]

SOMETIMES, I like the idea of just doing it all myself. Last year, one of my team teachers had a mom who stole a copy of a test right off the teacher's desk (they were piled and ready to go for hte next day). How, you ask, did the teacher know? Because the mom complained about their child's mark. The mom coached and coached, then argued that her child KNEW the answers...but the kid still failed because she didn't UNDERSTAND them well enough to write them down properly.

that parent or no parent? no brainer.

Of course, I've had parents who have been PHENOMENAL. I wouldn't trade them for the world. I guess the trouble with parent volunteers is that it's hard to run them through an interview process. I screen as best I can, but I guess you never know.

that being said, I'm looking forward to a volunteer starting next month!

[sebedina]

Have you thought of employing (seriously) a stay at home mum who wants 4 hours a week work. You could pay, say, £6 per hour for filing and such like. I am sure it will be worth it. Or even, 4 or 5 hours a month. Still takes the pressure off.

[seastarmath]

That would be great if we could get the funding!
As a paid employee, they would need to take the "pledge" of confidentiality.

[bella mundi]

Anybody who works in a classroom, even if just for an afternoon, has to sign a confidentiality agreement in my school. If they're taking a tour, they don't. But if they spend any amount of time observing a class, they have to sign it. I'm glad that they do that.