Well 2021 was rough. I pursued the Diploma in Early Childhood Care & Education - Teaching, like finally. It was suppose to be for 2020, but CB happened and well things happened, and priorities shifted. So now we are back at it, I hope. While 2020 may have drastic changes and shifts happening time to time, and to think 2021 might be better was definitely wrong. 2021 seemed to have much more changes, some more ridiculous than others.
I don't even know if it is good or bad thing to have the whole course done online. I guess the worse is the fact that we are on conversion route (as we are all degree holders) and it became a crash course for all of us, like literally back to back modules after modules, assignments after assignments, all that happening back to back with little room to breathe. We survived though.. 9 modules done, 6 modules more to go.
Apart from the mere juggling of working and studying at the same time, work had been a roller coaster as well. Not so much for the workload - I think it is overall the same apart from the obvious increase in numbers of children under my care. I feel the stress more on managing my staff, the new teachers that comes in with different teaching styles, with different classroom management styles, with different and strong opinions or beliefs that seemed like poles apart. These things, if you don't handle or manage them well, they leave. Having teachers coming and leaving so often, actually leaves a mark on the children. They became less trusting every time they had a new teacher, they almost knew somehow that this new teacher may not last and might just leave them again like the last one. The only 2 prominent faces they can trust is really just me and their laoshi who stayed through their thick and thin, I guess.
Last year we had assistants literally coming for a month or two then having to leave to take over another class or them coming in to serve their notice period. This year was rather challenging, we had various kinds of teachers coming to assist but instead of easing our workload, they ended up increasing our workload because they were adamant on their ways, refusing to listen to our rationale and reason for not using that certain style. All the trouble to then only conclude that, "oh now I know why you tried to stop me from using that strategy". Do we have time to do things for fun sake? It is all for the children, to benefit the children's styles and needs, isn't it?
This course had a lot of people wondering why I have sound knowledge sometimes, I guess I was the only one who is a qualified educator just pursuing the next level but fall under the category of mid career switchers because I have a diploma and degree in another field. Yes, complicated, I know.
In case you are not aware, well.. here's the history again.
I graduated with a Diploma in Civil Environmental Engineering in 2005.
I worked as a Quantity Surveyor for 6months while waiting for my graduation. Then quit and found myself a job as a Structural Technician with Arup (S) Pte Ltd in 2006.
In 2007, I pursue a Degree in Engineering Business Management, and scored a 2nd Class Upper with Honours in 2008.
I was then retrenched in 2009 then my rollercoaster ride as a Structural Draughtsman/Engineer/Modeller began as I jump from company to company until I found myself a good spot in ABL Pte Ltd in 2012, I think I stayed the longest with this company - for 6years!
I quit to do my first IVF, stayed home for about 4 months (with secret hopes that my small home business can tide me over)? Then decide to just heck and try the field I had always wanted to since I was first retrenched. I just didn't at that time because the money for the industry back then was meh. So, 2018 was the year I embark in the Early Childhood industry. The salary was still meh, but I was at a stage where money is just a secondary need for me, so I dived in. It was 70-75% paycut by the way.
End of 2018, I was a qualified EY2 teacher. I was with the infants back then until mid 2019, then I was asked to try the Playgroup class. I found myself enjoying the position, myself, the challenges and the intangible rewards and became the PG main teacher in 2020 till date.
Even in 2019 as a newly qualified teacher I already made plans to pursue my diploma in teaching and so here I am. And today in midst of my diploma, I am already thinking of pursuing my masters, not sure if I would pursue in 2023 or 2024. Let's sit on it for a bit more.
Now back to today's struggles. This Covid-19 is turning from pandemic to endemic a little too fast for us really. I am not sure how to feel about it. We are all struggling with the many circulars with many ridiculous conditions for us to be back to normal, things like "Outdoor activity can resume in small groups of no more than 2 children from the same class" like c'mon already. How do we even do that? Do the agency really think we have such a super low teacher-child ratio to make that even thinkable? Might as well say no outdoor.
So I don't know. I am not complaining, just I guess some things could be done better. We need more support, I guess. Positions are always available are seeked for with no application, or people coming in with such a dreamy expectations - some asking super high salary for an assistant position. Some came pretty enthusiastic and cheerful only to go home down with migraines and not wanting to come back for a second day.
It is a real struggle trying to survive. I love my company, the management supports our leader, our leader supports us, we have good teachers who are all about teamwork and working together to rise together, we have understanding and loving parents who cares, we have great batch of children with us, just that sometimes, the new people joining us are just not giving us the room to breathe, the room for us to show them how we truly are. We are tired really, and we need to rest. We are just human.
I just we all just need to stand up, brush it all off and start afresh all over again every morning, everyday. May we all be okay and better for tomorrow. I better just end this entry before I forget how to end.
Till the next entry (may next year),
Jun
Wassalam
