Friday, January 18, 2013

Why It Is Awesome to Work in the Schools

Of course there are the obvious perks: usually home by 4 p.m., no weekends, no holidays, and summers off. But there are also other advantages of working in the schools.

First, we are in the kid-business and mostly family-friendly. This culture and atmosphere is great, especially when your own child is sick, hurt, etc. and you have to leave work to help them. Administrators and colleagues are understanding and willing to cover if needed (fortunately, I have a job that has even more flexibility than teachers because I don't have to wait for sub if I need to attend to one of my own kids).

Second, did I mention the kids? They are awesome. Working with them, watching them grow, seeing them attain new skills is enough to get me through some of the monotony of my job. Let me tell you that reviewing immunization records and chasing out-of-compliance offenders is tedious work. Entering health information into the computer is important, but boring as heck. So I'm thrilled when I actually get to work kids.

And finally sometimes there are days when funny things happen that make for great retell. Today had one of those moments. I was returning back to the elementary school after being to the high school. In the elementary's front office was a mom waiting to pick up her kids. She is a lady who I have run with a few times. So as I came in I said hello. She gave me a look that showed some slight recognition and then the light went on.

-Oh Heather, hi. It's you. I didn't recognize you out of context. You look so pretty. Wait, not that you don't usually.

I reassured her that I understood what she was trying to say. Not everyone can look awesome in running gear, wearing yesterday's make-up, and barely awake. We had a little laugh over that whole conversation.

Awesome hours, family-friendly environment, and seeing friends in the workplace are just a few of the reasons why I love working in the school.

No comments: