substitute teacher

para educator

teacher

security officer

licensed practical nurse

Puyallup School District

A typical day is waking up at 6am, getting to work 8am, and spending the morning talking with student. I usually get there 10 minutes early to set up and chat with the teachers; stay updated and stuff. I work with groups of 4 to 6 students, grades 7-12. We begins by getting into a group and going around asking what questions the students brought. Each student is required to bring a TRF sheet filled in with a question they are confused about, along with some pre-work related to the question. The pre-work is usually graded by the teacher. Once all the questions are read, one student goes up to the board and presents their question, or point of confusion (POC). The other students then assist the presenter in identifying the key elements to their POC using notes, textbooks, etc. On a good day, it all clicks and the presenter finds an answer and understands it. Once in a while we are stuck with just finding key elements, but not solving the problem, which works too because the presenter still gains some kind of understanding. 

I learned a lot from these students, my fellow tutors, and the teachers. I tend to say that if you can explain something to a 7th grader and they get it, then you can explain it to anyone. This job really showed me how to break down knowledge to a basic and understanding point of view. 

Management. Well, the teachers are amazing. They put so much working into these kids. The funnest part about working with teachers is that they are all different. I had to learn a new style of classroom culture for every I went to. I loved it. 

The hardest part of the job... Probably one of those days where a student has a problem that you can't figure out. It is hard just sitting there not knowing what to do, and seeing their confused face. The other hard part is having a student who competes with dominating the group. That can get tough to deal with and it makes the group inefficient. But the absolute hardest part is seeing a student you does not care. The just cuts deep. We don't get them very often, but once in a while you get a student who just lacks the care of learning. It is hard to see.

The most enjoyable part is when a student gets it. The "Ah-Ha!" moment of tutorials. The problem could be messy and take all of our time, but when they get it, it is... beyond awesome. Another is when a quite student becomes comfortable in the group and starts interacting more. That just brings a smile to your face. And finally, the best part is really seeing the students grow and excel in their learning. When you have a student who did not care in the beginning of the year suddenly start caring and start doing well. That makes all the tough times worth it. We recently watched a video at our end of the year meeting showing us some of the graduating student from one of the high schools. They talked about where they started and where they are now after AVID. I believe it left us all in tears. Being a small part in the success of a person's life is unforgettable.

The managers at the Food Service District office/Central Kitchen do not understand what the job of a Food Service worker (i.e. Lunch Lady/Cafeteria worker) involves.   The upper mgmt wants us to do more with less and more for not much money.   It takes a long time for any repairs of broken equipment or plumbing to be done and forget any modernizing or upgrades of the kitchens in the schools.   Everyday it is like playing "beat the clock" to get everything done and sometimes cleanliness of the kitchens take a back seat and they do not care because they do not want to pay overtime. The Managers at the Central Kitchen/District Office are very uncaring and look down on the Food Service workers at the individual schools.   I found  the managers at the Food Service District office (Central Kitchen) to be very demeaning.   It is a shame because it is an important job--school cannot run without the Lunch staff and it is not the kids' fault.     The kitchen managers at the individual schools, for the most part, are very hardworking and it is not them who I am writing about.   Also, this is a very hard/physical job and a little appreciation and caring from the upper management could make a big difference in morale and retention.    The most enjoyable part of the job was just working few hours a day and being around nice co-workers and students.

Choosing a career in education is not for everyone. Those who elect to follow this path must be willing to work long hours, be flexible, understanding and compassionate. My experience working with early learners was rewarding. Being patient and having a sense of humor were two characteristics that I drew upon each day. Children need to feel that they are capable, supported, safe and loved. My classroom climate encouraged individualism and creativity, while, recognizing and celebrating the unique strengths of each student. I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment with the success of each student. A typical day at work began at 7:45am and didn't end until I had prepared my plans and materials for the next day. This was usually around 5pm, but, I took work home, as well. Management of materials, people and time was vital. There were many days that I felt like a "plate spinner", and, at the end of my day could rejoice that no plates had fallen. Flexibility, determination, observation, dedication, were all part of the daily plan. After working in the public school system for 39 years, I retired, but am not looking to be put out to pasture. A team atmosphere, as I imagine working at a booth during the Washington State Fair offers, sounds interesting, fast paced and provides opportunities to meet new people.

I have learned many things working for the Puyallup school District as we strive for a tradition of excellence.  
A typical day includes working closely with members of the different teams for the projects that are currently in place.  There are many facets to the communications that go on; some being on the phone, email or in person.  Weekly status meetings are held/attended as there are items on agendas that need to be reviewed and also verified that the appropriate timelines are being met.
My co-workers and I get along great, we have a great team environment and can call on each other in a time of need.  Communication is the key element to the success of a good working relationship.
The hardest part of my job is understanding why some users choose not to take ownership in their data or day to day 
tasks.
The most enjoyable part of my job is the ability to always learn new software packages and assist my users in getting the most out of the packages that we are using.  I always strive for excellence when I work with software.  I can be a user, administrator or software advocate depending on the moment of the software life cycle.

As a substitute food service worker I felt the on-the-job training was terrible over all. You’re going into different schools/ different kitchens almost every single day, where they are often short-staffed and frantically trying to get things done for lunch. So understandably there’s not ever much time to train a brand new person. Many of the kitchen managers I worked with were welcoming , friendly, and as accommodating as they could be, but some were not as nice and would get annoyed when I didn’t know how to navigate their specific kitchen or work at top speed (I’m brand new here!). 
The school district requires you to complete several hours of online training but very little or that training actually applies directly to the type of work you’re doing in the kitchens as a sub. Also instead of logging your hours through a software program they have you record them in a MS Excel spread sheet which is extremely inconvenient and not user friendly. 

I work with 7th, 8th, and 9th graders, preparing them for college through the AVID program. A typical day consists of sitting with my pre-assigned group of students, assisting them develop a Point of Confusion (a question they have in their schoolwork) and then facilitating their oral presentation which highlights what they know, and where they need the help of the others. The hardest part of my job is encouraging the speakers to ask the others for help. Middle school students are quite shy. The most enjoyable part is helping the 7th graders complete the process. This is new to them and they receive a special sense of satisfaction when it‘s accomplished. I‘ve learned that the process happens with very little prodding from me. The management and workplace culture are great.  Everyone is friendly and engaged.

I learned something new everyday it seemed like, disinfecting locker rooms, cleaning gym after games, upper and lower gyms, four full sets of bleachers, worked graveyard shift so saw people early mornings usually, changed light bulbs, ceiling tiles, replacing broken desks, lots of things to do all the time, hardest part of the job was replacing filters in heaters five times a year, gym took 24 filters alone also summer cleaning alot of hard work, i enjoyed everything about my job there, never once dreaded going to work, the staff were very nice

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part was leaving. It is close knit to the point of institutional corruption. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The uncertainty as to relative moral character of the teacher supervisors and department heads. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Backstabbing, career advancement, and self service are prioritized over serving the needs of students. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Stressful and filled with non-work activities to jockey for personal  favoritism completely unrelated to student outcomes or education.

We all know our job is to ultimately serve students either directly or indirectly.  I  love being part of helping our staff serve our students. 
I get to help people learn about our school district and positions available that fit their experience and education. 
It's been amazing to witness people begin their career as a substitute to find where they have a passion and are now a permanent employee in a career they love. 

The district is great for parents with children. Depending on whether you are at a school office location or the administration building, your work schedule varies along with your responsibility level. The district prizes those with an educational background. It is possible to work many years in the same position but if you want growth you need to continue to educate yourself. There definitely is age discrimination. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Substitute teacher 4 salaries reported	$101 per hour
Para educator 4 salaries reported	$26.62 per hour
Teacher 5 salaries reported	$78,391 per year
Security officer 2 salaries reported	$33.51 per hour
Licensed practical nurse 1 salary reported	$38.43 per hour

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