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Welcome back to The Forgotten ECE, the podcast that shines a light on the educators who too

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often go unnoticed.

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I'm your host, Jamie Wagler, and today we're asking a question that every before and afterschool

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educator has probably thought at one point.

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Why doesn't anyone know what we actually do?

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Welcome to The Forgotten ECE, the show where before and afterschool educators, summer camp

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and PD staff and CYWs have a place where they are seen, heard and valued.

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I'm your host, Jamie Wagler, and I am so excited you're here.

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Okay let's be real, before and afterschool programs exist in this weird in-between world.

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Alright before we get started I need to set the stage.

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I want to know how many of you had this conversation before?

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Seen.

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You're at a party.

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Meeting someone new.

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Them.

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So what do you do?

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You.

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I work at a before and afterschool program.

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Them.

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So is that like babysitting?

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You.

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Internally screaming.

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Listen, if I had a dollar for every time someone misunderstood my job, I wouldn't need to work

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ever.

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I'd be on a beach somewhere, spitting a fancy drink with an umbrella.

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But no, here I am, hosting a podcast to set the record straight.

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Because before and afterschool educators are not babysitters.

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We're not just supervising until their parents show up.

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We're educators, we're problem solvers, we're program planners, referees, social emotional

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coaches, snack distributors, and occasional shoe finders.

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Yet despite everything we do, we're still invisible.

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So today I'm going to break it down for you.

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Why doesn't anyone understand what before and afterschool educators really do?

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How does this lack of recognition affect us?

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And most importantly, how do we change this narrative?

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Because I don't know about you, but I'm so done with being an afterthought.

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Let's go back to this before and afterschool programs exist in this weird in-between space.

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We're in schools, but we're not a part of the school system, always.

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We're educators, but we don't always get the same respect as the classroom teachers.

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We work with school-aged children, but people just assume that early childhood education

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means preschool, or toddler, or infant care.

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So why does no one get what we do?

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Well, here's my theory.

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We work the quote, invisible hours.

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Teachers are seen teaching, we're seen standing by the doors while the kids get picked up.

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Teachers don't see the organized chaos that we manage every single day.

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Principals might not even know your name.

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Then, when you get into the classroom, if I'm sitting on the floor playing with Legos,

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people assume I'm just messing around.

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What they don't see is that I'm encouraging problem solving, that I'm helping kids work

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through social conflict, and that I'm teaching resilience after their third tower has collapsed

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for the fourteenth time.

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We're not always in staff meetings, or even in staff rooms.

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Have you ever tried walking in the staff room of your school?

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Are you even allowed in the staff room at your school?

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I've actually heard from educators that they're not allowed in the staff rooms at the schools

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they're attached to.

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And I'm not talking about your child care staff room, I'm talking about that school

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staff room, because let's face it, you're in a school most of the time, whether that's

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in a classroom, sharing it with a teacher, or in a gym, in a library.

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Our schedules don't line up with teachers, which means we miss out on important discussions.

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And when the discussions are made that affect us, we usually hear about them after the fact.

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I've also heard a lot of educators being told messages from the teachers to tell the parents,

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and that's not always the greatest thing either, because it's never the great messages, it's

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never the, oh, little Joanna built a huge tower and concentrated for a long time on

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it.

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It's usually that Joanna hit a kid in the face today, and you know what, their behavior

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wasn't on point.

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Why is it never the good messages we get to give?

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I mean, it's good messages from our programs, but you know what I mean.

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Next, I'm sure some of you might be thinking, okay, sure, you go and get what we do.

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It's annoying, but does it really matter?

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Um, yeah, it does.

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It affects our pay.

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Let's talk numbers.

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Teachers have a pay scale.

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Do we?

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Whatever funding allows it.

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If people think we're just supervising, they don't see why we should be paid more.

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Guess what?

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Spoiler alert, we should.

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And also it keeps us stuck in these split shifts to seven to nine and three to six.

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What a dream schedule.

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Schools and educators and childcare centers won't be pushing for full time roles if they

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don't see it as essential, which means we're constantly scrambling for side gigs, extra

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hours or a second job.

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How is it fair when we are making just the same difference in children's lives as teachers

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are or as other ACEs are?

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And why are we battling other ACEs when we are ACEs too?

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Don't we have a team?

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Shouldn't we be on the same team?

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All in all, it makes our job harder.

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There's less recognition, fewer resources, less respect, more unrealistic education and

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less visibility, making more frustration for us.

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Have you ever had a teacher ask you to just deal with it when a child's behavior is you

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because they don't have time?

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Yeah, we're always the catch all.

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See, like I was saying.

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Okay, I'm sorry.

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Enough venting.

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What can we actually do about it though?

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Because let's be honest, waiting for someone else to advocate for us is not working.

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First, I actually want you to realize how amazing of a person you are for choosing this

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incredible career, for choosing to make a difference in before and after school children's

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lives every day.

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I don't want you to undersell yourself.

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Start overselling.

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Start telling them like it is.

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No more, oh, I just do before and after school.

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Try.

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I create a program, a play-based learning program that supports social emotional development

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for school-aged children.

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Or try.

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I create engaging activities that build problem solving and leadership skills.

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Or you could say, I have an early childhood educator specializing in school-aged programs.

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Any of those would do.

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And I challenge you to try it.

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I challenge you the next time someone asks you what you do to use something like that.

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Educate families is the next step on what we actually do.

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Look at newsletters, social media, bulletin boards, whatever it takes to show that this

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is not just free time.

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Highlight what the kids are learning through play.

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When parents or families understand the value, they will advocate for us too.

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Try closing your before and after school program for one day.

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Don't actually try that.

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But think about it.

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Think of all the parents who won't be able to work because school's hours are not set

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for the working society.

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Use your social media.

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Use your Instagram.

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Use bulletin boards.

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Incorporate newsletters into your program.

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Advocate for your program within your centers.

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Tell your peers and your educators, your coworkers, all the amazing things that are happening

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in your school-aged program.

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Get the word out.

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Next, build relationships with the teachers that I'm in.

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I want you to try to find a way, small ways, to get involved with the school community.

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Invite teachers to check out your program.

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Make sure the principal knows your name.

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You want the school to also see that you are valued.

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Do you know that families look at schools that have before and after school programs

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when they're going to register their children?

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They can't register in a school that doesn't have a before and after school program if

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those hours they need require them to have before and after school care.

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I also want you to push for more professional development.

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If there's no PD for before and after school educators in your location, ask for it.

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Advocate for training that really applies to our reality.

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The more professional development we have, the harder it is for people to ignore our

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expertise.

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And that's exactly what you are.

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You're an expert.

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You're an expert in the field of school age.

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At the end of the day, before and after school educators are the glue that holds the school

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day together.

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I want you to remember that.

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We're there in the morning, setting the tone for the day.

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We're there in the afternoons, helping kids wind down, connecting and learning different

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ways through play, through games, through relaxation.

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Someone they can trust, someone they can confide in.

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We are not an afterthought.

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We are not just supervisors.

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We are educators.

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So you know what?

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I want to end today's session, today's podcast with a challenge for you.

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Next time someone asks you what you do, hold it.

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Find one small way to showcase the work you're already doing.

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And if someone calls you a babysitter, call me back.

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Thank you.

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Amazing listeners for your support.

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Don't forget to follow me on Instagram at missjami underscore R-E-C-E.

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Give a star rating and leave a review.

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Have something you want to hear about in relation to before and after school programs or full

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day summer camp.

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DM me or comment.

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Again, thank you so much and happy learning.