In order to be the best you can be, you need to make sure you know the following:
- Your work hours
- Your duties and responsibilities
- Any additional duties and responsibilities such as catering, dispensing of medicine, athletic events, field trips
- The district's and/or school's policy on dispensing medication, email and Internet usage, and fire drills and lockdowns
- Know how and when you are paid.
- How to handle a sick day, personal leave day or an emergency for you
- Who to contact in case of a classroom or school emergency
- When and where regular staff meetings are held and if you are paid for attending
- Where and how to get supplies
- How to fill out school forms
- How and when you are paid; payroll deductions
- What insurance coverage you have
Also, make sure you have the following on hand:
- Required district forms such as W-2, insurance enrollment, license/certificate, bargained contract
- Calendar of school events
- A copy of the student handbook
Relationship Building
Regardless of what job you do in your school district, it's important to build relationships with your fellow workers--and that's not only the support staff. Getting to know the other staff members and the administration can only help to make your time at work be more pleasant. Knowing what staff members do can help you better understand their specific needs. Here are some tips to help you fit in:
- The Supervisor. Assess your supervisor's style as soon as possible. Talk to your colleagues to get some idea of what he/she is like. At the same time, don't take everything you artold as the absolute truth. Don't make hasty judgments. Probably the best advice is to try to deal with as many things as possible on your own or with the help of the association. Reserve going to the supervisor for major issues
- The Principal. The principal may or may not be a factor in your daily work life but he/she is still someone to know. Follow the same advice for the principal as you would for your supervisor.
- The Teachers." Make friends before you need them," is good advice with the teachers in a school building. Getting to know who teaches what and what their classroom rules are can make doing your job easier. It may sometimes feel as if teachers are just another level of supervisors above you. Remember-you all share the same concern-kids. Doing what's best for the teacher can also be what's best for the students.
