Too many meetings. I could get a lot more done if I didn't have to sit in on meetings just to hear one or maybe two important sentences. The meetings rarely are helpful to me. They usually mean MORE RESPONSIBILITIES heaped on me when I'm already overwhelmed. Too many job hats. In addition to tutoring, you've got to stay in touch with parents. Why? We're not the teachers. And we don't have the authority to make any real changes. Even the kids don't respect us. Yeah, they might like us because they know we can't make them do anything. But they don't respect us. All we can do is tell parents their kids aren't coming to class. But parents already know this because the school already informs parents. Not to mention writing letters to EVERY SINGLE PARENT EVERY SINGLE MONTH is exhausting. Just more paperwork and I'm not even a teacher who makes THREE or FOUR TIMES what tutors make. Then there are the standardized tests every few months. We have to do all the prep work for this, do the grading even though the tests are online then enter grades on another website (Why not have the computer grade the tests and record the grades? Isn't that what computer automation is for--to take the tedious work OFF human beings?). I DREAD standardized test periods. Then we have "fun days." Fun for the kids. But tutors have to prep everything. It's like doing all the work for a party you're too exhausted to enjoy. And wait tables during the party. And after the attendees have had fun you have to do the clean-up too. Whenever I hear about a fun day, I shudder because I know it means extra work for me--and a lot. Of course you tutor kids. But many of them don't want to be there. You do your best to be upbeat with them and get them excited. But you're held accountable for their performance even though you have no authority over them. They come if and when they want. If they arrive, they arrive very late. And they can choose how much they participate if at all. Then why is the tutor responsible for the kid's performance? Saga does give us a lesson template, but you have to edit these to change problems. No problem there. But you can't upload your lesson plan to every class. You have to do it one at a time. For many classes a day. Just another way tutors waste time instead of doing what we signed up to do. Too many extra duties besides tutoring even though this gig pays less than the state's minimum wage. By they way, you work well over 40 hours a week. That still won't cover all the extra tasks. If you check out many of Saga's job listings you see they recruit teachers for their admin jobs. It's no wonder teachers in the US are treated so poorly. When they become admins they exploit new teachers the way they were exploited. I'm enrolled in a teacher ed program online. After my time with Saga I'll be dropping out of US education. Long hours + high stress + low pay = No thanks. And speaking of benefits, why can't we enroll in a 403b or something? We can't even save for our own retirement while helping communities? That's how much we're worth? No retirement plan at all for a year or more of service?
