I work at a non profit “maker space” that offers adult memberships to the space, and year round education programs for k-12. That means that during the school year we have schools field trip
To our space, or go to local schools and do small STEM classes. Other than that we have camps. Spring camp, summer camp, and some In between. I have been here for around 7 months. I have an associates degree and I have about 6 years experience in education (I’m 24). I was hired as an “assistant educator”. When I showed up for work, I soon found out I was the only one in the education department besides my boss. The two people who own the company are husband and wife. The “wife” (we’ll call her lily) is my boss and runs the education department. So it was literally just me and her.
For months I worked on side tasks and kits and other things assisting lily. The program itself is very disorganized. When I got there they were months behind on everything. The storage where all the materials are is a fucking mess, you can’t find anything. They are always frazzled and stressed. I started doing the spring camp with her and field trips and assisting by making sure everything was always ready for the next day. As well as being there and helping carry out lessons and staying with the kids etc. fast forward, they ask me to start helping with the “summer camp” program for 2024. It’s 5 consecutive weeks, m-f 9-3. First I did schedules. Then I did outlines…. Then they asked me to lesson plan 5 weeks alone. Okay… fine.
I spent weeks doing their catchup and planning (in reality 7 weeks) of camp since we had some extra programs before summer started. We start the first official week and on Friday my boss lily throws her hands up and says “you’re on your own after this. I’m not leading any more classes” I was confused and thought she was exaggerating but nope.
Come week 2, I am completely alone. With 20+ kids aged 7-11. I have been so fucking stressed w these kids (SORRY… they’re getting worse as the years go on) that I had an ocular herpes break out, then got a respiratory infection. Every day I’ve been breaking out in stress rashes on my thighs and arms.
One day I ask her to help me locate some materials (which they never fucking do on time for me. I don’t have a company card or access to order materials so I have to HOPE they will order my materials for class on time)
My boss lily, fucking goes off on me. She says “YOU should have all these things prepared ahead of time!!!! No one helped me!” When I’ve been the only one who has planned this thing out to a T and had no idea she would be unloading this entire program
On me alone. SIDE NOTE: I don’t have a schedule. They never made one for me. They just tell me what time to come in, like word of mouth thing. And back on week one, she passively goes “hey what time
Is good for you to come in?” And I say… uh.. the normal time I guess? And she drops a bomb on me saying she needs me to stay until 5:30 every day to do the aftercare for the kids who don’t get picked up at 3. So in her words “if I want” I can come in at 10 instead”. No real meeting or sit down just some “idk if you want” conversation,
So I start coming in at 10 on some days since I live far away and I have to take public transportation. It takes me 1.5 hours on bus one way.
Back to her tantrum, when she yelled at me she goes “and YOU CANT JUST SHOW UP WHEN YOU WANT!” I was like “you told me to come in at 10 and today and the day before I’ve been here since 8:30. How is that an issue I’m here earlier than when you told me?” And she said, verbatim, “because it means I’ll HAVE TO PAY YOU MORE.” Lol.
So I’ve been doing this dance now for about 4 weeks. I’m stressed, I’m tired. My days are work-bus-sleep. I’m dealing with a ton of defiant kids. I was speaking to my mom recently and telling her they gave me the whole class and have been telling me im now leading the program and it’s whatever I want. She goes “oh are they paying you more?” And it hit me. It’s like I remembered again I am
Still under “assistant”.
So I go to my boss the next day. Not lily, but her husband, we’ll call him Mike. I told Mike since I’m the one running the program solo now does that mean I’m getting promoted out of the assistant position? He winced in embarrassment. He cringed. Couldn’t look me in the eye and said “oh um… I mean you are assisting becuase you’re helping us out with doing the education stuff. If we made you a lead you’d need a masters degree and be running multiple programs at once.” I felt fucking humiliated. Like that’s not fair or makes any sense.
Anyway. I’m stuck now, here. Had to accept my fate. I feel played and embarrassed for even asking. I feel like it’s not even accurate because I have 2 paid interns working below me ASSISTING me in my lessons sporadically. Just. I need help/advice. Is that right? Should I just stfu and keep working??