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Just because kids legally required to attend school doesn't mean teachers and principal get to boss kids around. Like I said in my original post, there are staff that get paid to do this type of work that are called janitors. It's their job to clean mess kids make.
Bad news, Bro, teachers and principals do indeed get to boss students around.
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I have worked in quite a few different schools. In each and every school it was the teachers who cleaned the break room (except for sweeping and mopping the floor and disinfecting the tables at night). Dirty dishes? Teachers responsibility. Spills in the microwave? Teachers responsibility. Left overs left out. Teachers responsibility. Dirty refrigerator? Teachers responsibility.
But, this thread is about students cleaning up after themselves (or their classmates for a communal mess).
The question is -- was it their responsibility, as assigned. Or a responsibility they independently took.
I have worked in quite a few different schools. In each and every school it was the teachers who cleaned the break room (except for sweeping and mopping the floor and disinfecting the tables at night). Dirty dishes? Teachers responsibility. Spills in the microwave? Teachers responsibility. Left overs left out. Teachers responsibility. Dirty refrigerator? Teachers responsibility.
But, this thread is about students cleaning up after themselves (or their classmates for a communal mess).
Quote:
Originally Posted by phetaroi
The question is -- was it their responsibility, as assigned. Or a responsibility they independently took.
While I do not believe that keeping the breakroom clean was actually assigned to the teachers by administration, we were told that it was NOT in the job description of the janitors to clean the refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, etc. (except during the once a year "deep cleaning" over summer vacation). This was in multiple schools, in several different school districts. Generally each person handled their own little messes (wiping out the microwave if your food boiled over) and washed your own dishes. Generally, we took turns cleaning out the refrigerator (usually it was emptied out and washed/cleaned once a week to once a month).
Your experience may be much different. Just like in some schools janitors wipe the white boards (chalk boards), wipe classroom sinks, etc. each day and in other schools they do not do that.
When I started teaching in one particular elementary school, we had two day janitors and two night janitors (all full time). When I left that school (15 years later) we had one day janitor and one part time night janitor, in the same size school and significantly more students. This was due to budget cuts.
Last edited by germaine2626; 09-01-2019 at 02:24 PM..
While I do not believe that keeping the breakroom clean was actually assigned to the teachers by administration, we were told that it was NOT in the job description of the janitors to clean the refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, etc. (except during the once a year "deep cleaning" over summer vacation). This was in multiple schools, in several different school districts. Generally each person handled their own little messes (wiping out the microwave if your food boiled over) and washed your own dishes. Generally, we took turns cleaning out the refrigerator (usually it was emptied out and washed/cleaned once a week to once a month).
Your experience may be much different. Just like in some schools janitors wipe the white boards (chalk boards), wipe classroom sinks, etc. each day and in other schools they do not do that.
....
This is kind of separate from the kids in schools issue, but you are correct that the job descriptions of janitors in general have changed significantly over the years so I wonder just what do they actually do? At work it's no longer in their description to pick up trash, empty trash, dust, do general cleaning, etc. All those tasks get put on the operational staff as "other duties as assigned." What they heck? Paying people with billing rates over a $100 an hour to do janitorial work that bills at $30 an hour, but it isn't in the janitor's job description?
Daughter of mine sent me this link knowing I would be interested in this discussion.
I teach high school and not only do my student pick up trash from the floor but they sweep it as well with dust mop /broom. I have purchased dust mop and broom for my class and have students clean the class if I see them misbehaving . Which rarely happens this days. I always ask students if someone would volunteer to sweep class when we have free 10-15 min and always get a volunteer. Believe it or not but students like to be in clean classroom. I even have students ask to mop floor on those days when we don't have anything planned which usually is before long vacation. When I work cafeteria you can bet that students get put on cafeteria duty if they make a mess. During last summer school I had one girl make constant mess in cafeteria and she got assigned permenant cafeteria cleaning duty. She got really good at sweeping and mopping the floor.
I have yet to have parents complain but if that to happen, I will let them know they can come to school and clean up after their child. Until that happens, they kids will be cleaning up after themselves. Janitors are not their maid
Picking up stuff from floor means you're getting bacteria on your hands which mean hands need to be washed. Janitors have proper tools to pick up trash from the floor called broom and dustpan. Which is why it's their job to clean classroom mess and not students even if just for few piece of paper.
...you are ALWAYS getting bacteria on your hand. The floor is not unique in this regard, I have no idea where you got such a silly notion.
Did you actually attend school in the USA? Do/did your children attend school in the USA?
I was in elementary school in the 1950s, and I clearly remember students being responsible for throwing away the paper caps to our glass bottles of milk, putting the empty milk bottles in the case, erasing the blackboard, cleaning/clapping the erasers outside and cleaning up our own spills. BTW, until third grade I attended one room school houses that did not even have a janitor.
If my parents were still alive, I bet that they would tell similar stories of their school days in the 1920s/early 1930s. Heck, I bet that my grandparents, were responsible for picking up their own mess and general classroom cleaning duties, in the 1880s & 1890s.
Throughout the rest of elementary, middle school and high school, in the late 1950s & 1960s, we students had responsibility for cleaning up around our desk, our space in the cafeteria, etc.
When I was in college, in the early 1970s, I was a student teacher and it was considered standard behavior for students to clean up "our area" in all of the schools where I had practicums.
I started teaching full time in 1975, almost 45 years ago, and have taught in numerous schools, in different cities and states. It has always been the expectation of students to help keep their classroom clean.
I was in elementary school in the 1960s. I remember the school had "cup girls" who stayed after school and washed metal paper cup holders that everyone used for drinking milk (the paper cup went in the holder and the teacher filled it with milk). I also remember every class having rotating assignments to take the chalkboard erasers down to the basement where there was an erasor cleaner that vacuumed the chalk dust out of the eraser. I can't remember if eraser cleaning was during or after school. It didn't matter since we all walked to school and it was not unusual to stay late after the normal dismissal.
Picking up things off the floor was not an issue because it didn't happen. You would've never tossed crumbled paper, a wrapper, or a broken pencil on the floor.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tnff
This is kind of separate from the kids in schools issue, but you are correct that the job descriptions of janitors in general have changed significantly over the years so I wonder just what do they actually do? At work it's no longer in their description to pick up trash, empty trash, dust, do general cleaning, etc. All those tasks get put on the operational staff as "other duties as assigned." What they heck? Paying people with billing rates over a $100 an hour to do janitorial work that bills at $30 an hour, but it isn't in the janitor's job description?
I feel like some people are talking past other other people on this thread. I started subbing a few years ago and was disgusted by the way students think nothing of throwing stuff on the floor of classrooms, halls, and restrooms. The issue is students should not be littering in or outside their schools. I've been in dozens of schools from elementary to high school, and this is a problem in almost all schools. The issue is simply that there should not be garbage on the floor, and if there is, it should be picked up before that class is dismissed. I don't define that as doing the janitors jobs.
I work as a school cook. If a child makes a mess, we expect the kids to pick it up, even off the floor. I give the kids a dustpan and a small brush to scoop it up. I do not expect the elementary kids to mop the floor area, but I will give them a wet rag and they can wipe it a little. This usually only takes less than a minute. Kids are expected to clean their area, they can take their plate and push the crumbs into it. The kids are not allowed to leave the commons area until the table is cleaned off. The tables do not get wiped down after breakfast because we have no janitor during that time. I do not have time even though it takes less than 10 minutes to wipe down the tables. I serve breakfast and lunch and always work more than the hours I am allotted for. I work until the job is done. Janitors do not work past their time allotted. They can usually not do a job here and there. I am not allowed to.
I work as a school cook. If a child makes a mess, we expect the kids to pick it up, even off the floor. I give the kids a dustpan and a small brush to scoop it up. I do not expect the elementary kids to mop the floor area, but I will give them a wet rag and they can wipe it a little. This usually only takes less than a minute. Kids are expected to clean their area, they can take their plate and push the crumbs into it. The kids are not allowed to leave the commons area until the table is cleaned off. The tables do not get wiped down after breakfast because we have no janitor during that time. I do not have time even though it takes less than 10 minutes to wipe down the tables. I serve breakfast and lunch and always work more than the hours I am allotted for. I work until the job is done. Janitors do not work past their time allotted. They can usually not do a job here and there. I am not allowed to.
Sounds like it's your rules. If my child was attended the school you're working in, I would instruct my child to ignore those rules . It's your job to clean any mess in cafeteria as part of your duty and not the kids
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