Alright, full disclosure: This post is 100% me complaining about my day at work yesterday because unfortunately for me, when I came home, my usual sources of listening ears were either busy or asleep.
That being said...
I am the last person to get all high and mighty about how qualified I am for any job. I completely understand that there are thousands of other people my age who hold degrees from far more impressive universities and who have significantly more experience in the field than me. I get it. I get that you don't just magically get to the top. You have to start from the bottom and work yourself there.
However...
I have recently just come out of the era of my constant underestimating how valuable I am and how much I can contribute to the field. Previously, I firmly believed that I am not worth more than being paid minimum wage to do very demanding work that I would continue to moan and groan about. However, now that I have a solid two years of experience under my belt, I'm starting to see things a little differently. I was fortunate enough that I landed myself a second job, and they offered a starting salary on the higher end of their pay spectrum. Obviously, this isn't quite enough to get a big head about, but it also reaffirmed that I am more valuable than I have let myself believe - and what I have allowed my employer to believe.
That's why I was particularly annoyed yesterday when I was yanked out of the middle of one of my classes to make coffee. Yes, I, a teacher of little toddlers, was asked to step out of my classroom so that I could make coffee for a potential customer so that the customer would leave happy. As annoyed as I was, I set up the coffee maker and had a pot brewing within minutes. I then returned to my class where mayhem was just starting to break out. I had just brought things back under control when my boss popped in my classroom again and asked, "I'm sorry, but is that coffee ready yet, or...?" Yes, that coffee was done brewing -- all she had to do was literally pour the coffee into a cup and add some creamer to it, then stir and give it to the customer. But no, because she's a boss, that kind of work is somehow beneath her. The disrespect that this company has shown me is appalling. It's why after I recommended one friend to work there, I quickly realized my mistake and have since refused to recommend the company to anyone.
