November 1, 2008 (1 Month In)
I have learned many things in the past three weeks as a substitute teacher for a local school district – never assume anything, instead imagine the worst, and the day will go much better or surprisingly well. The phrase "controlled chaos," is usually how I describe my day. The stories that I come home with, to my apartment, are always funny even in the tragic sense. But then I do find the humor in most anything, especially in tweens and teens. Students always assume that a sub does not know what is going on in the classroom, but I have the uncanny gift of hearing and seeing everything that happens. A student that throws that ball of paper on my far left that misses the basket and I call him on it when I am looking straight ahead and the power that comes from calling a student on his shit – priceless. Girls in the back row that still do not understand that whispering in a silent classroom is still loud and you call them on it – amazing. I love when I sub classes that I actually know that subject or the lesson, and can totally amaze the students with the knowledge, even better.
Recap of my high and lows in being a substitute teacher –
Day 1
Half Day
High School
Vocational Health Class
It would have been nice to be told the correct time to show up on your first subbing day, because subbing is all about the first impression to the school and the students. The district I work for has a Sub Finder, an automated phone service that calls subs based on certification or what they are willing to sub and all the jazz, calls me up and I accept this job and it tells me to show up at 1030am. Okay. But being me I show up to the school at 1005am because I wasn't sure on how long it would take me to drive the back roads to get there or about parking, since it was a high school, and I just wanted to be ready. I show up and the office manager already tells me that I am late, even though on the paper I am a half hour early. Class started at 1005am. Shit. So I am late, not my fault, but now running in the hallway of the empty halls trying to find this classroom. A teacher sees me speed walking and tells me he already opened the door and that I am late – thanks. I stop right before I open the door, breathe and hope to God that I have a teacher look on my face. It is not pleasant to have a classroom full of high school students staring at you when you walk in late. To make matter worse, I couldn't find the lesson plan until middle of class. At least, the teacher was kind of enough to write the agenda for the students on the board. It was okay, all these students want to go into the health profession, and the video was about AIDS. I never heard so many teens giggle at the word during a class before. I only subbed one class that day; the rest of the day was prep. Wow. That an interesting first day. I emailed the school district, so I get paid for that extra half hour. Thank God, day one is now over and it is a funny story.
Day Two & Three
Middle School
Special Education
When I was at the paperwork meeting, the head of the subbing department convinced me to work also with special needs because I would get hours. Of course, I sort of knew what I was getting into, but at the same time – no. I picked these two days up for the same teacher. The teacher specializes in English in Special Needs. So all the students I worked with had learning disabilities along with behavioral issues (or issues that only appear when a sub appears).
It was hard, students were unfocused because the normal teacher is gone and the curriculum is really hard to implement when you are not use to the routine or the normal teacher. Even with all the prep, everything just came apart. Random Thought – why do some teachers leave mounds of stuff for the sub to cover? It makes me feel like a failure if I cannot cover everything well. Then again, it's my own OCD issues I suppose. It was hard, the second day was easier, but thank God for the Para-Educator that was there for half of the classes.
I came home so exhausted and frustrated, and I have only done three days. I have also quit my job at Providence in Everett, at this point.
Day Four
High School
Art
Art is always easy to sub, unless the teacher leaves the sub/guest teacher (some schools call me this, which is much better than substitute) art videos from the late eighties that only cover half the period on something the art class does not do. The video were horrid, an old white guy discussing the elements of style and showing the elements by the use of construction paper (seriously). The music was better than expected. But the class I was covering was jewelry making, digital photography and sculpting.
Day Five and Six
Alternative High School
English
At this point, I realized that I have not had a normal subbing experience yet. Alternative is the code word for last chance school in the district. These students graduate if they show up everyday, and homework can be turned in at the last day of the quarter. I do not find it fun to try to barter with high school students to stare at the book for 90 minutes or sleep because their normal teachers do not care when they turn in homework. I am sorry that we are stuck together for 90 minutes per period and YOUR teacher left me instructions to work on reading and do the worksheets. The best part of this teacher was that he left new and approved notes for the next day, not realizing it was the same sub and was "disappointed" that his students did not get as far as he would have like on the first day. Maybe you should set your standards a little higher in your classroom; I do not care if you are an alternative school, but come on give some responsibility to the students.
Day Seven
High School
AP English
Finally, a "normal" classroom, I was stoked when I got this assignment because I didn't know how to handle a normal high school class. These kids were great, and granted they were honor and AP students, and the teacher left detailed notes and they students had to work on AP essay test skills. The kids were lovely and I would love to sub for her again.
Day Eight
High School
Social Studies
Yes, my endorsement area! The best part most of the classes were government. The government classes were discussing the stenotypes of republicans and democrats, and it was great. I was asking questions and the students just stared at me, because I knew what I talking about. Observation about most male teachers that I have subbed for – they always have there room in disarray, he had piles and piles of white, copied paper all over. I loved that is notes said, on the front desk there is a stack of the worksheet. But he did not say it's under all the other shit I also left there. It was a good day, and I enjoyed it. It made me happy inside.
Day Nine
High School
Art
Glass Blowing! I did not know that the school district offered this! I subbed for five periods of glass-blowing. I really didn't do anything; I had T.A. in each of the beginner classes which just work on piecing glass to fuse together. My last two periods they blow glass; all of it broke or shatter. But it was awesome to watch the process and the glass did look amazing. The teacher is also an artist, so I saw some of her stuff too. She is good. Most of the students in these classes were males that were trying to impress me. One sang "Surfin USA," because of the line "tell your teacher"… Boys will be boys. They were also trying to offend me, which never works well. I know what jokes they are going to make before they even finish the joke. I have a dirtier mind than most people, especially students; I know what you are implying before you even start. Which is why, I can do the evil teacher look over the glasses quickly.
Day Ten, Eleven, and Twelve
Middle School
Various
This school is in the beginning stages of rebuilding their school; the architects were here for the three days and wanted to talk to every teacher in three days. So the school called in a handful of guest teachers to cover every teacher for one period in three days. So for about five classes a day I covered five different teachers. Some teachers backed out of the meetings, so I tend to have more time on my hands. Instead of reading a book, I helped the office with copying and filing discipline reports. They found me entertaining, I do not know why (I am so not funny.) I subbed for math, science, English, French, gym. It was fun, I liked wandering around to a new classroom every period, and it kept things interesting. However, I am not a huge fan of gym.
A funny story. I was subbing for a male math teacher, he was nice and funny when we chatted about his class. Twenty minutes in, the girls in the back row, who continue to "whisper" and did not understand that I could still here them in the front, wanted me to become "best friends" with their teacher because he was only 28/29. I just laughed. Girls will be girls.
Day Thirteen
Middle School
Language Arts
One should never substitute on a Friday that also has the holiday of Halloween. Students are already excited that it's Friday, but even more excited to the sugar content they have consumes by fifth period and on. I was blessed to sub a half-day that started with fifth period. The classes that I covered was a advanced language arts class that was easy, a little talkative but nothing really out of the ordinary and with some sugar induced – normal. The other two periods, lower reading groups that need help with fluency and what not, total controlled chaos. I had other teachers checking in and being supportive and understood when I told them. I managed it well, but at times you have to choose your battles and have the class fairly talkative was better than absolute anarchy.
Subbing is not bad; it definitely has it better days. But I am happier. I have a smile in my voice and fun stories that do not involved being sexually harassed like my previous job. I feel healthier and sleep better. I am doing what I got my degree in. It has only been three weeks; I have changed a lot in my style of subbing, getting better and finding out what works with students and what does not. Subbing is like glass-blowing, sometime you cannot control the glass and when trying to break from the pole, it shatters. While other times, everything works out perfectly and you have one amazing piece of art in front of you.
I am sure I forgot stories, but some stories are just better told in person.
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