I'm a workin' girl

Never in a million years did I ever think that substitute teaching would be in my future. After having subs when I was a kid, I told myself I would never ever be one. It seemed like the worst, thankless job ever.

Many years later I am a substitute teacher and this is how it all went down.

I applied for the job (they only open the hiring pool a couple of times a year).

--took a sub essentials training online to even be considered for an interview

--interviewed

--got accepted

--filled out more paperwork and got fingerprinted

--completed hours of online training

--attended a one-day, all-day orientation

--completed still more training

FINALLY I was cleared to work.

I think it took longer for me to get clearance to be a substitute teacher than it would have been if I was applying to work for the United States Department of Defense.

FIRST JOB

My first job happened rather quickly. I was not given my login information until right before I left for a young women volleyball game. I quickly logged in to see what positions might be available and saw several. However, I was running late so I didn't do anything. As I was dropping girls off at home I got a call from Middle Canyon Elementary asking me to sub the next morning for a first grade class. I took the job.

First grade is quite the experience and I have new respect for first grade teachers.

"Teacher . . . "

"Teacher, she stuck her tongue out at me."

"Teacher, can I use the bathroom."

"Teacher, can you help me."

"Teacher, teacher, teacher."

All. Day. Long.

What they didn't tell me was that it was a dual immersion Spanish class. So halfway through the day the class switched with the one across the hall. It made the lesson plans easy because it was simply the same things I had done in the morning.

We had multiple potty breaks, only to have one kid need to use it five minutes later. Apparently they didn't need to go when we all went.

We talked about cats. They informed me that cats can have kidney stones. "My dad had kidney stones." It was very easy to get off topic.

I found I knew a handful of the kids even though it was a Tooele school. I finally caught on when I realized it was an immersion class. I told them I knew their mom or dad and pretty soon EVERY kid wanted to know if I knew their mom or dad. I even had one kid invite me to his house after school.

My best idea that I will use with every elementary class is to have a quarter-sheet paper on their desk when they walk in that they are to put their name on and decorate/color how they choose. Throughout the day I would walk around and reward those who were on task and being helpful with a star punch on their paper. At the end of the day they got to take them home. All kids need rewards.

It was a very busy, fun first day subbing.

2nd AND 3rd JOB

My next two jobs have been at the high school. One day it was a Foods class where we made chocolate chip cookies. Since the classroom was right across from the lunchroom, Erik and his friends popped over to see how things were going. I think he liked having me there; in fact I know he liked having me there because the next time I subbed he invited me to eat lunch with him. And afterwards Kiersten and he walked with me to my class. That was the day I got to sub his PE class.

First hour was a weights class with the football team. I might have been a little intimidated if all 40 had shown up to class, but apparently since they had won their region game the night before, the coaches gave them the all clear to stay home. I had about 12 total in the class and they were all a little unmotivated to do anything knowing they had missed the memo that they could have not come or at least not come to first hour. Some tried to get me to let them leave and go to another kid's house. Some tried to go together to "work" on another class assignment in the library. I did have some lady poke her head in the classroom and ask if I was the sub (I happened to be reading something on my phone -- bad timing). At the end of the day when she was behind the front desk, I wondered if she saw kids leaving and came to check to see if their was a sub or not. First hour didn't go so well, but I could hardly blame them for not wanting to do anything when their coach had even taken the day off. (And no, I didn't let any kids leave; I know a couple did take off and then showed back up at the end of class for a second roll call.)

After three days of subbing, so far I've liked the high school better. AND if it's a high school class, I would rather have a class of all boys than a class of all girls. I did have a Child Development class of all girls and they were hard to deal with between cell phone usage and talking. My PE classes were mainly boys and we played lightning and poison and I didn't have to deal with cell phones. 

That, my friends, is the enemy of education at school. I honestly don't know how teachers deal with all the influx of media, from phones to ear buds. These kids have such a small attention span I'm amazed that they can sit in a class for 85 minutes. "Teacher, can I go get a drink." They are as bad as my first graders and sometimes I have flat out told them that I know they don't need a drink, but go do whatever you need to do and hurry back.

The biggest surprise has been how much I have enjoyed it. Maybe it's still something new. Maybe it's the fact that it's something different every day. Maybe it's that I can pick and choose which days I want to work. My kids actually enjoy having me at their school. And bonus that I get paid for it.