Many times when a teacher’s absence is planned he or she will plan something even the most brainless substitute can handle. Often this is a test or book assignment. Other times, like today, it’s a video. Actually yesterday I showed a video in 5th grade, but that was only one half hour out of the […]
One thing about my life is that I don’t easily form relational ties, as in friends. This does make it easier to live on a substitute teacher salary since I don’t go to social events, but it does make for a boring life. I have strong ties with my church, particularly children’s ministry, but outside
When subbing for a regular classroom teacher in an elementary school one would expect to have the same class for at least most of the day, granting of course switching for math which is common in the intermediate grades. Aside from the start of the day and a very short time in the morning for
Preparing students for middle school? Read More »
My last post on my actual experiences with the kids was last week, so I guess it’s past time to write about it again. I finished last week as a traveling social studies teacher on Friday. That’s right, this district has a separate teacher do social studies for 1st-3rd grades. I’m not sure why. To
I am not really a gambling person, at least where money is concerned. I always tend to lose and it just seems like a waste of money to me. However, when it comes to subbing I do take some gambles. Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out well for me this year. In the past I have
The half-day gamble Read More »
Well, today I was a floater at a middle school, meaning that I would sub for different teachers throughout the day as they went to meetings. When I arrived they gave me a list. Four classes. Were they serious? I thought I had it fairly easy yesterday with five classes (in middle school six is
This is going to be short (sandman is calling) but I just wanted to say something about talk in the lounge. Teachers talk about many things of course, like family, current events, the weather, etc. A favorite topic, also of course, is students. How did such and such student behave today? What students are failing
No license? Who cares? Usually this would be a bad conversation, such as an underage child taking dad’s car for a spin (my brother has done this before, so has my nephew…). This time however this boy was saving everyone on the bus from experiencing the sudden effects of being hit by a truck. He
Boy saves bus from major accident Read More »
It happens from time to time that I will only get a half day. Due to the advent of online systems though, it is relatively easy to accept a job and then later cancel when a better one comes up. I don’t do that too often, but a half day is one reason I try.
Middle school is an interesting age. Not quite child anymore, but not completely adolescent either. It is a transition state. Many teachers stay away from this age, but I don’t mind it so much, depending on the class. They can range of course from not-a-problem to watch-your-back depending usually on the area. It is my
