First full week, finally
Did I really not post about my teaching for the last week? Well, let’s see what I can remember. Monday I worked as a special ed teacher at a junior high. The teacher I subbed for I remember used to work in the district’s therapeutic day school program which is a program for students with particularly strong behavioral problems. They even had large people specifically trained to restrain problem students and bring them to a cooling-off room when required. I actually subbed for him in that position a couple of years ago. These days he has moved to those with lesser, but still behavioral, problems. Much of the day was quite simple with either team teaching (read “sub acts as teaching assistant”) or resource periods where students would work on homework. He did have a language arts block at the end of the day though. I did have an assistant to help as I worked with a group at a time so it wasn’t too bad. We read a story about grey wolves. The fun began last period, which was a study hall. That’s when a lot of the behavior problems came out. No, that’s not true- the last group of language arts was a struggle as well. They were pretty much the same students in both cases in any event.
Tuesday I worked in grade 1. And 2. And 3. And 4. And 5. And- no, I’m finished… I was in fact a floater. I took over classes for an hour at a time. I do wish they had organized the meetings a little more in my favor though. I actually had to go from one end of the school to the other end at one point, a few minute walk due to the design of the building when I had to be in the next room right away. Fortunately in that case the kids in the second class had been sent out to recess so the teacher was able to go to her meeting though I had not yet arrived. It was overall an easy day and I was mostly able to talk directly with the teachers before and after meaning no written notes.
Wednesday I was in music. This was actually the most challenging assignment. The kids in many of the classes were very talkative. Grades were mixed here too of course, from second to sixth (not inclusive- I had no third graders). The older ones were the most challenging. We did some music games the teacher had left, including instrument bingo (a standard) and a game where they formed musical symbols on the ground with their bodies. That one was fun.
Thursday- let me look it up. Ah yes, 5th grade. Pretty normal though I had one very challenging boy in that class. I’m not the only one who had problems with him either- I overheard a conversation in the lounge about him. Apparently when we switched for math (I had the advanced class and did pan balance problems with them- similar to hands on equations I think I mentioned once before) he refused to do any work at all. Well, with me he worked slowly but he did work. He got distracted very easily though. In the end he wasn’t as bad as some students I have had, but still a challenge nonetheless.
Friday I was in another special ed classroom. The three sixth graders- wow. Next to ELL a couple of years ago they were the most troublesome. It was at this same school by the way… One of the sixth grades is apparently on ADHD medication. His parents I’m told are quite good at making sure he comes to school ready and medicated. Guess which day they forgot? Yep. Once he had his meds after lunch he was a pleasure to work with. Of the other two one was got very easily distracted and the other tended to work on only what he wanted to work on and was quite belligerent toward another student. Two of the three finished their science assignment by the end of the day (worked on during no less than three periods…) and one even finished his math assignment. There was one seventh grader who mostly worked independently and an eighth grader who wasn’t a problem when working, but he got some bad family news in the middle of the day and he was pretty much done working at that point.
Well, that was how my week went. Now who would like to join me in subbing? Come on, there must be one of you… 😛