DAYS 99, 100, and 101

One hundred days of substitute teaching! If this hadn’t been such a weird and busy week, I’d have put more into this post.

So – Wed I was off because Mom was rushed to the hospital. Thurs I was in, Friday I went in but felt sick and went home, and Monday and Tuesday I was in, driving from Taylor. Wed I was off again, helping get Mom released from the hospital, and studying for an Art History test.

Thursday, Day 99

I don’t even remember. I’m pretty sure I bounced around from class to class in the Lower school. I help with reading groups, assisting kids with questions on their work, monitoring lunch periods and recess times, and occasionally correcting some papers or stapling/filing paperwork. Montessori has tons of photocopied stuff.

Monday, Day 100

I spent the morning in a second grade class and then bounced around helping here and there the rest of the day. That’s all I can remember right now. The second graders had cooked up an idea for an April Fools joke on their teacher and they were practicing it during recess. I gave their teacher a “heads up” about it later so that she can play along and appreciate their planning. The plan was for someone who had an alarm (on his watch?) to set it and when it went off, they would all jump up out of their seats and then fall on the floor. This counts as really big humor to 7 year olds. I will have to find out if they pulled it off or not.

Tuesday, Day 101

Today was pajama day. I wore pj’s, my colorful caftan, and slippers. I arrived with my morning “Les Miserables” coiffure, rather than combing my hair, and I stuck three of Mom’s rollers in it randomly as well. I looked silly, so I accomplished my goal. The kids loved it and most of them dressed for it (and most of the staff). It was fun, but along about 2 p.m. I started feeling like I really wanted to get dressed.

I bounced around all day. When I was in a certain second grade class for the first time, three girls had a total meltdown. They were supposed to be putting away their sleeping bags and such so we could move to the next activity, and they weren’t accomplishing it – said “we have to zip it together first.” I said, “No, we’re out of time, you should have done this already” and I picked up the sleeping bag and folded it, saying that they could zip it later. Well, you’d have thought that I smacked them in their heads! They all started crying and protesting loudly and even when removed by their then-returning teacher, they continued on for about 15 minutes in the hallway! Eventually they were taken to a counselor who let them write letters to the principal explaining what had happened. He let me read them later. “THAT teacher” one said, not even knowing my name since I had only been in that room less than half an hour when this happened. “I didn’t put away my sleeping bag when I was told to, but then she grabbed it away from me and yelled at me.” Another said I had crumbled [sic] it up.  What I didn’t know is that these three girls do this regularly, with very little to set them off. I know there are some emotional problems and probably difficulties at home. I do not have expertise in handling them, so I’m glad that others do. I do think that it is important to respect kids’ belongings as well as their physical selves, so I will try to be more careful about not taking away something that belongs to them. From my perspective, I think it was ridiculous, but – as always as a sub – I don’t know the background.  The girls gave me very nasty looks, so it will be challenging, I think, next time I work in that room. Kind of hope it’s not tomorrow.