Only those who have done the time can truly understand the
plight of a substitute teacher. Students
mistakenly assume that we are people who couldn’t get a real job, while others
believe we took a weekend workshop and hung out a shingle. I, on the other hand, knew exactly what I was
getting into beforehand…. and did it anyway! My mom was a sub for most of my
youth. I heard the stories over dinner
of the day’s events; of reprobate students, hallway hysteria, blow-hard
Principals, and uncooperative associates.
Sounded like a blast…
Not!
Mom did it because of the flexibility it offered. She could take a job or leave it. If one of us got sick she could stay home
with us, and she didn’t have to spend her evenings drawing up lesson
plans. That’s the benefit of not being
under contract. Subs get to come into
the building just before school starts for the day and leave as soon as the
last bell has rung. The downside is that
we are invisible agents, with no home.
We live out of various bags, frequently travel uncharted territory,
and often eat lunch in anonymity.
Like me, she had her degree in one of the “Specials,” which
is Art, Music, P.E., and Foreign Language.
Jobs in those areas are tough to come by, so most of us opt to sub until
something full-time opens up. It’s a great way to get classroom experience and
learn the trade from other teachers. It
can also be something akin to combat training. In trying to get my husband to
understand how much “fun” it is, I painted the following illustration.
He’s a pilot, so I asked him to imagine sitting by the phone
every morning at 5AM, waiting for the call.
Once you get your assignment head to the airport, where the lady at the
front desk will give you a folder and a key.
Find a place to stow the lunch you brought. Locate your aircraft and board. Once inside, immediately find your flight
plans, which may be in the front, middle, or rear of the plane (maybe anywhere
in-between). Make sure you’ve packed
back-up plans in case there aren’t any. Once
plans are in hand, familiarize yourself with the safety exit, fire procedure
guide, and what to do in case of an intruder (which may ground you for the
day), as each plane is different. Get to
know your flight plan before your passengers get on board, and start asking
questions about it. Make sure you have
enough time to read the notes in the back of the plans that will fill you in on
the plane’s idiosyncrasies. This will be
important, especially mid-flight. Listen
for frequent announcements from the tower…You get the gist. Add to that the students who will remind you
hundred times an hour that “Our teacher doesn’t do it that way!”, the
kindergartener who suddenly barfs on your feet, the senior who asks to go to
the bathroom…and doesn’t come back, and try not to bristle when the kids trick
you.
Had enough? Just wait. Tomorrow will mean a different airport, new
airplane, and completely different passengers.
Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment