and I laughed and laughed.
Now, I don't hate substitute teaching but that is only because I was a teacher before.
I'm not sure how or why anyone who hasn't been a teacher does it.
Summers off are nice, but I'm not sure it is nice enough to warrant subbing.
I don't think I'm an especially good sub unless you compare with me some of the other subs I've seen with my own two eyes.
I am not on a walker.
I do not use a cane.
These two things aren't problems unless the people who use them are subbing at a middle school, in which case I cannot help but think of an injured gazelle and a pride of hungry lions.
I swear I know of one sub who might be a very good sub, but she uses a cane and has a gimpy arm (maybe from a stroke?).
I just hope that if I ever have a cane and a stroke-paralyzed arm, I do not have to resort to subbing to generate income.
There has to be an easier job.
I do a couple of things well:
1. I show up.
2. I dress appropriately.
The questions on the survey were general ranking-type questions---1 being never and 5 being always.
The question that made me absolutely cackle was about being escorted by staff to the room where I'm subbing.
As in "Are you escorted by school staff to the room where you will sub?"
I asked my computer, "Is that an actual expectation that the district has for school staff?"
Because that has never, ever happened.
Most of the time I have to specifically ask what room I'll be in and "Could you please point me in the direction of the room."
In schools where I regularly sub, I give directions to other subs wandering around the building.
(I'm not dissing anyone about this; office staff has their hands full in the morning. I just wondered if this was an actual policy by some wonk who never sets foot in an actual school building.)
On the comment part of the survey, I said that I outright laughed at question # whatever it was about being escorted. "I laughed out loud at question #4," is what I wrote.
I said that I wish teachers wouldn't leave just busy work, although I understand why they do.
Some of the best subbing days I have had is when the teachers 1. knew me and 2. left actual work in their week's lineup because they know that I will actually get through the lesson or as much as humanly possible. The kids took it seriously, and I could actually teach them something rather than just being a breathing adult in the room.
I said I wish the district would hire part-time permanent subs so that I could be at one school three days a week rather than bopping all over. That is probably the thing I hate the most about subbing---the lack of regular routine.
I'd feel like I could make more of a difference and develop relationships with kids.
I said I was glad the new sub system has a "no telephone" option because my husband was about ready to rip our phone out of the wall, and what is the point of having an online system if you still have to get phone calls?
Of course, as I write this and lament that I don't make a difference with kids, I think about the kindergarteners I subbed for in December who made a ring around me during recess and thought I was the funniest thing ever when I tried to escape the ring (which wasn't actually me being funny; I wanted to be left alone, but they thought I was hilarious).
And I think about those occasional students who, for whatever reason, take a liking to me and treat me with more respect than they do some of their "real" teachers.
And I think about the students who start out like shits in a class but then figure out that I'm really actually wanting to help them and then allow me to help them and quit acting like shits in the course of 50 minutes.
I guess there are worse jobs than subbing.
Now, I don't hate substitute teaching but that is only because I was a teacher before.
I'm not sure how or why anyone who hasn't been a teacher does it.
Summers off are nice, but I'm not sure it is nice enough to warrant subbing.
I don't think I'm an especially good sub unless you compare with me some of the other subs I've seen with my own two eyes.
I am not on a walker.
I do not use a cane.
These two things aren't problems unless the people who use them are subbing at a middle school, in which case I cannot help but think of an injured gazelle and a pride of hungry lions.
I swear I know of one sub who might be a very good sub, but she uses a cane and has a gimpy arm (maybe from a stroke?).
I just hope that if I ever have a cane and a stroke-paralyzed arm, I do not have to resort to subbing to generate income.
There has to be an easier job.
I do a couple of things well:
1. I show up.
2. I dress appropriately.
The questions on the survey were general ranking-type questions---1 being never and 5 being always.
The question that made me absolutely cackle was about being escorted by staff to the room where I'm subbing.
As in "Are you escorted by school staff to the room where you will sub?"
I asked my computer, "Is that an actual expectation that the district has for school staff?"
Because that has never, ever happened.
Most of the time I have to specifically ask what room I'll be in and "Could you please point me in the direction of the room."
In schools where I regularly sub, I give directions to other subs wandering around the building.
(I'm not dissing anyone about this; office staff has their hands full in the morning. I just wondered if this was an actual policy by some wonk who never sets foot in an actual school building.)
On the comment part of the survey, I said that I outright laughed at question # whatever it was about being escorted. "I laughed out loud at question #4," is what I wrote.
I said that I wish teachers wouldn't leave just busy work, although I understand why they do.
Some of the best subbing days I have had is when the teachers 1. knew me and 2. left actual work in their week's lineup because they know that I will actually get through the lesson or as much as humanly possible. The kids took it seriously, and I could actually teach them something rather than just being a breathing adult in the room.
I said I wish the district would hire part-time permanent subs so that I could be at one school three days a week rather than bopping all over. That is probably the thing I hate the most about subbing---the lack of regular routine.
I'd feel like I could make more of a difference and develop relationships with kids.
I said I was glad the new sub system has a "no telephone" option because my husband was about ready to rip our phone out of the wall, and what is the point of having an online system if you still have to get phone calls?
Of course, as I write this and lament that I don't make a difference with kids, I think about the kindergarteners I subbed for in December who made a ring around me during recess and thought I was the funniest thing ever when I tried to escape the ring (which wasn't actually me being funny; I wanted to be left alone, but they thought I was hilarious).
And I think about those occasional students who, for whatever reason, take a liking to me and treat me with more respect than they do some of their "real" teachers.
And I think about the students who start out like shits in a class but then figure out that I'm really actually wanting to help them and then allow me to help them and quit acting like shits in the course of 50 minutes.
I guess there are worse jobs than subbing.
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