Naughty Boys

I subbed for a Spanish teacher last Tuesday. She teaches mostly 7th graders, and a few 8th graders (those who failed Spanish last year). She was going on a field trip, and a lot of her students were going too. I had some classes with 3 - 5 students, and other classes that were almost full. She left me exceedingly complete notes. For one period, in which my only students would be 3 8th graders (2 boys, 1 girl), she told me to not let either of the boys go to the bathroom or their lockers. I have had one of the boys a few other times, so I knew what to expect.

Well my day was going very well until the class with the two boys. About 10 minutes in, boy #1 asks to go to the bathroom. I tell him no. He tells me its an emergency. I get worried that it really is an emergency - so I tell him he can go, but has to be back in 3 minutes. As is the teacher's policy, I make him sign out with the time and destination. About 8 minutes later he finally returns. I am annoyed, and I include it in my note. While boy #1 is at the bathroom, boy #2 comes up and tells me that he has a pass to go help with lunch for 5 minutes. He shows me a line in his planner with an ambiguous teacher's "signature." I ask him which teacher wrote the pass, so that I might verify it. He tells me he doesn't know the teacher. Obviously, I do not let him go. Then, about 15 minutes after boy #1 returns from his bathroom expedition, boy #2 asks to go to the bathroom. Again I say no. We then enter a 5 minute conversation about he is not allowed to go, and which finally ends with him informing me that he is going to wet his pants. I give him the same spiel - go but you have to be back in 3 minutes. I also make him sign out. Amazingly enough, he actually returns in 3 minutes. When I check the sign out book, however, I notice that boy #2 has scratched out both his and boy #1's name from the book. I also leave this in my note.

I felt really bad about letting the guys go even though the teacher told me not to let them go. I just didn't know what to do. What if it really was an emergency? How do you know?

I don't know how they do it...

I haven't posted in a while. The reason - I have been subbing a lot more, and started a new semester of classes. I don't know how real teachers are able to keep up with their blogs. I know most don't have 4 nights of classes a week, but I know quite a few are taking graduate classes, and they also have grading, planning, etc. Impressive.

I did have an interesting experience 2 weeks ago, though. I subbed for the same teacher 2 days in a row (at the good middle school). He was out on a field trip, and so were many of the students. The first of class I had about 2/3 of the students, and the 2nd day I had the other 1/3. I got to watch the same movie 8 times (fun, fun!). Well, one student had not turned in his permission slip on time, so he was not able to go on the trip. So I had him both days. He was an interesting kid. When I went on the first day, the teacher was still around, so I was talking to him, and the kid walks in. He complains to the teacher about how he can't go on the field trip, and he and the teacher chat a bit. The teacher tells me that the boy likes to stop by as many times as possible during the day (often while he is supposed to be in other classes). I remark that the boy must really like the teacher, etc., and think nothing more of it.

Well, he drops by before my next class an says hi. Then he comes to his class, and talks a little to me at the end of the class (the class has free time after the movie). He stays a little after his class (& into the next - I had a planning period) to talk to me, until I sent him on his way.

The next day, more of the same, just more of it. Before class, the boy stops by to complain about a student (& another sub) to me. Then he drops in during my first planning period to talk about his hobbies. I shuttle him off to class after a couple of minutes. He stops by again during his (& my lunch) - I chat a little with him and then tell him I am going to go eat. Then I have him class & he is very well behaved. After the movie is over, and the class has about 10 minutes of free time, he and his friend come up to my desk and talk to me for the rest of the time. Then during my next planning period he comes in again! He claims he has no where to be. I finally get him to admit he should be in the library, and tell him to go back. He shows up 5 minutes later to chat again. I briefly talk to him, and then tell him he needs to go to the library. He does, and I don't see him anymore.

I can't quite figure the kid out. Is he lonely? Is he looking for a friend? For help? He was telling me some weird stories (I believe he was exagerating a bit). He also told me a few things that prompted me to tell him he shouldn't do those things, or that they were dangerous, or illegal. I actually found myself explaining to him that if the cops are after you, you should not run (it was nothing really serious that he had done - he was in a non-street legal vehicle on a residential road- I told him he really shouldn't do that). He also told me that he sees the school social worker and that he and his parents had a meeting with him next week. It was a very weird situation, and made me feel vaguely uncomfortable because I did not know what to do with the kid. I might have him again tomorrow or Thursday, so we'll see what happens.

Dad Rock

I went to a Wilco concert last night. It is the second time I have seen them in concert. The last show was much better. They really mixed it up and played a wide variety of material from older and newer albums. This time they played almost every song from "a ghost is born" and not enough older stuff. Too bad. Also, last concert they played "California Stars," my all time favorite Wilco song (yes, I know it is from their joint effort with Billy Bragg). This time, no such luck. Jeff Tweedy was kind of ragging on the crowd at the beginning of the concert because we weren't into it enough. I think it is because they were playing their "ghost is born" stuff, which, for the most part, isn't really "hard rockin'." The crowd warmed up as they started playing more rock & less ballad. The crowd was pretty old for a concert (average age of about 32 I would say). That is because Wilco is, as my husband says "Dad Rock." I always think of Dad Rock as Bob Seger, but I guess that was my dad!

I was standing behind some monstrously tall people, and for a good part of the concert, couldn't see a thing. Obviously I could still hear, but I like to watch. One really nice aspect of the concert was that they were filming it, so they weren't allowing smoking in the auditorium. I actually saw security go after some smokers. I wish they did this at every concert! Unfortunately, during the 2nd or 3rd encore, they kind of gave up on policing the smoke, and things got a bit smoky. Yuck. Still, it was a fun night. The show started at 8pm, so I actually thought I would be home by 10:45 or 11, but they played so many encores (which were great), that I didn't get home to midnight. I am very glad that I didn't have to sub until 10:30 am today. I am too old to be out late and then to work early!

I really enjoyed myself, though. I like going to concerts where I know most of the music. Saturday I am going to a Built to Spill concert. I don't really know much Built to Spill music (I enjoy it, but I don't know it), so I am not looking forward to it as much as I was Wilco.

"Welcome to Hell"

Tee-hee. On the side walk in front of the "better" junior high at which I sub, someone spray painted "Welcome to Hell" in big, red letters. I want to take a picture to post, but I am afraid someone at the school will see me taking the picture and think it odd.

Yesterday I had the best afternoon subbing ever. Most of the school was on a field trip, so I had between 4 and 7 students per class. I subbed math. The first period I subbed, the kids worked on practice sheets. I let them listen to the radio. Surprisingly enough, unlike the other middle school, they wanted to listen to rock or classic rock(!) instead of rap & hip-hop. I was pleased. A high school student who helps in the afternoon came in during this period. I loved her. She wants to be a math teacher, and was asking me all these questions about college, and classes, etc. Then, she asked me if I ever did any modeling. I almost kissed her. I am sort of tall (5'8) and quite thin, but I am almost 30 and don't exactly feel pretty, so her asking this literally made my day! The next class was a general math class, and the kids were having a real hard time with the Pythagorean Theorem. I actually "taught" them. It was fun! And since there were so few of them, they actually paid attention and seemed to kind of get it. The last class was a "challenge" math class, and they were preparing for a test the next day. They had some questions about a few problems, so I started to go over them. I realized they were working with the quadratic formula, and kind of panicked because I couldn't remember the formulas at first (I soon found them on a poster). Then I had to reassure myself I was doing the work right (I was) - this all took me about 7 minutes (oops - I was not prepared, I should have looked over the worksheets before the class so I knew what type of math they were doing so I could easily answer questions). Finally, I was able to go over it with the kids. Turns out their teacher hadn't even introduced the formula to them yet! How are they supposed to solve for "x" in the following equation 5x2 + 3x = 0 (that is 5x squared) without the quadratic formula? They seemed to get it, and seemed to be grateful that I helped them out. Again, I got to teach! Yeah! I left a note for the teacher telling her that we discussed the quadratic formula and that I thought they had more questions. Great bunch of kids (all 5 of them!). I was kind of pleased that I was able to help. I know a lot the my fellow classmates at my university would not have been able to help with math problems.

Tomorrow & Friday I am subbing for health at the same school. I think lots of kids will be on field trips again, so hopefully it should be OK.

Night and Day

The differences between the two junior highs at which I sub are monumental. At one school (the school where I have had to send kids to the office), the kids are hard to handle, have attitude problems, and many are quite unmanageable. At the other school, there are some problem kids, but overall they are much more manageable. Their attitudes are better, they are better behaved, and are more respectful. I wonder why the differences are so stark. The districts are next to eachother. I don't think there is too much of a socioeconomic difference (the more manageable district is slightly wealthier, but barely). I think the difference might be the teachers and administrators. I think the discipline at the "better" school is just, well, better. They have instilled respect in their students. Of course, I much prefer subbing at this district. I could be wrong. I know there are many factors that contribute to the attitude of a school.

On another note, I was at the "better" school today, and witnessed my first ADHD student who forgot to take his meds. He was bouncing off the walls. He admitted he forgot to take his meds. All day, students were asking him what he was on, and if he forgot to take his meds. By the end of the day, he could not sit still and concentrate. I know the school called his mom about having him take his meds, but obviously they didn't get a hold of her (or she couldn't do anything about it). Even though this boy was a bit out of control, he wasn't that bad. All in all, today was a great day subbing (I didn't have to do much - I subbed for a resource teacher. I had a math class and a study skills class, and the rest of the day I just assisted other teachers).

Monsters!

I am late in posting this - but I am going to vent about my awful Friday experience. I subbed for a 7th grade science teacher at the middle school that calls me directly (instead of using the sub service). I think I now know why they call directly - because not many people will babysit the little monsters all day, so they call the ones they know will come. My first period (which was actually 5th period - it was an afternoon job) was hellish. There were 4 boys who would not be quiet, and who gave me fake names. There was no attendance list or seating chart, so I could not verify names until there was enough snickering going on that I finally cornered a student who supplied with proper names. I separated the 4 boys, but they were still out of control. The rest of the class was beginning to join in, so I knew I had to put a stop to it. I raised my voice and said "Everyone needs to do their work and shut up! The next person to talk goes to the office" (Now, I fear that I will never be asked back to this school because I told them to "shut up" - I really wish I hadn't said that). Anyway, they were quiet for a while, until one of the boys made some comment. I turned to him and called his name. Unfortunately for me, I said his fake name first before I realized that I used the wrong name. Of course, laughter broke out. I finally shipped the boy off to the office, and the kids were great after that. The next 3 periods was just a movie. I wouldn't let the students do anything but watch the movie (they couldn't do other homework, or draw, or write notes). Luckily the teacher had left a pop quiz for the students to take if they didn't quietly watch the movie, so I had leverage to get them to be quiet and watch the movie. I had to stop several students from doing homework and drawing in their notebooks. I then caught one of the girls who I had stopped from drawing warning her friends in the hallway that I was really mean because I wouldn't let them draw. Ugh. I think part of the reason this day seemed to suck so much was that I had a killer headache all day.

The funny thing about the "mean" comment, though, is this: I ran into a teacher in the hallway and she asked me how things were going. I said fine, and then told her I overheard the student talking about how mean I am. She laughed and said "We'll have to have you back!"

Why Subbing is So Hard

Poor me. Let me bitch for a little while.

Subbing is actually a really hard job. Not that the work is that hard, but the environment is tough.

First, the people are quite nice (the other teachers, secretaries, etc.), but I don't know any of them. If I get stuck, I don't know where to go for help. Some teachers ignore me, others are great. I know the teachers don't have any reason to reach out to a sub, so I certainly don't fault the ones who ignore me, but I much prefer a job where I have friends! This won't really be a problem when I am a "real" teacher, but right now, subbing is a pretty lonely job.

Second, every day is like starting a new job. A new job where there is NO orientation. I am thrown into a classroom with a bunch of kids I don't know, with no clue what type of classroom management system is in place, and hope the notes left by the teacher about what to do all day make sense. It is pretty unsettling. On the bright side, if I am having a terrible time with it, I know it is only for one day (or, if in middle school, one hour)! Again, this problem will go away when I have my own class (well, I'll be with the same kids, and have my own management system, etc. - I don't really know about orientation and that sort of thing).

Third, substitutes really do get no respect (maybe I should be the next Rodney Dangerfield). The kids don't respect us. Some actually try to make our lives miserable. There are a few who are really great, but most, not so much. They try to get away with everything. They constantly stretch the truth about what they are allowed to do, or what the rules are. And since we don't really know the rules, to some (small) extent the lack of respect is warranted. We can't garner the respect if we don't know the rules and procedures.

Fourth, we rarely know when we are going to work. I have to be prepared to get up every morning at 6:30 am, but only end up working about 2 days a week. I am not a morning person, so this does not really please me!

Finally (this one is less to do with the environment) - the pay is crappy. Really crappy. We are glorified babysitters, and get paid about $10 an hour for our services (with no benefits).

My displeasure with my current job does make me look forward to when I have my own classroom, and can eliminate some of these problems. Right now, though, I am not exactly the happiest camper in the world. But it is good experience - so I will keep on slugging.

I Can't Wait...

until I have my own class. I subbed for a teacher for whom I have subbed before. It was wonderful to already know some of the kids, and to know who might be the troublemakers. For instance, there was a particular boy who was pretty disruptive last time. Now, last time I let the kids sit with whoever they wanted (I didn't actually tell them they could do this, they just did, and by the time I realized it, I didn't have them move to their assigned seats). This time, as this class was coming in, I informed them they had to sit in their assigned seats. This split disruptive boy from his friends. Nonetheless, he was still a bit chatty, so I gave him one chance to be quiet, and then I moved him to his own table, with his back to the rest of the class. Now, he did not completely be quiet, but he was much better, and actually got some work done. Because I knew in advance he might be trouble, I already had a plan, and was able to put it in action. I know when I actually have my own students, I will be able to plan similarly (and to a greater extent).

Also, that day, the girl who I had to send to the office last time I was there, was very good. I don't know if she was just having an off day (ha ha), or if she realized that I wasn't going to take her crap, so she didn't give me any. In the note I left for the teacher, I let her know this girl worked very diligently during class. Hopefully she will get some credit for being well-behaved. I noticed she was on the detention list for every day that week!

Finally, this class that I was subbing for was an art class. I don't know how art teachers do it. I have never been so exhausted. Trying to keep everybody happy with their paint colors, trying to avoid huge messes, trying to get kids to clean up - it was wild. I spent about 45 minutes after school ended cleaning the teacher's room so she didn't have to come back to a mess. I think I might have gone above and beyond the call of duty, but I wanted to make a good impression. I am a suck up.

And Now I Can Prove My Point

I subbed first grade yesterday afternoon. Since I came in just for the afternoon, I actually got to see the teacher before she left. When I spoke to her, she gave me some great information. It was like she had read my tips for teachers to leave the sub! She told me (1) how to quiet down the class (2 different ways!), (2) which student I could really count on to help me with class rules and procedures, and (3) her policy on bathroom passes and drinks. She did neglect to tell me about a special procedure (which kids get to go get the lunch boxes and when they go), but the "count on" student filled me in. She didn't leave me names of any troublemakers - but I am not sure if there were any. They were great. I just love first graders. So sweet and fun. One little girl even told me that she wished I could be their long-term sub (their original teacher is away on maternity leave). I worked individually with this girl for about an hour during math (a co-teacher taught the rest of the class - and this little girl is so far behind that she can't really participate in regular math lessons), so she really got to know me more than the other kids, but it was still nice to hear her say that.

On another bright note - a teacher I subbed for earlier (she is actually the art teacher, in whose class I had to send a girl to the office) requested me to sub for her on Friday. Friday is the only other day I can sub this week (because of law stuff - ugh- don't get me started on how much I hate the law), so I am really glad to get the work.

New School, New Problems

I subbed two times this past week – both times were at a middle school at which I had never subbed (it was actually in a new district). Both days were very, very challenging. I have never had big problems at the junior high in the other district in which I sub, so I was really surprised to find both days so difficult. The first day I subbed for an art teacher. Her art classes went well (in the morning I had 7th and 8th graders, and in the afternoon I had 3rd and 4th grade). Her advisory, however, was a NIGHTMARE! The school had a special day on Wednesday, and the students had to help clean the school for about 50 minutes before lunch. There was another teacher who helped me during the clean-up time by taking about 6 of my students to her classroom to help clean. The rest I had to deal with. Some students were wonderful – they worked really hard at cleaning tables and counters. Another group almost outright refused to clean. They talked back to me and were very disrespectful (I was told “There are child labor laws, you know” and “If I don’t help clean at home, I am not going to clean at school”). To get them to do anything, I had to stand over them and watch them clean. I sent the group to straighten some magazines, and they started just shoving the magazines into the cupboard. I told them I needed them to do it right (and they informed me that “Mrs. _______ would never make us do this!”), and they refused, so I took down their names. Then, as I told the class to get back into their seats, this one girl (who had been a big problem all day) refused to listen to me. I told her that if I had to talk to her one more time, I would send her to the office. She mimicked me, and so I sent her to the office. I felt awful. I have never had to send a student to the office. I do not think that the office should be responsible for a substitute’s inability to control his or her class. But I was at my wit’s end. I went to the office to apologize, and the secretary laughed and said she didn’t blame me. Apparently this girl is just trouble.

My other day was also challenging. I was subbing for 7th grade special ed. Much like the non-workers the other day, I had many students who just didn’t listen, refused to work, and refused to shut up. I actually made 4 students stay after class until they proved to me they could sit quietly. It was the same tactic the ESL teacher used on a couple of 1st graders! Surprisingly, they did sit quietly, and didn’t really complain. There was an aide in the room during the most challenging period (and several other periods), and she did nothing to help keep the kids on task. She just sat at her desk. After school I chatted with her about school, life, etc. – turns out she really doesn’t care for kids this age and is seriously considering leaving her job (I think she would prefer much younger kids). That is fine, but while you are still in the job, you could help out a little. She was a really nice lady, but I was perplexed by her lack of involvement. She is there to assist the teacher, yet she did nothing.