Freezing temperatures, thermometer registers 4* below zero. School was canceled on Friday and it was now Monday and I was headed to 6th grade - the teacher has asked for me to fill in - a good sign, but 6th grade is always a tough assignment. Students had experienced a long weekend, freezing temperatures, inside recess, and Spirit Week. All of this does not make for a productive learning environment. Spirit Week (Monday) = Pajama Day! I couldn't tell if the students wore clean pajamas to school or if they woke up Monday morning, rolled out of bed, and headed to the bus stop. Some of them appeared a bit slovenly.
I knew something was up when I headed to the gymnasium to pick up my advisory group - the teacher picking up the class next to me was dressed in a bathrobe and was carrying his teddy bear. I felt overdressed in my corduroy slacks and sweater. At least no one had a pacifier.
The day seemed to progress pretty smoothly. A seemingly reliable student, Matthew, took attendance. I could tell, however, that the word "substitute" was in the air. When students come in the class and head to their desks, look up and see a face they do not recognize, and then head to a different desk, you KNOW they're trying to sit next to someone they shouldn't be sitting next to. But if you're quick enough, and smart enough, you can mention, "I have a seating chart in my hand an I'll use it - please move to the seat you're supposed to be sitting in." And yes, they do comply.
The kids did not seem to have much energy, they complained of their work being too hard for them. They were able to complete it alright, they just didn't have the stamina to complete ALL of it. They can't seem to focus their energy for very long. It must have been a day for many teachers to be out (were they enjoying their own pajamas too much to leave their homes?).
I was told to bring my first class, Science, to the computer lab for standardized testing. I was told they would come back to the classroom one by one as they finished their testing. However, when I arrived in the room, someone set them up on the computers and then told me they'd be back in 45 minutes to check in with me - there was no one else to supervise them in the lab. What happens when you have 25 kids sitting at a computer and the first one finishes in 5 minutes? They can't use the computer - their test scores are on the screen and a school official has to register them before they exit out the screen. Luckily, I had extra plain paper with me and gave each child a sheet to draw quietly while we waited for the others to finish. I could only hold them off for about 20 minutes. I don't know why, but they LOVE free draw...
At 10:10 a.m., the dreaded announcement came over the loudspeaker "inside recess." RATS! The only good thing, however, is that for students in 6th grade, they have recess in the cafeteria and they don't have to remain in the classroom with me. At 10:30 a.m. they headed downstairs for recess, which meant their lunch would be from 11:00 - 11:30 a.m. I found it a little odd to be eating my turkey sandwich at 11:00 in the morning, but that's what you do when that's your only break time.
The afternoon science class was pretty tough. The instructions took the kids to a new unit, they didn't understand the directions, we couldn't find the definitions for the scientific words they were supposed to look up (they weren't listed in the textbook glossary and there were no dictionaries in the classroom.) It's never good when you have to "punt" as a substitute. As I tried to get their attention and said "Excuse me..." I had one lovely young lady ask me "What'd you do, burp or fart?" I can't imagine ever saying that to anyone, not even one of my six brothers! Never mind saying it to someone who should by all rights appear to be a respected adult. Oh my...
The day, however, ended up on a positive note. Little Hannah said to me "You are really lucky because I'm never this good for other subs..." Well-said, I guess, I felt sufficiently fortunate to have survived the day. Tomorrow I head to the elementary school to spend the day with the Third Grade. I wonder what they'll ask me?
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