My Super AWESOME class!

      Near the beginning of the year I had a 2 day job for a fourth grade class.  They were so AMAZING.  They came into class quietly and go right to work on what I had written on the board.  There was some quiet chatting and whispering, but school had not started yet.  When the bell rang they got silent and all looked at me for directions.  I mean ALL.  There wasn't one student being distracting, or starring off into space.  No pair of girls were chatting and giggling.  It was like they were waiting for me to say the most interesting thing they were ever going to hear.  I figured it was just a fluke and it wouldn't me like that the rest of the day, but it was.  Every time I quietly asked for their attention, they went silent.  They followed all of my directions and did each and everything that I asked them to.  Both days were completely amazing and I had had some VERY BAD days previous to this class so I was SUPER thankful for these guys.  I bought them Frostys from Wendy's for a thank you at the end of the second day.  They totally deserved it!

       I got a call to work in that class again about two weeks later.  I was concerned that they would be expecting Frostys again.  But I should have known they were too polite to expect that.  In the morning, after roll call, I said, "Wow!  Everyone is here today and on time, that's great!"  As in most schools there was a reward chart if that happened.  One of the boys raised his hand and said, "Ms. Day, we all knew you were coming today and no one wanted to miss it!"  Another student raised her hand and said, "Don't worry Ms. Day we know that teacher's can't afford to bring us Ice Cream everyday.  But it was a nice treat."  This was followed by a chorus of "Thank Yous".

 

     I have now been back to that class 10 days.  The teacher goes to several meetings.  I feel like they are my class.  Maybe I will get super lucky and get a job as a fifth grade teacher at that school next year! 

If you were brave enough to work today, I applaud you!

I have only been subbing for a year and a half, but I worked in Elementary Schools for 15 years before that, and I know that the day, week, even month before Christmas Break can be a little crazy.  I got calls for working today, the Friday before Christmas Break, but I'm not CRAZY!  I didn't answer the phone this morning.  I actually put it on silent last night!  As I told my mom.  I don't need the money that bad.  ;-)

One of my favorite Teacher Blogs, Clutter Free Classroom, posted this little ditty today that I thought you might enjoy it.  It's about 10 fold for a sub!

Christmas in an Elementary School
( Sung to the tune of Winter Wonderland)

Children scream, they're not listnen'
When they go, we won't miss em',
In all of this pain, we try to stay sane,
Workin' in an elementary school.

Christmas comes they're excited,
Though our nerves they've ignited,
They're off of the walls; they run in the halls,
Workin' in an elementary school.

In the lunchroom we can hear them yellin'
And we know that they are really wound.
Someone hits, the other says, "I'm tellin'!"
And that is when our heads begin to pound.

Pretty soon we'll be restin'
Cause our nerves, they've been testin'
We're happy it's clear,
It just comes once a year
Christmas in an Elementary School!

Have a fantastic break.
-Jody

Middle School Math

Yesterday I taught Middle School Math.  7 periods of 7th graders!  Thank goodness they were all working on a project and I didn't have to have their attendtion for more than taking roll and quick directions. 

One student was done with his project and refused to sit down so I made him sweep the classroom.  Which looked like a tornado had hit it, by the way.  He was doing a half ....  hearted job at it, and one student said,

• "You are a terrible Broomer!  You have no future in the brooming industry!" 

I didn't realize there was an industry just for brooming.  I guess you learn something everyday!

I HAVE heard there is no future in hoe-ing.

A Humiliating Day

The classroom I was in yesterday was strange.  Half completely wild and the other half attentive, quiet, eager to participate and learn.  You could tell they were totally annoyed by the 15 wild ones!

Did you see what happened to that Sub today?!?! 

At the end of the day we had an assembly.  It took 10 minutes for them to get quiet enough to even think about leaving the room.  We were quite late for the assembly.  Two boys decided to start fighting in the hall.  While I stopped them the rest of the class went running and screaming into the middle of the assembly.  I took the other boys to the office and then I had to walk into the assembly and up to the front to sit with my class.  Yeah, that happened.  I stayed in the classroom about 20 minutes late and tried to sneak out of the school, but a meeting was just getting out so everyone had a good laugh at my expense, in front of me.  I don't think I'll be taking many more assignments at that school. 

"I'm the bestest substitute ever! ... or not ... ...

I went into a classroom the other day and I wasn't there for five minutes when a sweet little girl walked up to me and said.  "You are the bestest substitute ever!"  I smiled a big smile and told her "Thank you sweetheart.  That was a really nice thing to say."  A little boy standing next to her said, "You say that to all of the substitutes!"  She turned around and said, "I just want to raise their self confidence!"

"You are the bestest substitute ever!"

 

Yesterday I won the title of "World's Most Awesome Substitute!"

How did I earn such a glorious honor, you might ask.  One full hour of www.coolmath.com.  This website has GAMES!  Many of which have NOTHING to do with Math.   

I was really dreading working yesterday, it being the day after Halloween and all.  I had a sleepless night, not knowing what horrors would befall me.  When I came into the building I was shown a classroom.  I had worked in the same room last year and started looking for a new profession right after school.  Obviously I didn't find one and now I was beginning to regret it!  Thankfully the classrooms had changed and this was a different teacher with a different group of kids.  Great kids, funny kids, respectful kids who get quiet when you ask them to.  AMAZING!  Where they hyped up on candy?  Yes, and I assume they are even better when that isn't the case.  There was one problem student who I ended up sending to the office, but mostly because I thought he might be acting out because he wasn't feeling good.  He did fall asleep during the spelling test.

The day was changed around quite a bit because of an artist in residence visit, and we spent 2 hours in the afternoon working on an art project with 4 parent volunteers. 

Day After Halloween, Messed Up Sub Plans, and Long Art Project could really have made for a terrible day, but these kids made it great!  Of course that is mostly thanks to their teacher who is training them well.  I always add a Kudos to the teacher in my sub notes, when the class is great.

Dear Teacher,

Dear Teaccher,

        Please do not cancel your substitute teacher at the last momnet.  It is likely that she turned down other jobs after recieving the call to be in your classroom.  When you cancel a job, that substitute might not be able to get another one.  That means she just lost $160, which would be the ability to pay a bill or feed her family.
     On a related note.  If you have a preferred sub who teaches your class in a way you like, help a sistah out and take a day off once in a while! Go got your hair done. ;-)

Thank you,

A Substitute Teacher!

A sad classroom....

Let me preface this by saying that I work in the richest areas and the poorest areas of my city, in 12 different districts.  I have seen a wide range of differences in students and classrooms. 

I accepted a half day job in third grade for Thursday.  I walked into the classroom at 11am.  When I opened the door I saw a mess of a classroom, students running, screaming, pushing and shoving.  The teacher was at his desk and jumped up with his coat and started toward the door.  As he came up to me a student walked up and said, "Are you the substitute, you look like a B*TCH."  Teacher just rolled his eyes and pointed to the table.  "There are three piles, Reading, Science and Math"  They are pretty self explanatory.  The kids can do them independently, just read them the story I marked in the book."  He then waled out.  He came back and handed me two pens.  "These are for the whiteboard, don't let the kids get their hands on them."

That was it.  No plans, no written schedule, nothing.  I did discover later that there was a schedule on the board, but the times had been erased by a student. 

First I called the office to get the schedule for lunch, bells, etc.  Then I attempted to corral all of the students back to their seats.  They were supposed to be working on an art project, but I only saw three students working on it.  As we got closer to lunch I tried to get their attention long enough to get them to start cleaning up.  Mostly because the classroom was a complete disaster.  There was paper all over the floor, plus scissors, pencils, markers, crayons, and food.  I got most of their attention when I turned off the lights.  They sort of started to clean up, because they wanted to go to lunch.  It still took them over 20 minutes to get the majority of the junk off the floor, but most of it just ended up on the tables.  I attempted to get them lined up and while I was doing that a truly disturbing incident happened that I will not go into here.  I had to make a DHS report and talk with the superintendent about it.

 I finally got the students to lunch and the office and went back to the classroom.  Once it was empty and quiet I could see just how sad this room really was.  It was filthy, and not just from today.  There was NOTHING on the walls, except old mismatched paint.  The book shelves were a mess with torn books thrown here and there, but mostly empty.  The books were mostly Kindergarten and First grade picture books with a few Sweet Valley High thrown in.  There were NO TEXT books anywhere.  There were a few piles of work books.  There were two large shelves that had absolutely nothing on them, but a few small, mostly empty bins of supplies. 

When the kids came back from lunch I sat them down on the rug and shared with them my expectations, and my complete wiliness to give out referrals, or send non cooperating students right to the office.  Things somewhat calmed down and we were actually able to get through one and a half assignments in the rest of the day.

After school I spent and hour and a half cleaning in the classroom, going to the supply room and replenishing their supplies, organizing books, and leaving a LONG note for the teacher about the day.

I also went to talk to the principal, who wasn't there today.  Instead I spoke privately with the secretary to let her know the state of this classroom.  She agreed that the principal needs to get down there and see how that class is actually run.

On some level I wish he would quit and I would get hired in that classroom.  My teacher instinct is to care for those kids and teach them something.  It seems that in the current situation it will be a hard year for them and their potential for learning.

Why, oh Why?

Is it just me, or does it seem like some teachers save the messy involved projects for the subs?

I was in a classroom this week and the teacher left a cutting project for the students to complete.  She said it would be easy and to tell them to stay on task because they would only have 15 minutes to complete it.    As it turns out, they had to cute 15 pages of flash cards, 8 cards per page, in 15  minutes.  So of course they were trying to cut them as a stack, but they weren't lined up while printing, so that was a mess, along with the bagillions of pieces of scrap all over the room.  Most students took well over 45 minutes to cut them out and many ended up losing or getting theirs mixed up with someone else's.  At recess I bribed a few kids to help me clean up the room and had the kids put their remaining cards on the back table in NEAT piles so they could get finished later.  I stayed an extra hour trying to finish them but I still didn't get them done.  What a DISASTER! 

Oh, to add to the crazy, we had a Fire Drill in the middle.  And of course I didn't have the attendance, or have any idea about their procedures and half of my class was out in other classrooms!  Good Grief!  This is my 4th Fire Drill already this year!  I am just going to assume there will be a fire drill every time I walk into a classroom from now on.

On the bright side, I'm working and that's good!

Have you had any crazy days lately?

Funny Things Kids Say

"Everyone knows Girls are Custodians and Boys are Janitors."   Said by a student when the female custodian was asked what her job is. 

Custodian

So now we know the difference!  ;-)

Personality Flaw

My nearest school district has a personality test as part of their substitute vetting process.  For the last two years they have not accepted me as a sub in their district.  Apparently, I have some major personality flaw that shows up in the test.  Too bad for all of those other districts that accepted me!  ;-)

 

School Is In Session

Here in the Northwest, school starts the day after Labor Day for most schools.  Summer, I will miss you dearly.  I love to stay up late!  I hate hearing the phone ring at 5am, even if it means work.  I have tried like crazy to get a job for this school year, and it just hasn't happened.  Nearly every district in my state laid people off and the hiring they are doing is mostly bringing those laid off back on the job.  I can't even get a part time Instructional Assistant job.  I don't feel cut out for subbing.  Friends of mine enjoyed subbing so much this year that they didn't even try to get a job.

I am going to keep applying for everything, and hopefully something will come up.  A Superintendent friend of mine told me that the best time for new teachers to get a job is after the school year has started.  Many schools add teachers after the year starts because the numbers allow for another classroom.  He said not to give up hope, so I will try not to.

Federal Teacher Programs

Partial Loan Cancellation Programs  these aren't for subs.  You must work full time for 5 years at a low income school in order to qualify.

HUD Good Neighbor Next Door Program for Teachers, Police, and Fire.

Dear Math, I'm Not a Therapist. Solve Your Own Problems!

I love this graphic and saying.  I got it on this great free graphics blog.  http://meinlilapark.blogspot.com

Take a Break

I was just reading this article about schools not having outdoor play areas.  Seriously?!?!  I can't imagine the kids not having a recess break during the school day.  I can't imagine not having that break myself!

Why Every Student Needs A Playground to Succeed

It got me thinking about breaks during the day.  In a classroom with a sub, the energy and anxiety for students is increased.  One of the best ways to relieve some of that energy is to give the kids a break.  If you can't let them outside on a non-recess time, as least play a game in the room or let older kids just chat with friends between activities.  They will appreciate, and hopefully come back to the learning environment refreshed and ready to listen.

• Energizing Brain Breaks
• Pro Teacher Community Brain Breaks Ideas

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!

It's almost time to go back to school.  Don't forget to get registered for subbing in all of your neighborhood districts.

Not enough work?

Think about alternative sources for subbing jobs.....

• Private Schools
• You may not need to follow a certain religious principle to be a sub at a teligious school.
• Charter Schools
• Many of these schools do not use district substitute sources.  Contact them personally.
• Classified
• Subbing for Instructional Assistant, Afterschool Programs, Library and more.  These jobs don't pay as much but they are good fill in.
• Preschool/Daycare
• Preschools and Daycares are always in the market for substitutes.  Again, the pay will be less than districts, but a good way to cover the bills.
• Children's Museums
• Science and Play Museums often need extra help when they have big events or particularly busy times.
• Make yourself more Marketable
• Online Free and Cheap Courses

Adding to your digital file....

I'm always trying to add new and exciting things to my digital file.  Ideally they will help me to be a better teacher when I have my own classroom. (Hopefully sooner then later.)  It's better to store it digitally than to fill up my garage, but there is a fair amount of that happening too!

This one, from Scholastic, is awesome for new teachers.
New Teacher Resources: Tools & Tips for Teachers, Plus Help from Experienced Teacher Mentors | Scholastic.com


Great Site when you are looking for something specific.
TEACHERS.NET SEARCH - search for teacher materials, lesson plans, discussion groups, teaching jobs, and more.

Fantastic Science Experiments
ZOOM . activities . sci | PBS Kids

Looking For Teaching Jobs

I have been looking for a job.  Like last summer, I am applying like a mad woman, and pretty much hoping for the best!

I have been searching all over the internet to find the best information I can about improving my resume, interview questions, writing and good cover letter and anything else I can think of that might help.

Warning, many of these sites want to sell you something, but you can still glean some great info from them without paying for their services.

http://resumes-for-teachers.com/blog/?side

Finding a Teaching Job: Advice for New Teachers (Grades K-12) - TeacherVision.com

Teacher Resume Tips | Monster

Advice for NQTs looking for their first job - TES New Teachers

Education World: NEW TEACHERS

How to Find Your Dream Teaching Job | Edutopia

Keep in mind that some of these articles were written before this crazy financial crisis put so many teachers out of work.  But there are still lots of great ideas and a wealth of helpful information.

To Grade or Not to Grade? That is the question!

When a teacher has left great sub notes, with lots of activities and a good schedule, I am so greatful.  It is much easier to keep a class on their regular routine.  Yes, I do tell them to "Go With The Flow" , but it's always easier if my flow is close to the same as their flow. 

I always leave a room neat, or at least as good as I found it. I also always want to leave all papers, completed during the day, graded. 

This isn't always an easy task.  Even in the lower grades.  Different teachers have different ways of grading assignments, and if you write in pen on a student's assignment, she/he pretty much has to go with that. 

Usually what I will do is look around, not snooping, for other papers that are similar and already graded.  That way I can see their method.  If it's something simple like math problems, I can just circle the wrong and put a

+30
  35      on top of the page.  But what happens when a problem has two parts, or they are short answer.  What is the teacher looking for?  Spelling, punctuation, neatness, complete sentences, graphs, charts, showing your work?  I hate to leave a lunch of work for her/him the next day, but what choice do I have?  If I score it wrong, and it's an important assignment, I could be leaving them with a big headache.

So, my conclusion has been, no grading if I can't match up their work with something else.  But I always leave fully explanitory notes and apologize for not grading.  And hope that's good enough.

Seen in a classroom.....

 " 5 out of 4 people are bad at fractions."

Ain't it the truth!

Overheard at the Fair

"Elephant Ears, ewwwwwww!  Why would you want to eat those?  Elephants are so cute.  Why don't people just leave their ears alone?"

I love the way kids think!

Getting Close to the End of the Year!

It's getting so close to the end of the school year.  On one hand, yeah summer!  On the other hand, where's the money coming from?  I've been applying for jobs like a mad woman.  How did I get myself into an industry that only hires during one small window a year? 

There is a BIGGER problem with the end of the school year though.  Behavior!  This is my first year or subbing, but I have been working in schools for 16 years now.  I know what the end of the year is like.  Teachers and kids alike have had enough.  The last days are filled with state tests, end of the year assessments for portfolios, finishing up big projects, and high tension on both sides.  Especially if the sun is shinning.  Kids just want to be outside, while teachers have so much to get done in order to call it a successful school year. 

Kids have high energy from the excitement of summer, which they don't realize will wear off after a week or so when they get bored and don't have their friends around them everyday.  But that high energy, times 27, bottled up in a stuffy classroom, is a recipe for disaster.  Even the best behaved kids have bad days at the end of the year. 

Picture this.....  It's a Hot Friday.  There are two weeks of school left.  There are about a million things to get done today.  Your class is already sort of out of control. (Sort of is being Kind.) 

Hey, I'd call in a sub too!

Wow!  Friday was a wild day for me.  The morning started off well.  But PE didn't go great, and honestly, it was all down hill from there.  I had Students fighting, verbally and physically.  Most students were just ignoring me altogether.  Only about half the class did the work that I assigned.  The work that the teacher wrote in her sub notes, MUST GET DONE TODAY!

I don't feel like a good sub on days like Friday.  But I just keep reminding myself that, "It is almost the end of the school year."  "You know this is a tough time for everyone."   It makes me feel a little better, but it didn't stop me from having a nightmare about getting a regular job in this classroom!

Oh please don't go.......we love you so!

The amazing author and illustrator, Maurice Sendak has died at the age of 83. He inspired so many to read and let themselves fall into a book, let the fantasy wash over them, and forget the world for a while. He didn't write realistic fiction. His stories were often pure, wonderful, wonderful, nonsense. He is most famous for "Where the Wild Things Are" but he has so many other fantastic head scratchers. Books that make you suspend disbelief and imagine.

Be off with you, run to the library and check out, "In The Night Kitchen", "Over the Water", "Little Bear", "Chicken Soup with Rice", "One Was Johnny", "Hector Protector", Alligators All Around", "Outside Over There", "Higglety Pigglety Pop", "Pierre" and MORE MORE MORE!

Get the video "Really Rosie and the Nutshell Kids" to see several of these stories animated, with words sung by Carole King.

"There are so many beautiful things in the world which I will have to leave when I die, but I’m ready, I’m ready, I’m ready.”

“I cry a lot because I miss people. They die and I can't stop them. They leave me and I love them more.”

Kids Activities

Kids Activities is a great website with literally thousands of activitiy ideas. I like to have a few ideas on hand in case we need fillers or there are no sub notes.

Awwwww!

From a 5th grader last week.

Punctuation Saves Lives!!!!!

Let's eat Grandma!

OR

Let's eat, Grandma!

"As seen in a 6th Grade Classroom"

Share this with older students and challenge them to come up with another funny way that punctuation saves lives!

WOO!

Woo Jr.

Woo Jr. is a kids website that has lots of fun stuff, including coloring sheets, game and lesson ideas, craft ideas and more.

Everything on the site isn't gold, but they do have some things that can be helpful in your sub kit.

They have a newletter they send, it comes about twice a week, with updates, new activities, and ideas.

Best Quote of the Day

From a first grader, "You are the best teacher I have had in ALL my years!"

That early morning call

Early Morning Telephone Call

When you get that early morning call, you know it's going to be an interesting day!

Yesterday I got a call at 7am.  You have to be there at 7:30! 

I am notorious for taking an hour to get ready in the morning, so I knew I would be late, but I also worked at that school in a non-teacher capacity for 2 1/2 years, so I figured they would forgive me a few minutes. 

I don't know how, but I actually made it on time.

I have been getting several late calls.  I don't know if I should take the job or not.  I assume that they know I won't be there on time, if they call me 5 minutes before the shift starts, but I don't want to assume anything.  I would hate to ruin my reputation by being late.

I guess I could get up and get dressed at 6am, just in case, but I am not a morning person and it is very hard to convince myself to do that when I'm tired.

Today I got a call from a school that is about an hour from my home.  The call came at 8am, to be there at 8am.

Even though I need the work, I figure the best thing to do is to let someone take the job who is ready to go and near to the school.

What I do to get ready faster.....

•  Have a couple of outfits of appropriate clothes already put together
• Have a bag packed with supplies for the day
•  cereal bars
• an orange 
• a bottle of water
• some cash to buy lunch if needed
• Have some quick lunches in the fridge or freezer ready to grab and go.
• Keep the car gassed up.
• Get a good night's sleep!

Your Future Classroom

    If you are like me, you want to have your own classroom sometime in the near future.  So, you are probably saving up lots of ideas.  Problem is, printing all of the cool stuff you find on the internet isn't cheap, and it takes up lots of space.
   What I have started doing is keeping digital copies, instead of printing. 
    I have created a folder on my computer called, "Elementary Education".  In that folder I have LOTS of sub folders for different subjects and different sub subjects.  For instance, my Math folder has sub-folders for Mutliplication, Division, Money, Patterns, etc. 
     I keep great ideas I find for all grades, because who knows what grade I will teach. 
     I am signed up for all types of teacher newletters.  I get at least 4-5 emails a day. "Great FREE Math Sheets", "Fun FREE Printables", "FREE Lesson Plans for Earth Day!"  I go through them quickly and glean the best ideas for my digital file.  When I have my own classroom I will be more prepared!
    In some upcoming posts I will share websites that have great resources.

Go with the Flow!

     One of the first things I start my day with, after the roll, is to tell students who I am, why their teacher is gone, and the plan for the day.  I have a mantra I share, "Go With the Flow".  I have them repeat it, depending on the feel of the class, we might even sing song it. But the point is, that I am not Mrs/Mr ClassroomTeacher and things will be slightly different than usual.  I let them know that we will still follow the teacher's plan but things might seem a bit different and its OKAY!
     Some kids just get so anxious when things are different.  You start to hear, "Mrs. CT does this."  "Mr. CT does it like that."  and once that starts, it seems to come up for the rest of the day, over and over.
     We can't do things EXACTLY like their teacher, because chances are, we have never been in the room before, never seen them in action. 
     We know that the anxiety is probably cause by kids being in Piaget's Concrete Stage.  We also know that no matter what they say, subconsciously kids thrive on rules and restrictions and continuity.  Problem is, it is super hard to provide that in a totally new environment.
    If kids hear, right off the bat, that you are going to do your best, but things will be a little different, they know that an inconsistent day is coming, it strangely calms them down. 
    I will remind them a few times during the day, by saying something like, "Math might seem a little different today, but let's remember to________(Making a wave motion with my arm.)"  And usually they can repeat, "Go With The Flow."
   When I return to a classroom, they will usually remember that before they remember my name! 
     I recently returned to a Kindergarten classroom I haven't been in for months and just said,  "Hello Ladies and Jellyfish, what are we going to do today?"  They made the arm wave motion and started singing, "Go With The Flow!  Go With The Flow!  Go With The Flow!"  The new boy in class cried though because he didn't know the game.

Preventing Childhood Obesity Creates More Problems Than It Solves

     I'm fat.  I have been since I was a child.  I can tell you now that during health class, when the text book showed pictures of large people and talked about how this was a preventable, unhealthy condition, it did not make me want to lose weight or exercise more.  Instead, it allowed other kids to tease me.  It caused my teachers to not look me in the eye during those classes.  It made me feel bad about myself. It made me feel insecure, less of a member of society, and it made me sad. 

    Recently, people are all jumping on the "beat childhood obesity" bandwagon.  They are walking into classrooms and talking about childhood obesity.  But they can't look the fat kids in the eye.  They don't realize that this discussion flings the doors open wide for bullying.  It actually encourages students to treat the fat kids poorly.  And it makes those kids hurt.  

     There is all kinds of media against bullying recently.  But, in the same tone we are teaching kids that there is something fundamentally wrong with their larger classmates.  And if there is something wrong with them, what do kids do?  They treat them poorly.

     Why can't we just encourage health?  Talk about fun ways to get exercise.  Talk about a balance between eating what we like and eating junk.  Why do we have to single people out?  Why do we have to make larger kids feel bad about themselves?  Why do we have to make smaller kids so concerned about their weight that they crash diet and form eating disorders?

     This came to me today because I subbed in a Pre-School class.  Several 3 and 4 year olds told me that I was obese and I would die soon.  One girl said, "You seem nice, but teacher said only bad people have fat bellies."  I am sure that is not quite what the teacher said, but it's the message that came across at "Prevent Childhood Obesity Day".

   In the process of "preventing" childhood obesity, I wonder how many kids went home and cried themselves to sleep tonight? 

Some great info at this website, http://www.sizediversityandhealth.org/

Spring Break

I used to love Spring Break, now it just means a week with no work.  Boo!  Who cares if my bills get paid.  I still love Spring Break!  It also means no 5am phone calls!!! Yipee!

Math is Hard!

People really gave Barbie a hard time when she said, "Math is hard!"  All the poor girl was trying to do was admit that she had a few faults.  The thing is, she was right!

Recently, I subbed for a math teacher at a middle school.  He left me a work sheet to go over with the students and asked me to put some examples on the board.  Um....uh....did I mention that I am an elementary teacher?  I looked at all of the letters, numbers and symbols on that sheet and I began to sweat!  Thankfully, when I went to turn on the camera and projector, he had left a sheet with the examples. 

Some students had a few questions, and I directed them to try and figure it out with another student who was having the same problem.  Thankfully that worked! 

Plus, it's Junior High, so.....

Quote from a seventh grade boy, "Hey substitute lady!  Do you think my tractor's sexy?" 

Ugh!  It was quite a day.

I brought a copy of the math worksheet home with me to see if I could do it, and check the answers on line.  I've been avoiding my homework for quite some time now! 

Getting More Substitute Teaching Jobs

It didn't take me long to realize that in this economy, in a large metro area, there are thousands of substitutes.  Because of all of the budget cuts, teachers are no longer getting to take days off for meetings and development classes.  This means LESS subbing jobs. 

One way to pad the pay check is to think of creative ways to get jobs.

• Sign up for lots of area districts.
• My closest districts didn't even accept applications for new subs this year.  They just stuck with the subs they had last year.  UGH!  So I have to drive further, but I am signed up for 12, yes 12 area districts.  Some are nearly an hour away, maybe more, but I need the paycheck and the contacts that these sub days provide.
• Charter Schools
• There are TONS of charter schools in my state.  Most of these schools are not on the district sub network, so I have to make individual connections with each of their secretaries.  You can get a list from your local department of education website.
• Private Schools
• If you aren't religious, it's okay!  Not all private schools are religious, and many that are will accept subs who do not subscribe to their religion, as long as you agree not to share your views with the students or contradict the teachings of the school.  Again, check the department of education for a list and start emailing your resume.
• Tutoring
• Usually pays well, but is like 2-4 hours a week.  Another drawback is that they typically want a commitment that may not fit in with accepting a full time teaching job on the day you tutor.
• Instructional Assistant/Teacher's Aid
• Sure, it pays less, but it's a great way to get to know many people in a building.  Just make sure and work into the conversation that you are a fully certified sub, and available for work!  Drop off your sub card in the staff room!
• After School Programs
• These typically pay much less, and are only 3-4 hour shifts, but if you don't have a job for the day it's a great filler.  It also gets you into a school and meeting people.
• Sub Cards
• I have a card that I leave a teacher, to let her/him know that if they liked my work, I can come back.  Repeat work is the best way to get jobs!  Some subs use a little business card, but I want to make an impact, so I purchased postcards from www.VistaPrint.com and had them specially printed with a cute graphic and my personal info, along with enough space on the back to leave a note about the class and my request number on Subfinder, Aesop, or whatever subfinding software they use.  I also leave one in the staff room. 
• Teaching Outside Your Certificate
• Several states allow subs to teach any grade regardless of their certificate.  For example, I am certified for Early Childhood and Elementary, but I can also sub for Middle School, High School, or even Special Education and English Language Learners.
• The trick to remember here is to know your limits of comfort.  I don't take music, foreign language or Special Education classes, because I don't feel that I would be best for those classrooms.

Any other ideas?

The Big Question

When you meet someone new, or someone you haven't seen in a while, they always ask the question, "What do you do?"  It's an easy answer, "I'm a Teacher."  But then the follow up, "What grade do you teach?"  And the answer, "I am a substitute, so I teach all grades."   This usually gets one of two reactions.  "I don't envy you!"  or some comment about it being nice to choose when I work and not having to be responsible for a class. 

The "I don't envy you!" comment comes from an honest place.  People usually remember being in a class that was terrible to a sub.  I am also very familiar with this comment because I was a Child Care Provider for 15 years before I got my Masters in Teaching.  It does bother me though.  Why not envy me?  I get to hang out with awesome kids, teach them something, and make a difference in their lives.  What's not to envy?

As for choosing when I work, "I wish!"  So far I don't get enough work.  I usually only get it when I would like a day off, or when I have already accepted a job with lesser pay. (Sub Afterschool Care, Instructional Assistant, or Kindergarten Enrichment)  I recently accepted a temporary position, to fill in for someone on leave, as the Director of an Afterschool program.  It's only part time work, but I am only available to sub a few hours a day, a few days a week.  Since I took the job I have been offered an 8 hour sub job every day. I just know that when the job is over, the phone will stop ringing!

Sure, I am not responsible for the day to day in classroom, but that doesn't mean I am not responsible for those kids while they are in my hands.  I have to do well for them, their teacher, the principal, and the school.  I have to remember that I am being watched and each day is a job interview for the chance at another day.  If they don't like me for any reason, I could be off the list for that classroom, school or school district.  It's a lot of pressure some days.

How do you answer?