after two assignments in the elementary school, I was called to sub yesterday at the high school.
they called on Wednesday, so I had a couple of days to reconsider and back out.
but I didn't, despite less than enthusiastic responses from my husband ("oh, are you sure you want to do that?") and my friend ("better you than me!").
Fridays are casual in this district, so I could wear jeans, and I was told that the teacher (U.S. History, World Geography, and U.S. Government) would have plenty of worksheets for them to do.
and his schedule is the kind I always dreamed of when I was teaching at four different schools, never had time to eat, and lived out of my car - on Fridays, he has five classes, a study hall, two prep periods, AND a half hour lunch!
the downside: it was the day before PROM.
high school hormones run amok.
but I accepted the assignment, and arrived quite early, so I could look through the materials and notes he left for me.
the secretary pops in a few minutes later, just to make sure I know that attendance must be taken, and I have the option of calling it in every hour, or turning it in at the end of the day.
a phone in every room!
I'm still remembering the dark ages, when we had intercom systems, and a voice would suddenly interrupt from somewhere up there near the clock.
now when a student needs to be summoned to the office, the phone rings.
amazing.
first hour was no problem - introduced myself, took attendance, collected yesterday's assignment, and passed out the three worksheets that they were to do in class.
had to "shush" them a couple of times, but no big deal.
and when they had all finished, I asked them about prom, and we actually talked nice for the last five minutes of class.
second hour was the study hall - in this room - and they were totally silent, and worked on stuff for the entire time!
third hour was a repeat of first, same subject, same worksheets.
fourth hour was a prep, so I wandered down the hall to the teachers' lounge and went to the bathroom.
back in the room, I read through the materials for sixth hour Geog. class, as I was to lead a discussion with some questions from their text.
Asian economy stuff - yikes! - but I jotted down notes for myself from the teacher's text, and felt pretty good.
fifth hour was a repeat of one and three, but I'm noticing that things are heating up.
there have been many absences, but most were excused, kids that were on the decorating committee for prom, and were down in the gym, getting things ready.
about half of this class is gone, and I have one young lady who comes in late, trying, unsuccessfully, to hold back tears.
I choose to ignore, rather than draw attention to her, and she pulls it together pretty well.
this class is more chatty, but we make it through.
one young man, who has designated himself my enforcer of the rules, assures me when I shush his outbursts that, "I've got your back, Mrs. O'R."
funny, but maybe I should have retained those services for the remainder of the day...
lunch!
I'm entitled to a free lunch, the daily special, and I get in line.
realizing that teachers are allowed (and expected to) skip to the front, I do so, and duck into the room next door marked "teacher dining."
it's a tiny room, stacked with boxes and assorted teacher-type equipment, but there's a round table, and four men are seated.
I set my "pizza dippers" (don't ask) down, and sit.
one of them tells me that I could also go to the other teachers' lounge, which is much bigger, and I wonder if he's trying to get rid of me.
before my brain can stop my mouth, I ask him if he's trying to get rid of me.
there's a slight pause, I die a little inside, and then they all laugh, assure me that's not the case, and ask if I play sheepshead.
apparently, I've stumbled upon an on-going lunchtime card tournament.
I decline (although it's very popular here in the midwest, I've never learned the game, too many rules for me, I need simple when it comes to card games), and quietly eat while they play.
as I leave, they wish me a good afternoon, and remind me that if I need anything, just holler.
prophetic.
sixth hour, a small class, has a bit more trouble settling down, several are prom-decorating, and three more leave half-way through class for music lessons.
they look a bit worried when they ask to leave, and I ask if they have a pass, or if there's a list of lessons posted somewhere (when I taught music, they had to have a special pass, and every teacher had a list of those students, to ensure no one was ducking out for more than one music lesson per week), but I'm sympathetic to the cause, and tell them to go.
this is the class where we are to have a discussion, and it breaks my heart.
they don't want to discuss anything, search for answers to my questions in their text, and read them to me.
this is followed by a review worksheet they must do right away, and we correct it.
(more searching for answers in the text, and spitting them out on paper.)
then I'm to give them a quiz.
I ask them to put their books away, and there's an uproar.
Mr. Regularteacher never makes them put there books away!
too bad, I'm not him, he's not here, the books are stowed away, and the quiz given.
after, I just try to make conversation for the last 7 or 8 minutes, but it's clear they don't want to talk to me, but would prefer to talk to each other, so I retreat to the desk at the back of the room.
seventh hour is another prep, and Mr. Regularteacher has a teacher aide, a senior getting a quarter-credit who asks if there are any worksheets or quizzes to correct.
there's a pile that has been set aside for her, and she gets to work.
I take the time to reorganize all the papers I've collected over the day, marking each stack with the class period, and a few notes about what was accomplished.
I also fill out the substitute's report that goes back to the office at the end of the day, leaving room at the bottom, just in case, for comments about eighth hour.
again, this proves prophetic.
it's very noisy in the hallway, and several guys come bouncing in (literally!) after the bell.
I use my best I've-got-my-eye-on-you look, but these kids have no fear.
and they have no boundaries.
there is talking, laughing, hooting and hollering, burping, farting, and within the first ten minutes, I've warned, warned again, lost my cool, and separated the worst two to opposite sides of the room.
yesterday's sub apparently did not hand out an assignment at the end of class, and I decide that I'm not going to hunt for it right now.
don't dare turn my back on these jokers.
I do have an assignment for today, but it's not due until Monday.
I make an executive decision, pass it out, and tell them it's due at the end of the hour, hoping that will keep them busy until 3:20.
Thing 1 (as Dr. Seuss surely would have described this kid!) is still bouncing around, and has decided to entertain the rest of the class with the music on an iPod.
I've told him he may listen to it with the earphones, if he keeps it turned down and does his assignment.
(I've noticed that several others in the room have already plugged in, and are working, ignoring the show put on by Thing 1 and Thing 2.)
he has other plans, and his antics are getting the attention he obviously wants from a couple of girls, and then the debate about where they are all going after prom begins.
I've had it, so I go to the batphone, call the office, and ask what the procedure is for kicking kids out of class.
when I tell the secretary which two it is, they apparently are regulars, and she tells me to send them right down.
they are delighted, I am delighted that they're gone, and surprisingly enough, the rest of them settle down quite a bit.
I decide not to even try to enforce quiet for the last 20 minutes of class, they turn in their worksheets, and soon it is all over.
as I'm finishing my report for the day, and gathering my stuff to leave, I try not to think about this last class as a failure on my part.
but it perplexes me so, that young people, so very close to being out on their own in the world, can be so very rude, and crude, and totally oblivious to consequences.
the secretary assures me that I did exactly the right thing, and hopes that this won't cause me to cancel out of next Friday's assignment: the same classes!
no problem, I tell her.
I have a week to plan...
later,
Patty (Mrs. O'R)