Need good wishes - subbing at school

[linders]

In a fit of "what shall I do with my time" I put my name on the substitute teacher list at my boys' school. Because it is a private school, subs don't require teaching degrees (I don't have one), but I homeschooled for 8 years, this should be easy, right?

 

So I start a 2-day stint today. My first class will be a double period of...Transitional English. I asked DS13 what that is. "Mom, that's the group of 8th grade kids who are so horribly behaved that they can't be in English 1 like most of the 8th graders. I'd keep the discipline slip pad nearby. And don't believe anything when they tell you Mrs. 'Mrs. H always lets us do this.' If you need help, I'll be in Mr. J's class down the hall."

 

Wow. Thanks for the advice. The rest of the day is a series of Mrs. H's drama classes, though, so that should be fun.

 

ETA: It was a good day. The "horrible" class is really a class of 11 kids who have various learning disabilities (my assessment). They certainly can't write and read on level with the rest of the 8th grade and get frustrated, but they try hard. We worked on their 5-paragraph essays, and it was clear they have a hard time organizing their thoughts, even with detailed outlines. They were supposed to start reading selections from the Odyssey today - the version the school uses (Fitzgerald, I thing) was over their heads. I contacted the teacher and suggested a couple options like McCaughrean so they could continue with their "epic hero" concept.

Edited April 29, 2016 by linders

[creekland]

Best wishes to you.  I wish I could give you a brain download of my years of experience.

 

Going 100% with discipline is often not the road to take, but 100% freedom isn't either.  It's a balance.

 

I just had a couple of classes yesterday (math, high school - 9th graders) where a sub from the previous day left a note saying she was sorry, but she wouldn't be returning to our school district at all because they drove her crazy.  It was probably a good decision on her part.

 

I had a blast with the kids and they did well - doing math.  I voluntarily signed up to be with them again today since yesterday was so enjoyable.  (Their regular teachers is on bereavement leave.)

 

It's all in knowing how to handle the kids in ways they feel respected too.  It makes all of us enjoy ourselves and get around to whatever learning is on tap.  Done correctly, even those who openly admit they hate math (or whatever subject) are willingly trying to "get it" to impress me.

 

So easy to say.  So difficult to convey nuts and bolts of how it happens in writing.

 

Best wishes to you (seriously!).  Good subs can be difficult for schools to find.

[G5052]

It's all in knowing how to handle the kids in ways they feel respected too.  It makes all of us enjoy ourselves and get around to whatever learning is on tap.  Done correctly, even those who openly admit they hate math (or whatever subject) are willingly trying to "get it" to impress me.

 

So easy to say.  So difficult to convey nuts and bolts of how it happens in writing.

 

I've taught a lot of really difficult community college classes including times when I subbed for a very unpopular professor, and this is key.

 

Acknowledge their frustrations and feelings, but you're there to teach. You're going to make it as reasonable as you can with the goal in mind.

[Ottakee]

I also sub

....but almost all in a special county wide school for severely impaired kids. For the most part I enjoy it. Honestly, I will take special Ed over regular Ed any day.

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

I also sub

....but almost all in a special county wide school for severely impaired kids. For the most part I enjoy it. Honestly, I will take special Ed over regular Ed any day.

Same here. I frequently sub as a paraprofessional in a high school Special Ed (Autism) classroom. It's a very structured classroom and the kids are the sweetest, hard-working students in the school!

 

I enjoy it so much that I've applied for a full-time position.

 

K

[TammyS]

In a fit of "what shall I do with my time" I put my name on the substitute teacher list at my boys' school. Because it is a private school, subs don't require teaching degrees (I don't have one), but I homeschooled for 8 years, this should be easy, right?

 

So I start a 2-day stint today. My first class will be a double period of...Transitional English. I asked DS13 what that is. "Mom, that's the group of 8th grade kids who are so horribly behaved that they can't be in English 1 like most of the 8th graders. I'd keep the discipline slip pad nearby. And don't believe anything when they tell you Mrs. 'Mrs. H always lets us do this.' If you need help, I'll be in Mr. J's class down the hall."

 

Wow. Thanks for the advice. The rest of the day is a series of Mrs. H's drama classes, though, so that should be fun.

 

Are you sure he's not pulling your leg?  I can't imagine a private school with so many kids who are so routinely badly behaved that they have a special English class.

[creekland]

Are you sure he's not pulling your leg?  I can't imagine a private school with so many kids who are so routinely badly behaved that they have a special English class.

 

Actually, some private schools around us are the destination of those who can't get along in ps, so I can believe it.  Some private schools make it a "calling" to try to work with those who have issues.  Others just want the money and the education is questionable.  Not all private schools are centered on the elite.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Are you sure he's not pulling your leg?  I can't imagine a private school with so many kids who are so routinely badly behaved that they have a special English class.

 

Or it could be a class of learning disabled students who have behavior problems as part of the mix of what they are dealing with (caused by frustration, ADHD etc.)