Sunday, December 20, 2009

Subbing ...

is sucking my will to live.

Picture it, sixth period, language arts block. Nerdy strawberry blonde girl tells me that the boy behind her will be yelling some things out. I wasn't sure if she was warning me that he has Tourettes or what. First thing he did when he got there was yell something in that stupid half cough way. Finally she leaned in and said, "what he is saying is 'flaming bush.'" Oh I got pissed. And I should have banished him out of my sight and into the principal's office for sexual harassment but I didn't. Especially since that kid was an asshole for two periods. He and his friend followed the girl and her friend around the library tormenting them. So I followed the boys.

I'm the sub who leaves detailed notes about every misbehavior I had to deal with. Some of it, I feel, is tattling but I also think that there might be some behavior the teachers are watching and they would appreciate the documentation. And, I hope, that when that teacher finds out about the sexual harassment going on in her classroom, she'll do something much more drastic than I'd be able to do.

Earlier in that day I had a young man wearing a pink shirt. Two other boys decided it was ok to ask him if he was gay because of the shirt color. One decided that no, if he were gay he'd be wearing a rainbow shirt. Piss me off why don't you! And what could I do? Oh yeah, give them Steps. Remember the Make Your Day schools? This is one of them. Does not work.

So...I have an interview in Colorado to work as a field instructor at an outdoor school. Full time and permanent...the two reasons I got out of environmental ed was because those are so hard to find. I don't know, I might not want to move. And they might not want me. But I hate subbing and I'm wanting to be a classroom teacher less and less.

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Horrors of subbing II

On Wednesday I have an interview for a sixth grade replacement leave position. I was pretty excited! But then I subbed a sixth grade on Friday...

I at least got a warning when I checked into the office. "I'm subbing for Mr. V today." A large bearded man started laughing. Thanks. As a fifth grade teacher and neigthbor, he did offer to take any trouble makers during the day. And students did begin to tremble when I threatened them with it. Unfortunately, I couldn't send half the class to him.

Why don't they shut up? I was super close to busting out the "swears." And it wasn't just the talking, it was the pushing, whining, cutting, SHOVING, pulling another student out of his chair.... awful.

Threatened to hold them three minutes after class for wasting my time..which was way more than three minutes. At the end of class I told them that since they were worried about missing their bus, they could work off the time early by closing their yaps. Not one of them stfu. So I held them after. Miss Talks A lot decided to call home to get a ride. Whipped out her cell phone, which I could have taken from her, and when she began to talk the whole class went silent. So I let the rest of the class go and held her in. Offered to talk to her parent...

Dumb girl handed the phone to me. So I told the dad that she hadn't followed directions, shut her yap, and was dancing around the classroom so I was following through with consequences. Dad said, "Ok. We'll take care of it when she gets home." HA! Dumb girl gives me the phone...seriously, what was she thinking?

Wed's interview is in a different district....