I was officially employed the past two days! It's been about a month since I first started the process of getting approved to substitute teach, with a background check and a whole lot of paperwork. I was finally successful in "selling myself." Last fall I called and was told that unless I was certified to teach or was a student teacher that I couldn't get on the list since there was such a large pool already. However, they told me to try back at the beginning of the next year. So I tried again at the beginning of January, getting an answering machine on the first try. Fairly frustrated with the job search and rejection, I let that bugger of a recorder have it. I told that machine that I knew that I wasn't certified but I had a Physics degree and a minor in Math for crying out loud and if they didn't use me for a science and math sub then they were out of their minds! Okay, okay. I didn't actually say it in as many words but you get the idea. The sub coordinator called me back and said the policy still stands, but they always had a need for science and math substitutes so I was in!
My first official assignment came yesterday and I played the part of an 8th grade Physical Science teacher making the students do worksheets. Today I was a High School Biology teacher, also making the students do work sheets. It was definitely a trip down memory lane to walk the halls of my alma mater and rub elbows with my former teachers. The highlights of today included being told I was my dad's look-alike, having lunch with the science faculty, and being able to work on my blog during a long prep period break in the middle of the day. The worst thing I had to deal with was a student trying to fit as many sticks of gum in his mouth as possible. I didn't have a problem with it: he most likely wasn't going to choke and he was getting his work done, albeit a little distracting to those around him. He stopped at 22 and took a hall pass to the bathroom to spit it out. His jaw is going to be really sore tomorrow.
I'll try to entertain with more random stories and experiences in the life of a substitute in the future.
Still subbing? I loved being a sub for School District 5! Although it didn't really prep me for the work I do here, but that's ok. I'm glad that's the worse kind of problems you'll have to deal with there! I think the worst I encountered in MT was a kid accidentally cutting themselves with scissors when working on a project. We had to call in the janitor to clean it up and everything!
ReplyDelete