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Thursday, November 9

To Teach Or Not To Teach

Now just what would someone like me who just started a full course load at the beginning of this very week, who goes to an Ikebana class once a week, who has signed up as a Red Cross volunteer even if they don’t call her enough, who has been so happy to have her evenings free to make a good dinner every night for her and her husband to sit down to and talk about their days, who has been making new friends and spending time with them, who has been accepting every invite that sounds even remotely cultural… what would this person do with her so-called free time? She would accept a job. A teaching one at that. If you have your children in base schooling, I suggest you pull them out for private study as soon as possible. Because this person who makes absolutely no sense to anyone, particularly to herself, will be their substitute one of these days.

The application process had actually been completed some time ago. This all did not come about because I have unfulfilled dreams of being a teacher. That may be the one profession I have feared more than any in my life. I’m struggling with managing my own life and really shouldn’t be responsible for helping to warp younger minds, even if for only a hours of one day. It was really more of a matter of both a vague interest and a small need that I accepted the position today. You see, DC decided to create a glut of condos on the market and not one of you has decided yet to rent our pretty little gem. And those bank people are just truly unhelpful and actually expect you to pay them this dirty thing called mortgage every month. If we are to continue enjoying the lifestyle of the rich and the famous like we have become accustomed to, it was time for me to step up to the plate and do my fair share.

This isn’t a bad thing. It will look nice on a resume and fill a three year black hole that potential employers were bound to raise an eye at. It’s only parttime and I get to choose which days I say yea or nay to. It’s very close to my house. Close enough that I could walk to it but far enough away that walking would kill that exercise bird with just one stone. I will meet more people and hopefully make them like me and want to call me friend. And one of my favorites… I get to try an occupation on for size that I never would have tried any other way. If the lessons are boring? Not my fault. I didn’t write the lesson plan. Wouldn’t you say this is all very win-win?
I start next week. No date set yet but they will call me. That gives me three whole days left to plan an outfit better than the one I wore for the start of online classes this week. I’m pretty sure mismatched PJs and the unbrushed hair/teeth combo are not going to be acceptable teacher looks.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good for you! This is very exciting and will definitely look good on your resume. So relax and enjoy it. The only way you'll have a bad time is if you are stuck with those awful 7th and 8th graders. I can still remember how horrible we were to substitute teachers at that age!

Mike S said...

Not only good for the resume, but think of some of the stuff you'll learn from today's smart kids. Have fun.

Anonymous said...

Want some pointers from a teacher...

An easy way to learn the kids names are have them sit on the rug or floor and introduce themselves by saying their name while clapping the syllables. Then ask a basic question that all of them have to answer. e.g. On Monday what did you do on the weekend or on Friday what are your weekend plans? This allows you to focus on that one student and hopefully remember their names. Substitutes in the younger grades have to deal with "my teacher does this, my teacher does that, etc." Put it to rest by telling them we are all different- look different, act different, and we all do different things and that if we were all the same it would be a boring world so if you do something different from their teacher that is fine. A great classroom management tool is clapping- when it gets loud clap your hands once while saying if you can hear my voice clap your hands once. If it is still loud or if not everyone clapped then clap your hands twice and say clap your hands twice if you hear my voice. Let them know you should never have to get to three. Kids seem to struggle with standing straight in a line while walking quietly in the hall so I use a military chant, e.g. "kindergarten standing straight and tall, I'm looking right ahead of me, now I'm ready for the hall." Some teachers leave plenty of work and detailed lesson plans but some teachers are slackers and you are left with a lot of extra time, so go online and print out some type of activity or lesson plan for the younger grades and one for older grades and bring it with you everytime you sub. http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/

Well that is just a few tips, I hope they help. I always say that teaching in the elementary level is the best birth control. GOOD LUCK =)~