Teaching and Substituting - the first few years...

It has been too long since I last posted and...I think it is time to move on.  This blog just don't quite fit anymore so I started a new blog. flowersandbunions.blogspot.com It is wider in s...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2013/07/onward-and-forward.html

Now that I've been teaching as a regular classroom teacher who uses subs, I have two pieces of advice: 1.  Please, please, please write a note on how your day went, what you did, and any perti...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2012/03/advice-for-subsitutes.html

ME:  Kindergarteners, you will be working with reading and writing partners these next few months.  ASPIRING CASSANOVA:  (dragging Waif Girl with him)  I wanna girlfriend for my partner! M...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/12/kindergarten-stories.html

Has it been almost two months since I last wrote?  The days passed in a blur.  So much to do, so much to build, and so much to learn. The half time was not just a full time job, it was a time...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/10/time-flies-when-you-are-starting-new.html

I applied to three times more jobs in my first year and didn't even get an interview.  However, in the last half of this school year, I got interviews for every application I sent.  After two y...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-did-i-do-it.html

I will be starting as a half time Kindergarten teacher this Fall. New adventures, new waters, new challenges.  Now I will have my own group of kids to love all year.  I am going to try and k...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/08/new-waters.html

The school year ended 6/21 and I worked until the very last day.  I was so drained it is only now that I can start to reflect on this past school year. I worked 108.5 days out of 175 instructi...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/07/year-2-reflections.html

I co-taught with another teacher in an overflow situation.  She had four kids enroll the last three weeks of school and was able to get another teacher in so she can get some help managing the c...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/07/positive-and-negative-reinforcement.html

After establishing a reputation from my first year, I found myself getting 50% of my jobs via pre-arrange assignments and 50% from the system.  My unscientific gut feel tells me half the jobs f...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/05/sophomore-sub-what-worked-and-what.html

Some sixth graders were helping me set up the room for a Chinese Brush Painting Class placing ink, paper, and brushes on each table.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw my helper raise the ink an...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/05/sixth-grade-vs-kindergarten-sometimes.html

Scenario 1 - I taught a Chinese Brush Painting class to two sixth grade classes today as a guest artist.  There were lots of set up and tear down so I ended up there from 9:45-3:00pm.  The kids...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/05/why-am-i-exhausted-after-some-classes.html

I wrote this note to a friend who was discouraged about the state of teaching.  I thought it was worth sharing here: I can honestly say I know I’m making a difference every day I teach. Yes,...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/05/letter-to-friend-about-making.html

Because they work their butts off every day.  When I first started subbing for special ed, especially for the elementary grades, it was nice to be able to work one on one or in small groups with...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/04/i-bow-to-special-ed-teachers.html

"...and then she showed me her scars," said my son.  His classmate had confided in him and his whole sixth grade class about how she felt after her parents yelled at her for poor grades on her r...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/04/she-said-she-came-this-close-to.html

I was a chaperone at my son's sixth grade camp last week for four days.  24 hours X 4 days = Total and complete exhaustion.  The teachers have it worse; they were on 24 hours x 4 days PLUS they...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/04/hazzard-pay-for-teachers-at-camp.html

My sixth grade son came home the other day telling me that his class made the subsitute miserable.  They were loud, at times disrespectful, and made him angry.  My son was girding his loins for...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/03/to-tell-or-not-to-tell.html

This is not directly relevant to teaching but after reading this letter, I was inspired by the innate goodness in people.  Sometimes I assume the worse in people and yes, in some kids.  But as ...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/03/hope-and-inspiration-from-japan.html

My son is going to middle school next year so we are in the throes of learning about the transition and choices available to a middle schooler that he didn't get in elementary school.  Parents i...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/03/being-teacher-and-parent.html

I subbed yesterday for a middle school teacher who taught 6th & 7th grade science, language arts, social studies, and MESA (extra science for minorities). I ended up with this group of kids for...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/03/after-they-left-sun-came-out-birds.html

I scored some job interviews last month, Yay!  I didn't get offers for either positions, sigh.  But, I tried my best and although I had my usual "Why did I say that?" moments, I know I said som...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/03/developing-thicker-skin.html

Monday - I was in the computer lab with a 4/5 grade class.  A student eye kinda exploded with mucus and goop was running in streams down from his eyes.  He asked to use the restroom and I was g...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/03/mucus-man-and-runaway-boy.html

I had a hard hard class yesterday.  Usually most of the disruptive and distracting behaviors come from 10-20% of the class.  Yesterday, the disruptive and distracting behaviors came from 60% of...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/02/kids-make-it-worthwhile.html

Last Monday – I walked into the middle of a lesson and the teacher had the kids do independent work while he updated me on sub plans. “The one who would’ve given you trouble is suspended�...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/02/last-week-in-review.html

I was leading a discussion on slavery and the Underground railroad after the kids responded to a journal prompt on living during that time.  A fourth grader turned his response into a time trav...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/01/9-year-old-boys-and-weaponry.html

2010 was a very positive year in personal growth.  It started with a bang with a long term sub job teaching Kindergarteners whom I loved.  I was disappointed I did not get a job that came up at...

http://adventuresinsubstituting.blogspot.com/2011/01/reflections-of-2010.html