Monday, May 24, 2010

Which Worksheet?

I didn't really want to work today.  I could have happily slept in until noon.  I groaned when the phone rang. 

The sub caller explained that the principal of the continuation high school had called her, but he talked so fast that she didn't catch the name of the teacher.  It was a mystery assignment. 

By the time I got to the school, they had sorted it all out.  I was in for the government/economics teacher.  But he had left no lesson plans. 

I have subbed for him many times.  The lesson plans are always the same.  They get a worksheet with questions, usually from their textbook.  The specific worksheet is different each time. 

While first period worked in their folders (that is the individually-paced class), I frantically searched for a worksheet for the rest of the classes.  This is hard, because I don't know where they are or what they've done.  I managed to find something that looked suitable. 

Then with less than 10 minutes of first period remaining, the secretary walked in with the lesson plans.  Whew! 

The teacher had emailed them.  Late.  (I did ask in the office if he had emailed lesson plans before school started.  They checked but did not find an email from him.)  The teacher included the worksheets for the day, but since this was via email, he only included one copy. 

For the passing period between first and second periods, I kicked out all the students, ran to the office, and made copies. 

(That sounds a lot more dramatic than it was.  The office is two doors down from the classroom.  Maximum class size is 25, so a class set doesn't take that long to run off.  And I'm at this school so much that somehow I got the code to the copier.  I easily made it back to class with copies before the tardy bell rang.) 

The rest of the day settled into routine.  I got to listen to them all discuss prom.  It was this past weekend.

1 comment:

  1. Oooo, a mystery assignment. LOVE those!

    Last fall, I subbed Spanish and didn't get plans until first period was nearly over. You're right, it goes better than it initially seems like it will. It's just the stress of figuring it out and hoping the students won't act up until you do.

    Glad it went fine.

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