The Numbers This Year

It's that time again. This is the post that took an entire school year to complete. My subbing stories all led to this: all the classes I covered this past school year. (I do this post for me. I understand if you don't want to wade through all this data.) 

There are 180 days in the school year. I worked 173 of them. This is up from last year's total of 166, but not quite at my all-time high of 177. Having long-term assignments helped there, especially as I started the year in a long-term, so those first couple weeks, usually a slow time, were booked. 

This total does not include the two days of prep time they allowed me before the beginning of the school year. (As I was opening a seventh grade science class, I asked for and was granted prep time to set up. Which was sorely needed and so very much appreciated.) I didn't catch any other summer school classes. 

I worked 100 days in high school classes, 66 days in middle school classes, and 5 days at the continuation high school (3 of those in the last two weeks of school). I only covered one day at the adult transition center and one day at the alternative education center. 

9 of those days I covered an extra class (including the choir class when the school got notified about the death of a student), and 6 of those classes didn't have a prep period. I used to get a whole lot of these extra classes, but since moving to a block schedule (and after the severe sub shortage of Covid), the schools use the full-time teachers for these more. Part of me misses the extra pay, the other part likes not having to cover classes on prep periods all the time. 

I did work the first day of school, but I did not work the last. 

Before I get to the specifics, some definitions. A "full day" means that's a class I covered all that day. A "partial day" means the teacher taught more than one kind of class (like an English teacher having two periods of 11th grade and one period of 10th). An "extra period" is where I left the class I was covering to cover a different teacher. 

Each subject is listed with three numbers, like 3/8/1. The first number is for a "full day", the second for a "partial day", and the third is for an "extra period". 

• My big winner for this year is English, of course. As it is pretty much every year. (Last year's 3rd place finish was an anomaly.) 45/0/2
• Most classes covered: ELD (English language development) with 0/34/0. Not really surprising as the long term English class had two periods of this, plus the other ELD classes I picked up along the way. It seems that no English teacher only teaches ELD.
• For 2nd place, again, no surprise: 11th grade 0/31/0. Because the long term was 11th grade the rest of the time.
• 3rd place is: 8th grade 3/0/0
• The rest in no particular order:
• 7th grade 1/3/0
• 9th grade 1/2/1
• 10th grade 1/2/1
• 12th grade 0/2/0
• Study skills 0/0/1 (taught by an English teacher, so housed under English)
• 2nd place, unsurprisingly, goes to science. I opened the school year with a long-term assignment in science, so I'd've been surprised if it wasn't in the top three this year. 41/4/1
• As the long term was 7th grade science, 7th grade science is the most worked 31/5/1
• The other classes are negligible, so in no special order:
• 8th grade 0/3/0
• Health 1/1/0
• Biology 0/1/0
• Chemistry 0/3/0
• Physics 2/0/0
• Anatomy/Physiology 0/1/0
• Forensics/Criminalistics 0/2/0
• Environmental Science 0/3/0
• Patient Care Technician 0/1/0
• I'm going to list math next, even though math and social studies... Well, you'll see. Math 21/27/0
• IM2 (integrated math 2) is the big winner here, due to two different classes, one vacant, one not 7/31/0
• Then IM1 0/14/0
• 7th grade 0/8/0
• 8th grade 1/4/0
• Math analysis 0/1/0
• Statistics 0/6/0
• I'm listing social studies last, even though it's kind of a tie with math. That special ed long-term I did for the vacant class was both math and social studies. 12/24/1
• 10th grade world history wins here as it was the topic of the classes in the long-term 0/21/0
• 8th grade U.S. history is next 1/13/0
• Geography (one of the classes in the three weeks' assignment in January) 1/9/0
• 7th grade world history 0/5/1
• 11th grade U.S. history 0/1/0
• Psychology (which I list here as it's usually taught by social studies teachers, as it was in this case) 0/6/0
• Special ed is next. Many of these days overlap with the above as I might cover the special ed co-teacher in a math class (where I also count that as a math day). Or, as was the case in February, I might be covering an SDC world history class. 31/3/2
• SDC (special day class) 19/6/0
• Co-teach (where I covered the special ed teacher in a two teacher class) 1/16/2
• Learning center (a one-period assignment where I monitor the room where kiddos can take tests in a separate setting) 0/5/0
• Mod to severe special ed (the really "low" groups) 2/0/0
• The rest are the various elective classes, in no particular order:
• Computer classes 1/2/0, with business (read: typing and such) 1/0/0 and graphic arts (doing art on the computer) 0/2/0
• Art 2/0/0, including photography 1/0/0 (the basic usual drawing class is just plain art). 
• AVID (advancement via individual determination) 0/1/0
• Success 0/1/0
• Credit recovery 0/2/0
• CTE (career and technical education) 3/1/1 (there are a couple classes that were hard to classify, so they ended up here). 
• Woodshop 0/2/0
• Auto shop 1/0/0
• Spanish 1/0/0
• French 6/0/0
• Athletics (any sport) 0/3/0
• Music (only choir this year) 1/0/1 (I'd list band under this umbrella too, but no band classes covered this year).
• TV/Video production 0/2/0
• Leadership 0/5/0, which includes ASB 0/1/0, WEB (middle school "we all belong") 0/1/0, and Link Crew (older students mentor younger students) 0/1/0
• And one roving day 1/0/0

That's another year in the books. Now it's time to enjoy my summer break. 

And here's the stats from previous years:

• 2024
• 2023
  
• 2022
• 2021
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010

After the Protests

Saturday was the day of the No Kings protests. And it appears that they were well attended. Good job, all. (I didn't go. Sorry. I hope if you were able you did go and have a good time.) 

Something some people are doing is making noise at hotels where ICE agents are supposedly staying while conducting their kidnapping operations. 

I found another thread with things you can print out and distribute. This time it's zines with info to give to people who might not know. 

Remember the Charlie Chaplin movie, The Great Dictator? It's relevant again. Here's a link to the final speech, that may resonate with us now. 

And finally, from the Onion, but seriously, I detect no lies: Trump Claims He Can Overrule Constitution With Executive Order Because Of Little-Known ‘No One Will Stop Me’ Loophole

Article links: 

• Fear Is the Goal
• ‘I can't fight back; I'm pregnant': U.S. citizen detained by ICE in Hawthorne
• Bragg Soldiers Who Cheered Trump's Political Attacks While in Uniform Were Checked for Allegiance, Appearance
• ‘No food, job or phones’: Afrikaner ‘refugee’ family ‘stranded’ in US

Zombie Time

I am going to visit my brother and family in Ohio at the beginning of July. And this week it occurred to me that it might be time to finish the third Minecraft critter. If I can get it finished before I leave, I won't have to mail it later. 

So, last week I managed to get the legs complete: 

Considering that I started this Thursday, I'm quite content with my progress. I'm only worried that the relative sizes are so wildly different. (Each critter was made using a pattern by a different designer.) But this wasn't well planned out anyway. 

For context, the first Minecraft critter, the Creeper, was a joke with regards to a Christmas present from my brother. When asked, the twins said that rather than getting a second Creeper, they would like an Enderman and/or a Zombie. I found the pattern for the Enderman, and I finished that in February. And then I set everything aside. 

Well, it's not like I'm really working on anything at the moment...

So, I found this pattern for the Zombie. And I'm making do with the yarn I have on hand, sort of. (I had to break down and buy some green yarn as I don't have enough green shades.) The blue in the pic? Yeah, the blue was supposed to be navy blue. That is not a navy blue. 

It'll do. It's something to keep my hands busy while I figure out what I'm going to do with my dragons and my tote bag idea. 

Not Gardeners

I was very surprised by a late call on the penultimate day of school. I had just enough time to get ready and get there, plus the cushion of the teacher having a first period prep. 

Wednesday. The continuation high school. English. 

It was a fairly quiet day. Their graduation ceremony had taken place the night before (in the middle of a surprise rainstorm with thunder and lightning). But this time of year is a bit quiet for them anyway. 

When a student gets enough credits to graduate, they stop attending school. (They are done. There's no reason for them to show up.) The deadline to participate in the graduation ceremony had been the previous week. So, the only students left were the juniors and the few sophomores that had recently started at the school. (They have to be sixteen to attend.) 

The lesson plan said they were to work in the garden. 

So, I took roll, and then we headed to said garden. Only, no person to run the garden was there. 

There is someone in charge of the garden. She instructs the kiddos on what to do. 

I called the office to find out where she was. They didn't know either. I heard that she had been on campus that morning, but she dropped some stuff off, and then she left. 

Uh...

The class was quite content to not be in the garden. (Only fourth period was disappointed to not have garden duty.) I instructed them to complete any missing work they might have. (If they haven't graduated, there is work they can be doing.) But end of year. No one was really in the mood to do anything. 

I'd've been more upset at this, but the day had already gone sideways. If I run into any of these kiddos later as they scramble to finish credits in time for one deadline or another, I'll point out the time they wasted on a day like this one. But likely, it won't come up. 

And that was my last working day of the school year. (There was a very, very late call on the last day of school, but I woke up with a migraine, and there was no way of getting to the school on time if I had taken it.) 

Next week I officially go on summer schedule, starting off with my stats for this school year. Happy summer. 

Finishing the Leis

Tuesday. Eighth grade U.S. history. 

But, um, well, the eighth graders were done. It was technically finals day, but not for eighth graders. They had taken their finals the previous week so that they knew who was eligible for promotion. Grades had been turned in. 

The eighth graders who were eligible for promotion and who wanted to go went to see a movie. (Lilo & Stitch). Mr. F, their teacher, was one of the chaperones. Hence the need for a sub. Because not all the eighth graders go. 

And, well, the other eighth graders didn't really need to be there. But we can't just up and say, "Don't come to school," so it gets hinted, but every year many eighth graders still show up. 

My actual lesson plans (given to me directly by Mr. F before he headed out): Don't let them burn the building down. 

No worries then. 

Most of them found things to do on their phones. But, there were a couple girls (who were not in the class) who had to finish making candy leis. They were doing a fundraiser for the middle school leadership class, and so they had to put together 75 of those things. They had 60-odd done already. 

Found on the internet. If you search "candy lei diy", you can see many different versions as well as instructions on how to make them.

At the end of first period, the girls weren't quite done. I was quite willing to let them continue working during third period even though I had a prep period. It wasn't like I had anything to do. But then, of course, I got asked to cover a different class. Uh... 

I couldn't leave the girls in the classroom on their own. I offered to let them come with me to the other class I had to cover, but it was a lot of stuff to haul across campus. One of them got the idea to ask a counselor to supervise them. That would work. 

Before I could find out if they found someone, I had to head out. I returned to the room (for seventh period) to find all the lei making stuff neatly stacked. Hopefully it was all finished. 

As I was leaving for the day, Mr. F caught up with me. (They all enjoyed the movie.) When I explained about the leis, he said that explained the weird text he had gotten from a counselor. Because, apparently, the girls found a counselor to supervise them. And they finished the 75 leis. Well, that's a relief. 

The leis could be purchased to give to eighth graders to wear during their promotion ceremony. And then after they could eat the candy. 

The joys of the last days of school. So much stuff going on. 

The Same Choice

Monday. The last week of school. French.

Tuesday and Wednesday were finals days. So, Monday was a finish-any-late-work day. And study for finals. 

But, the teacher clearly knows her students. She also left them a choice between two movies. 

It's no longer put tape in VCR and press play. Oh no. Nowadays, it's streaming. The teacher had her computer set up with both movie choices on separate tabs. And the computer was already connected to the large TV in the room. 

(I did manage to muck things up early, though. I accidentally closed one of the tabs and then disconnected the computer from the TV. But it was easy enough for me to reconnect to the TV and I opened a new tab and found the movie. I managed to do all this before the students arrived, so no issues there.) 

As I didn't really care, I gave each class the choice of movie. And put it to a vote. And all three classes chose the same thing...

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Naturally. (The other choice was A Minecraft Movie.) 

And so, once again, I got to see the beginning of the movie multiple times, but not the end. On the bright side, we're on a block schedule now, so I only had to see the beginning three times (rather than five). And, it is streaming on Disney Plus, which I have, so I can actually see the end of this thing. Whew. 

They're After Us

As I write this, it is Sunday afternoon. On Saturday, the skibidi brownshirts attempted to kidnap innocent people going about their business in Paramount. And things didn't go well. For the skibidi brownshirts. 

Now, apparently they're going to be conducting some more raids in the area (to kidnap innocent people going about their business), so the national guard has been deployed by the menace in the White House over the objections of the governor of California and the mayor of Los Angeles. (Paramount is its own city in L.A. County, closer to me than to L.A. city proper.) 

Because, we gotta fill those concentration camps... 

(I make light, but the conditions those kidnapped are being held in are terrible. No food or water. No beds. Basement of a building. No one can see them. And they've kidnapped kids and a very pregnant woman.)

• CNN
• NY Times

Word is, protests in your own area are the best way to go. Because they can't be everywhere at once. Stretch them thin. 

Edited to add Monday: Notice that all the "violence" happened once law enforcement was involved. Dictators don't like it when the population doesn't approve of them disappearing innocent people. 

Oh, and by the way, did you know you can get tickets to that abomination of a dictator parade on Sunday? You just need a cell phone number to order two:  250th Anniversary of the U.S. Army Grand Military Parade and Celebration. It would be a shame if people ordered tickets and then didn't go... 

Some other articles I stumbled upon this past week: 

• Immigrant Defense Project
• Know Your Rights with ICE
• SEIU California President David Huerta Injured, Detained at ICE Raid in Los Angeles
• Must-Reads and Some Thoughts on the Big Feud
• Wins Of The Week
• Trump job cuts hobble NOAA team that reopens ports after hurricanes, sources say