Making Me Look Bad

This upcoming weekend is a three-day weekend, so of course there was a shortage of subs.  Just about every teacher took today off (to make it a four-day weekend).  I was not thinking of this as I drove in this morning.  What I was thinking about was how I was going to tackle that opportunity class.

I had a game plan.  It included a spelling test and a lot of running around during PE.  I thought I was ready.

Then everything changed.

Turns out that since there were not enough subs today, each school got shorted a sub or two (or more).  The continuation high school had two teachers out, but I was the only sub assigned.  Administration made an executive decision to move me from the opportunity class to the government class (the same group that I had on Monday).

The opportunity kids got farmed out to other classes for the day.

I was thrilled.  Until second period.

First period was loud.  Very loud.  I gave them their assignment and then tried to rein in the noise.  Second period was a bit more wound up.  And that's where everything went sideways.

Two students asked to get work from another class.  I understood them to mean that they would get the work, then come back.  Unfortunately, they didn't understand the "come back" part.  So, when the office called for one of those boys, I had no idea where they were.

When students leave class and plan on remaining in another room, they are supposed to get a pass.  This pass is taken to the office so that the office knows where they are.  Two other students asked to go and remain in other classes.  Those two students got passes.  The office didn't call me looking for them.

Then the office called for another student.  Now, he was in class.  Or, rather, he had been in class when I took roll, and he had not asked to leave for any reason.  So, why was he missing?

After the office broadcast school wide over the PA, the student returned.  He had been outside.  ???  He didn't ask me if he could work outside (I probably would have said yes, and more importantly, I would have known where he was when the office called me).  I didn't even see him leave.

And that's what gets me.  I tend to notice when students leave the room.  If I have no idea where they are going or why, I stop them and question them.  I bring them back if they aren't just going out to blow their noses.  So, I should have seen that student leave.

At this point I felt like a complete idiot.  How long have I been subbing?  I should not be losing students.  I didn't lose any of the opportunity kids, and they tried to slip by me.

The rest of the day I had no issues.  Perhaps I was a bit more vigilant after the second period fiasco?  Nah.  The other classes were a bit more settled.  It was a personality thing.  Some classes are just crazier than others.

And it didn't help that it was a Friday before a three-day weekend.  I've had issues with classes before a break before.  I should have known that something was going to happen.