Throwing the Book at Me

It was June. I was a newbie sub. The math class hadn't had a teacher all year. There was some labor/disability dispute (I never found out the details, so I'm a bit fuzzy on the whole thing). So, the class had had a succession of subs all year.

I have no idea what number sub I was. I tried to do something with them. But the class had gone wild, and I was out of my league. I lasted three days. (Two days more that I should have, I think.)

First period had taken to throwing books.

Knowing what I know now, I might have had a chance with that class. But at the time, I was just trying to hold on for dear life.

On day one, I discovered the book throwing issue. I removed the books from the students' possession. But they still managed to find them. And so it was, on day three, I was doing something or other when a book came sailing across the room and hit me in the arm.

Before that the class had been wild. Loud. Suddenly, silence descended upon the room.

I have no idea who threw the book. At that moment, no one saw a thing. That the book hadn't been aimed at me was small comfort.

I will let you imagine my reaction.

That was my last day in that class. I felt sorry for them. They obviously hadn't learned anything all year. They were caught in the middle of a bureaucratic nightmare. But I was so way over my head that my remaining wouldn't have helped the situation one little bit.

Such classes are a thing of the past. I know of one other class who ended up in that situation the next school year, but it's been years since I heard of a class that was without a stable teacher for longer than a maternity leave.

Whenever a class behaves badly, they ask if they're the worst class I've ever covered. The answer is always no. Until I get another book thrown at me, no class will ever compare to this one.