The school day is six periods long. Most teachers have students for five of those. For their sixth period, most teachers use the time for planning and preparing.
We subs don't usually need that preparation time. (It's a nice break in the day, however.) So, when the school needs coverage, the subs are the first ones the office calls.
(There are various reasons why. Sometimes the teachers have a meeting for that one period. Sometimes the teachers need to leave early. And sometimes there aren't enough subs to cover all the absent teachers, so some teachers get "sub soup", that is they get a different sub each period.)
Frequently, I'll get to my "extra" period to find a student (or two or three...) who I had in the class I'm covering all day. This has happened frequently enough that I've come to expect it. And when a student points out that they just had me last period, I give them an evil laugh. "You can't escape me!"
Last Friday, however, I got a new version of this.
Second period the office called. My prep on this day was fifth period. Could I cover another class fifth? (The answer is always yes. I get paid extra for doing this, so the only downside is losing some lazy time.)
I wrote down the room number so I wouldn't forget and went on with the period.
I was covering a special ed class. There was an instructional aide with me. She wondered who had called. (Mostly the calls are for students to go elsewhere.)
I told her. And she replied that that was her fifth period, too. (Full time aides are sent to other classes on the teacher's prep.)
The aide was able to tell me what the lesson plans were going to be. (They were working on a research paper.) She even knew why the teacher was going to be out. I don't usually get a preview of my extra period assignment. I usually have to wing it once I get there. So, this was nice.
Too bad we had to go to another classroom. If only they could have sent the students to us 😉
Do you have a coworker that seems to go with you everywhere? Do you like your coworkers?
Today's A to Z Challenge post brought to you by the letter...
That was useful to have the aide with you and knowing what to do. =)
ReplyDelete~Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
My A to Z’s of Dining with IC
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author
I love the aides. They are the best.
DeleteCommunication between co-workers is crucial, isn't it?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.volatilespirits.com
It is. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteHi Liz - I guess if they moved the students - they'd all go awol ... well not quite perhaps ... but you get my drift ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteNice to get a little preview of what's to come, isn't it? Too bad this doesn't happen more often.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm a homemaker so, (lol) my coworkers follow me everywhere - I can't rid of 'em! (and I wouldn't want to)
ReplyDeleteBut in all seriousness, I had the privilege to play guest teacher last year, and during that break I did feel like I was pretty lost. It's nice having something else to do during that time.
If I have computer access, I read blogs ;)
DeleteCatching up as per norm for me. Glad you had a bit of a preview of what to expect. Our office is small and we all do get along which is so nice
ReplyDeleteIt's good you all get along. Would be awkward if you didn't.
DeleteThis system for the school totally confused me. I just couldn't wrap my head around all the nuances. It's still early, I guess. ~grin~ As to your question, I have had some wonderful coworkers in past and some that were awful. Interestingly, I always enjoyed working with men better. They tended to be less dramatic and, if there was conflict, would get over it faster. Being more like a guy in that sense, I found it a relief to get out of an office full of females.
ReplyDeleteFunny how that works, isn't it?
DeleteIt's hard to explain how various things at the schools work, especially in these posts. I take full responsibility for not being clear enough.
Interesting: 5 periods works in day of six period. One period time for preparation. Subs also get it? Will subs get all six periods also and paid extra for the period? Dropping by as part Atoz roadtrip. Going to participate in this year challenge. A to Z of Management: Articles, Books, Concepts, Faculty, Research
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