As has become my routine over the last couple years, today's Thursday 13 is a review of the year in blog posts. A not-quite best-of, if you will. (How was your 2023?)
It's the old game of students using classmates' names. They are terrible at this, but they still make the attempt anyway.
A challenging class doesn't get the reward they were promised. They complain. Loudly.
We got a lot of rain last year. (Well, a lot of rain for our area.) The schools aren't built for that kind of rain.
A student spots a wasps nest on campus, and it turns out that I'm the one who gets to figure out who to contact about it. Just in time for W day in the A to Z Challenge.
It used to be a major part of a sub's job: insert video, press play. Now, with streaming and computers and big screens, it isn't so easy. I had quite a few issues playing videos for classes this year.
6. June 7th: That's All, Folks
I'd been going along quite nicely, working daily, until suddenly I wasn't working. But I got to visit some colleagues while out shopping.
7. July 10th: Leaving the Mistake
I started knitting this body pillow cover in January. I officially, completely (kind of) finished it in November. By July, blog topics were scarce, so here's one of the many posts I wrote about it.
The school district hired a bunch of new subs. Good news for the sub shortage. Bad news for subs. (Work's been harder to get this school year.)
Southern California got hit by a tropical storm. This is not usual for us. In fact, I can't recall a time we ever before got one. While hunkered down for that storm, in the midst of the rain, we had an earthquake. If that's not the most California response to a tropical storm, I don't know what is.
10. September 1st: Not Quite Lunchtime
I started the school year in a 9th grade English class that did not have a teacher assigned. They hired a new teacher quickly, so I only covered the class for 3 1/2 weeks. During the first week, I got hit with the school's new block schedule (which I really should have known, but we'll blame the beginning of the school year).
With the district hiring a bunch of new subs, work has been more tricky to secure. And then there was this day where I kept attempting to book it, but the jobs kept getting cancelled. (Luckily, the 4th gig I booked stuck.)
A group of 7th graders tried to make me think their hall passes excused their tardies. Luckily, they are really bad at faking me out.
This was the day the school went on lockdown due to a student hopping the fence and a passing motorist alerting authorities. Better safe than sorry.
Best wishes on a prosperous New Year!
ReplyDeleteAnd to you as well.
DeleteI think 2023 has been another weird and not-so-great year for a lot of people. I'm not a big fan of the weird week between Christmas and New Year, so I'm just ready for 2023 to be over with.
ReplyDeleteI have created the perfect set of blog topics for this week, though. My Thursday 13 is a retrospective of the year, and my Friday quiz is a year in review. It's ideal ;)
DeleteThat pillow still looks so cozy.
ReplyDeleteSubbing is never ending blog fodder! I love that Forgeries post. High schoolers still think they're clever! Always have, always will. Like teachers and parents haven't seen it all, or done it themselves at that age.
ReplyDeleteLuckily, high schoolers don't really try these sorts of things. Middle schoolers, on the other hand...
DeleteGreat use of TT. I'm going to do a yearly rear view review later this week. The hall pass incident was kind of funny.
ReplyDeleteOh, it was perfect. I almost thanked them for giving me something to write about.
Deletethecontemplativecat here. I subbed for a few months, then had a long term sub position, Feb. - June. Not easy at all. You are a warrior.
ReplyDeleteI've been roped into a lot of long terms lately. (And I have two on the horizon...) I used to not do them, but I guess it's time for me to expand my options.
DeleteTo me, 2023 was an okay year.
ReplyDeleteYes, you are a warrior. Just reading the summaries: flood, storms, video issues, students doing what they do. Here's to a happy new year for you.
ReplyDeleteI try to get a good snapshot with the 13 posts, but some things fall by the wayside.
DeleteWhat an imaginative way to look back! This is, I think, the power of blogging. We capture moments, and our feelings, in real time.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I learned of the Thursday 13. Then it became the perfect vehicle to do a year retrospective on the last Thursday of the year.
DeleteHappy New Year, Luz. I’m looking forward to more stories from the subbing world
ReplyDeleteThere should be some ;)
DeleteI tried subbing a long time ago (like almost 30 years ago now) and discovered it was not for me.
ReplyDelete