Last Tuesday was the first day of state testing. And I managed to catch an assignment. Woo-hoo!
The past two years at this time of year, I had been on long term subbing assignments. Those years for the testing time I found a place to hide out. (The administration required staff to be on campus during testing. I used the time to grade and lesson plan. It was very useful.) But this year...
As I was checking in for the day, the principal gave me an assignment for testing time. Tardiness has been an ongoing issue. And only certain grades were testing. (Those grades not testing didn't have to arrive at school until 10:30 AM.) Plus, some students like to roam the halls.
Ms. C (the principal) asked me to position myself at the entrance to the school, and for the first ten minutes of the school day, shoo the kiddos to where they were supposed to go. After the ten minutes, I was to shoo all kiddos to the PE field where they would wait out testing time.
(Students who weren't testing but showed up to school at the usual 8:30 AM time were sent to the PE field. Any testing students who were very late were too late to start the test and so were also sent to the PE field.)
Okay, then.
(I couldn't just hide out in the classroom where I was to sub the day as there was a class of students testing in there. And for reasons, subs aren't allowed to proctor the tests.)
The first ten minutes of the school day were brisk. Many late students. An assistant principal was there as well, so I really didn't have much to do. Then they locked the front gate, so the students who arrived had to enter through the main office. And I positioned myself by the stairs leading out of the main office (pictured above).
And...
There wasn't much to do, really. As the arriving students had to pass through the office, the office staff called for security. Security met them at the steps and drove them (in their golf carts) to the PE field.
I maybe questioned five students who were roaming. There were other students on their way to or from the restroom. But mostly I sat on the stairs and read blogs. (I had brought my computer with me. I had a feeling it would be a boring job.)
Mostly, I saw staff. When it came up in conversation, I explained what I was doing. I was "guarding the stairs".
Stairs that didn't really need guarding.
But hey, I was getting paid for it.
And for those of you who were here for J-day, another example. The following picture was taken when I turned almost 180° from the above picture of the stairs. (That open door in the background is the classroom I was in this time last year for that eleventh grade English long term assignment.)
What's the weirdest thing you ever got paid to do? What time did your high school start?
Today's A to Z Challenge post brought to you by the letter...
That is a funny one. But at least you were able to read! @samanthabwriter from
ReplyDeleteBalancing Act
It’s boring as it was at least this worked out for you because you had time to read other blogs. I’ve been finding it difficult to keep up with trying to find other interesting blogs participating in the challenge. I don’t know if I would call this job weird but I was paid to hand out advertising leaflets on a busy street corner in Manhattan for a dollar store many years ago when I was in college. In a way it was interesting, but I would never do it again
ReplyDeleteWorking is better than not, so no complaints. It just makes for a boring blog post.
DeleteStudents sent to the PE field. What did they do?
ReplyDeleteAll my mind goes to is that they were something like free-range chickens!
Having nothing to do can make for a long day! I'm glad the weather was mild.
ReplyDeleteThis time of year, this is the weather we kind of expect.
DeleteNice job being able to sit and have your computer with you! High school's first period started around 8:00, and I think most of the students had first period.
ReplyDeleteThat's when we started too, when I was in high school.
DeleteI don’t remember what time HS started, but I did get paid for “babysitting” a little girl on the weekends while her parents were building a house. When she napped, I read or did homework. When she woke up, we played in the park, after which I brought her to my house so my mom could play with her. Easiest job in the world!
ReplyDeleteMy high school started at 7:30, I think.
ReplyDeleteWeirdest job? I had a summer job in college, I worked in a state park. Not weird at all …until the say they asked for volunteers to dress up as Star Wars characters. I was Leía.
That sounds like fun.
DeleteMy high school started at 8:30, if I remember correctly.
ReplyDeleteThat's nice. They used to start at 7:30, which is way early. I like the 8:30 starting time better.
DeleteThat tree is so pretty.
ReplyDeleteI agree!
DeleteOh, dear. Weird jobs...let me go looking. I've had over four dozen jobs, so it can be crazy (usually 3 to 4 at a time). A few temp jobs weren't organized when I got there and I was paid to clean out refrigerators while they figured out what I was actually there to do. Acting as an extra where I was paid to drink but not actually drink ginger ale in a bowling alley (Hick 2011) - which gives me a Kevin Bacon number of 2. I think that is enough for now.
ReplyDeleteI should add, when cleaning out a workplace fridge DO NOT OPEN THE CONTAINERS. Turkey should not come in five different colors.
DeleteIt's kind of rude to make the newbie clean out the fridge. Ick.
DeleteOh, I wasn't the "newbie" ... I was the TEMP. They weren't organized to have the task they had called my agency about ready for when I arrived in the morning, so...they found "make-work". That really, really, really needed doing. So many brown bagged lunches pushed further and further into the back. When doing temp work, you know going in the place is unorganized AND people don't raise the white flag until it is BEYOND any concept of them being able to fix it, so I was used to the crazy. One assignment was "they left Friday, we need this project done by Saturday next for a convention and we have no idea where they were on the project. Good luck." (I did figure it out and got it delivered on time - temping was fun, but crazy.)
DeleteStill kind of rude, I say. And, my job is also temp work, kinda...
DeleteThat's a duty with a difference.
ReplyDeleteIt's different, anyway.
DeleteWell, at least it was a beautiful day and you had a great view on this wonderful tree! The high school starts at 8:00 in France, and elementary school at 8:30.
ReplyDeleteNo wonder you have been so assiduous in visiting my blog for which I thank you Liz! The most tedious day's work I ever did was working in a New Zealand Anchor Butter factory where all we did all day was to lift these boxes of butter up and let the block drop out and move it onto the next conveyor belt - I only lasted a day in that job and then asked the work agency for something different!
ReplyDeleteThat is an incredibly boring job. I only had to guard the stairs for one day. One day too many...
DeleteSounds like a dull day.
ReplyDeleteI got paid to do some strange stuff, most shouldn't be discussed. One guy in middle school, shortly before I left that place, he kinda befriended me (or decided to not be mean to my face, at least) and asked me to help him hunt. I got paid to catch, clean, and prepare a rabbit for him. Which he then claimed to do himself. But whatever, I was gone a week later, never saw him again, so hopefully it helped him achieve whatever his goal was.
the wierdest thing i ever got paid to do? gardening. it was weird because i actually garden in my own yard for fun, and this was the first time i ever got paid for a hobby I'd do for free.
ReplyDeleteThat's cool. I did say "weird" not "horrible".
DeleteSo weird! When I was in school, everyone tested at the same time and we either finished and went on with the school day or had two testing sessions and you can go home when you're done.
ReplyDeleteRonel at Ronel the Mythmaker
Not all the students had to test. Not all the grades tested. But some of the kiddos didn't get the message and came to school early anyway.
Delete