Stair Guard

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...