About three weeks ago, I got an email from a teacher asking if I would be able to cover her class. Of course, I replied.
Then last Friday I got another email from her. Ms. S was going to be out on Wednesday of the next week. Could I cover her class?
I was already booked for Tuesday and Friday. The Friday I'd be working for her. I would be glad to take the assignment.
The district does some things weirdly. It took them forever to get with the times and get the sub scheduling app. (Like, they were a good decade, or more, behind the neighboring districts.) And, in their infinite wisdom, they have decided that if a teacher wants to request a specific sub, they have to have a person at the district office input that into the system.
So, since it was late on a Friday, I knew I wouldn't get the booking until Monday. Not a problem, really.
Monday morning, I did not get called in. So, I was playing games on my phone when a job popped up. Because of how fast the open jobs go, I grabbed for it. It was only after looking at it after I managed to snag it did I notice that it was for Wednesday. The Wednesday I agreed to cover Ms. S's class. Deep sigh.
So, do I cancel the job and hope the one I said I'd do pops up? Or do I keep the one that I now have?
They can, at the district office, drop me from any assignments I have and reassign me. And, it I happened to grab the assignment when they were putting the other in, I might have missed it already. It was hard to tell. So, I stuck with the assignment I grabbed.
It was a history assignment at the same school. And it went fine. (I won't be mentioning it any more as nothing very interesting happened.)
At least I worked that day. Things have been a little slow, but we're only just getting into the second month of the school year. Slow is standard for this time of year.
They have an app for everything. Why am I surprised by how subs get their assignments?
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of weird. But it's way easier than having the human caller call us at 5:30 AM.
DeleteI suppose that is the nature of your assignments, they pop up at the last minute. No one can schedule sickness. What time of year is it busiest?
ReplyDeleteIt gets really busy on days when the English teachers have to be out to score district writing assessments. Those happen once a quarter. I'd say October and February/March are probably the busiest months.
DeleteSupposedly people aren’t getting vaccinated as they should, so…
ReplyDeleteInteresting how technology plays into all of our lives.
ReplyDeleteGood thing they finally got the app.. must make things so much easier.
ReplyDeleteI remember the days when the district called me at 7:30 am to ask me to sub. That was pre-computer arrangements.
ReplyDelete7:30? Nice. I have to be out the door by 7:30 if I want to be there on time. They used to start calling us at about 6.
DeleteIt does lead to a very unsettling work experience.
ReplyDeleteIt’s wild how administrative bureaucracy always seems to get in the way of a system that’s supposed to streamline things! You definitely made the right call by keeping the assignment you had secured—at least you knew for sure you were working that day. Glad the history class went smoothly!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, technology makes things easier and harder at the same time.
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