A Sudden Absence

Last Monday was the first day of school, and I caught an assignment for the whole week. (More about that in tomorrow's post.) However, I did not have a first period. This was a good thing, as first day of school, no teacher assigned to the class, so I was in scramble mode. 

Just before first period was to begin, I got a call. Could I cover a first period? 

The teacher, Mr. B, had been on campus. He had set up for the day. But, he suddenly got ill and had to go home. 

On the first day!?!

I don't doubt his illness. What concerned me was that there weren't any lesson plans. Uh, what do I do?

I got to the class at just about the bell. The class filed in. 

There were intro first day things written on the board. It was some sort of icebreaker activity. They were to get into groups or something, and I was unclear on what it was. 

The class was credit recovery. Generally, they'll work on whatever class they need to make up credits for. But that can't happen until they've been signed into the program. Which I could not do, not that I would on the first day. 

After I took roll, I flailed about for a bit, letting the class know that Mr. B was out ill, and then I noticed on a side table some worksheets. Score! 

They were simple things, like "about me" and "the importance of education". First day stuff. Okay, then, that works. 

It didn't quite take the whole period. But it was something. 

I had a whole first day thing ready for the class I had been booked for. If I had been thinking I would have brought it with me to that class. But no. 

You'd think by now I would know what to do in any situation. Nope. But at least the class had supervision. 

Mr. B was out all that first week. As I was on campus, I was able to find out. I hope he feels better soon. What a terrible time to suddenly take ill. 

And before anyone says it...

...yes, I know. (Via Jamie at Whatever I Think Of!)

A School Is a Small World

When I arrived at school on Wednesday, Allie, the secretary I check in with, was assigning the sub in front of me an extra period. So, when it was my turn, I asked if she needed me to cover a class for my prep that day. She did. She assigned me to the AP Environmental Science class. 

My prep period that day was the class after snack. At snack I first headed for the restroom. While I waited, another teacher arrived. Ms. K. The teacher I was scheduled to cover the next day. Before I could say something, Ms. K noticed the restroom line and decided to go and find another restroom. 

Allie had said to call her at the end of snack so she could call security to open the classroom door for me, but the classroom I was going to be in was in the STEAM building. I had covered a couple classes over the last month or so in there, and I had noticed that the building has its own security staff. I figured I'd find him and if I couldn't, then I'd call. 

On my way to the STEAM building, I passed Mr. T, the teacher I was going to be subbing for. I was going to say something, but he was talking to two students and heading the opposite direction. I decided against, and I headed inside. 

I found security talking to a group of students. When he spotted me, he asked me if I needed something. I explained that I was period subbing, and I asked if he could let me in the classroom. He did. And I had a couple minutes before the end of snack to eat the muffin I had brought with me.

The bell rang. I opened the door to start letting kiddos in the room. Who was outside? Mr. T. 

The students questioned why there was a sub and the teacher. Mr. T told them he had a doctor's appointment. Mr. T briefly went over the lesson plan (which wasn't necessary as he had left written lesson plans on his desk), and he asked if I would do a task that he had only just gotten an email about. 

The AP test was to start the next week. (As you read this, the AP tests have started and will continue through next week.) They asked that the students each fill out an index card with their name, student ID number, College Board username and password. Because apparently students don't all remember it, and rather than having to look it up for them (as they have in previous years), they'll have it available. 

Mr. T left. Class started. I passed out the index cards and explained. They had done this last year, so the students knew what to do. I collected the cards back, and then they started on the lesson for the day (studying for the AP test). 

Realizing that I now I didn't have to call roll, I alphabetized the cards, and then I compared them to the roll. I called the name of the missing student. Somehow he had not gotten an index card. Sigh. 

(I passed out the cards and then asked out loud if I missed anyone. Grrrr.) 

Mr. T had printed out the email, so I saw that the cards needed to be returned to Allie. Who is the secretary who checks in us subs. And checks us out. Who I would have to see when I left for the day anyway. I left this info in the note I left for Mr. T. 

At the end of class, I grabbed my stuff and was almost out the door when I came across two students waiting to get in for the next period. I knew the next class would also be period subbed. Because the school is on a two-lunch schedule, and my lunch was next, I had time to let the kiddos in while I waited for the next sub. So, I did. 

The bell rang to start class. No period sub. Before I had a chance to ponder that, the next period's sub arrived, just a touch after the bell. Ms. K. The teacher I was covering the next day. 

(She was grateful I was there as she would have had to find security to let her in. While the class waited outside. After the bell.) 

Again, I didn't have a chance to mention I'd be subbing for her as class had started and the room was full. I told her the lesson plans were on the teacher's desk, that the biology class had a test, and I headed out to my lunch. 

I passed the main office on my way to the classroom I would be in for the rest of the day. Or, I could go through the office... 

I went to Allie's desk. I gave her the index cards. She deposited them into whatever basket she had for that purpose. And then I headed to the teacher's lounge to eat my lunch. 

I've been around long enough to know the various teachers and where things are and how things work. Sometimes I can even make use of that knowledge. 

Working Hard (or Not)

"Could you cover a sixth period..."

Wednesday. Sixth period. Eighth grade English, co-taught. Which meant that the general ed teacher was there. All I had to do was follow her lead. (I've covered Ms. C and I've worked with Ms. C many, many times.) 

Ms. C started with an apology to me and a warning. The room was infested with fruit flies. Someone had left bananas under all the desks before they left for winter break...

Eighth graders... 

They were taking a standardized test (one I've given many, many times), and one of their teachers was there, so I just sat back. The room was filled with familiar faces. Several of them had been in that seventh grade science class I started the year in last school year. (Like Simon.)

At one point Orson called me over. As I search through my previous posts, I see I did not mention Orson before, so let me explain. 

Orson is weird. Probably autistic. I recognize his concerns. Anyway, he speaks very deliberately, and he likes to make sure things are situated as they "should be". He's not a bad kid, but he doesn't fit in well with his classmates. Which sucks, really. 

We're about a half hour or so into the test. The two other boys at Orson's table are clearly not applying themselves. But they weren't talking, so I leaned in to Orson so he could ask his question. 

"Some students are only on question number four," Orson told me. 

I looked down at Orson's test. He was on question 37. The boy next to him was on question four. 

At that point, they totally should have been on at least question twenty. Orson was making decent progress. 

Me: "That's not anything you need to worry about." (I said it kindly. It wasn't his problem and it wasn't anything he needed to do anything about. I was aware the kiddos weren't applying themselves, and when they're still working while everyone else is finished, they'll realize how they wasted their own time.) 

Shortly thereafter Orson informed me he had finished. I told him congratulations. He moved to a different seat and started playing a video game. (There wasn't another assignment after they finished, and the computerized test just closed when he finished, so there was nothing I needed to do.) 

Orson's neighbor? Still working on the test. 

Orson had quite a bit of time to play his game before Ms. C called time. Several students had not finished, so they would be testing the next class period. Including Orson's neighbor. 

And I am not at all concerned. The ones that weren't applying themselves have to keep working until they finish. Those that were got free time. The punishment fits the crime.

That Day

It was the end of second period. An announcement came over the PA. Administration needed the staff to meet in the gym during snack. While technically that included me, I figured I really didn't need to be there as subs tend to be exempt from these sorts of things, so I headed to the restroom instead. I was sure I'd hear about whatever it was later. 

I had just gotten back from the restroom when the in-class phone rang. It was the secretary, and I just knew what she was going to ask. The fourth period she wanted me to cover was choir, not too far from the room I was in for the day. The bell was just about to ring, so I headed over. 

And here's where this all makes a very hard left turn...

As security let the class in, Mr. C, the band teacher next door, clued me in to the issue. Ms. C, the choir teacher (no relation--different C-name), was on campus. That announcement? It had to do with the death of a student. 

And it hit the choir teacher hard. 

Mr. C texted the choir teacher for plans, and he got the class started. They had a competition coming up the following weekend, and they needed to do a run-through. Better if the teacher is there, but the student leaders know enough to get something accomplished when a sub is there.

(Think Glee when I say "performance". Singing. Dancing. Contemporary radio hits music. I've covered the choir class before, but not lately. The current choir teacher replaced the choir teacher who retired last year.) 

The students hadn't been informed of the death yet. They were going to do it in waves. Just as soon as they got the counselors in place. 

The class got set up. The girls warmed up. (All-girl choir.) They got into position. They started working on blocking. 

I sat and watched. It hit differently when I knew what was coming. 

Then the phone rang. I was to send two students to the library. The notifications were starting. 

I sent the girls on their way. 

They were curious as to being sent to the library. (When students get called out of class, they are never called to the library. Attendance office, usually. Sometimes counselor's office. Maybe health office. Or front office.) But they went. 

Then security showed up with another list. Another five students headed to the library. 

After those girls left, an email went out school-wide. Student wasn't named, but the student's passing was announced. 

The remaining choir girls started doing some figuring. The student must have been involved in the school musical as the choir girls already gone had all been in the musical. As had their teacher (been involved in staging it). 

They managed a run-through of their show. This was a little weird as all their soloists were in the library. But, the backup gets rehearsed alone quite a bit, so they were able to do it. 

They had just finished a full run through (which took about 20 minutes) when Ms. C returned to the class. She knew that the girls had already heard. I let her know that while they had heard much of it, they did not know the student's name. 

Ms. C provided it. 

And that's when I realized I knew who the student was. 

It was the end of class, and several of the students were in tears. Some had returned from the library. They were processing. Naturally. 

I headed back to the class I was in for the day. And the day prior, and the day following. 

During sixth period (statistics), I had a couple students I recognized from period four. One did not make it to sixth from fourth period. She had been one to be summoned to the library. I was not surprised to not see her in class. 

While the statistics students didn't do their work (I was warned they've got senioritis and weren't going to be very productive), I perused the online attendance for the class. The school is on a block schedule, and we were on the even day. 

I took the attendance back a day. Looked at third period. Then I took the attendance to the next day and looked at third period. 

Yup. They had removed the student from the attendance. They wouldn't be in class the next day. I had seen them the day before. In class. 

I... Yeah. This might hit me harder than I thought it would. (There's more story here, but this post is long enough.) 

The Easy Class

On Tuesday of last week, I was asked to cover a class on my prep period. No problem. (I get paid extra for this, so it's not generally a hardship.) 

The teacher, Mr. H, had a meeting, so he was there to start class. There were eight students. And they had a story to read and questions to answer. The assignment was online. 

Mr. H explained to me the class was really good, so I'd have no problems. 

Well, I didn't have any behavior problems...

First up, one of the students couldn't log into the assignment. We tried everything. She switched computers. We reloaded. Nothing. 

Apparently she'd been having issues. Nothing I could do about that.

And then, just when things were going well, the internet went out.

Naturally. 

(Later I found out the internet went down for the entire district, so at least it wasn't some weird dead spot where we were.)

The good news was by that time half the class had already completed their assignment. And their phones worked fine. So, they kept themselves entertained. 

Why is it that the internet goes down when I have only online work for kiddos and no way to pivot to something else? Sigh. 

Familiar Faces, Part 2

When I left the seventh grade science class, I told the kiddos that it wasn't goodbye. It was "see you around". Because I would see them again. And again. And again.

Friday. I was asked to cover an extra period, seventh grade history. And of the class of 33, I counted 18 names that I recognized (and once I was in the class, I noted a couple more faces that I recognized without remembering their names). Oh, and the history classroom was basically next door to the science classroom.

The good news was I knew more than half the class. The bad news was I knew more than half the class.

They were wound up, but it was the last period on a Friday of a minimum day, so I kinda knew that was coming. 

I caught two students with phones. Myles was there, but he kept his head down this time. Edgar kept calling me over for various reasons, ending with telling me he really wanted to learn to speak Korean. 

(And Keith, who was referenced in yesterday's post, was in this class. Without his twin.)

I'm rather surprised at how many names I learned in my thirty days in the science class. But it's helped me a lot. If I keep getting to cover seventh grade classes, I may even remember their names for longer than a school year.

Day in the Life of a Sub

Last Friday was a day...

As I drove to school, the sun was shining. And the rain was falling.

The rain wasn't supposed to be falling. The weather report had said we were done with rain (for a bit). 

Once I parked, I double checked the weather app on my phone (to determine which umbrella I'd bring from my car) to discover that the sub desk had called me. I called her back, and she let me know that my job for the day had been cancelled. 

But, they were going to switch my gig to another teacher whose scheduled sub had cancelled the evening before. As it was at the same school (two doors down from the teacher I was expecting to cover), it wasn't a major issue.

The teacher I was now covering was leaving on a field trip for a flag football tournament. These are the moderate to severe special ed classes, and the districts in the area have begun a "unified" thing where some special ed kiddos and some general ed kiddos play on various teams and compete against different schools. 

This, of course, meant that the classes would be light some students. I also gained a couple students (Zena...) due to them remaining behind while their teacher didn't get a sub. 

Once the dust settled, the first class went pretty smoothly. Then, instead of getting a prep period, I was asked to cover a class over in the new STEAM building. 

I found someone to open the door for me (they don't give me keys when I'm covering an extra period), and he had trouble finding the room. (I do not know my way around the STEAM building as it's new this year. I've subbed in there a few times, but every time I have to consult a map to figure out where I need to go. In a couple years, after I've been in the building several more times, I'll be an old pro.) 

What class was I covering? It was called BioAnimaker. Apparently, they're eventually going to learn how to make lifelike robots or something. The students explained that at the moment the class was more playing with 3D printers. (The new building has spaces for things that the school hasn't quite instituted yet. It's coming, though.) 

This is how I learn about some of these things. I cover the class.

After that class, it was time for art.

Ms. A co-teaches an art class with a general ed art teacher (who I've subbed for a couple times this school year). It's a mixed class--some of Ms. A's special ed kiddos along with Ms. G's general ed kiddos. (It's more of the unified stuff. They integrate the special ed kiddos into the general population, and they expose the general ed kiddos to students who are different.) 

As luck would have it, the art class was also in the STEAM building. I didn't have far to go at all.

After art was lunchtime. I got to sit and eat. I was enjoying the moment of not traipsing all over campus when... EARTHQUAKE. 

An instructional assistant was in the room with me (supervising her one-to-one student), but she didn't feel it. I immediately consulted my earthquake app to learn it was a 4.7 on the Richter scale. (I heard it was downgraded to a 4.6 later.) The epicenter was roughly 45 miles away. 

The earthquake was about ten minutes before the end of lunch. I had three students in the next class. And then I had two when one of them got called into speech. (A speech therapist has half hour classes with some of the kiddos from time to time.) 

Then the field trippers returned. (They got first place in the tournament.) Some remained in class while others went off to different classes. And Ms. A returned, although she was in and out finishing up things from her day off campus.

After all that, I needed the weekend. Although, some days are like this. I go all over the place and do various things. It helps that a lot of this was stuff I was accustomed to, so I just rolled with it. That's the gig.

Laws of Gravity

From my college studies, I remember two constants in physics. (The other one is the speed of light.)

Friday. Sixth period eighth grade science. The topic of the day was Newton's Laws of Motion.

I explained to the class: "This is literally my subject." 

They had some notes (in their Google Classroom) and some problems to complete. Normally, I have to take a minute to familiarize myself with the topic of the day before I feel comfortable enough to offer assistance. These problems I knew how to do cold.

I heard it bandied about. One student asked another if it was the correct number. What number? 9.8. And I could confirm.

The rate of acceleration due to Earth's gravity is 9.8 m/s^2.

The problems were about mass versus weight. (Mass in kilograms. Weight in Newtons.)

Not all on Earth. (Gravity on the other planets was given in the problems.) 

Did the kiddos need my help? Nope. 

(I got a couple questions. Mostly, they knew what they were doing.)

Well, it was an advanced class. And they were doing the basics. The kiddos worked together, so they answered each other's questions.

I generally don't have issues with Ms. B's classes. I don't know what magic she uses on those eighth graders, but she has to do something, because they are not a problem.

Ten Minute Coverage

The second semester starts today, so I'm back to posting about my subbing adventures. This week's posts all happened before winter break.

On Tuesday, I managed to catch a gig, which was great as it was finals week. The teacher I was subbing for had a first period prep, so I was just sitting in her classroom, trying to keep from being bored, when the phone rang. 

Could I cover a first period? It wasn't going to be for the full first period, just a half hour or so.

We get paid extra for covering extra periods, so of course I took it. I headed across campus.

It was French class. As the students arrived, I asked them about their final. They had no idea if they were having a final. (The time allotted for their final was that period.) 

I was going to tell them to look over the material so they'd be ready for their final. But, since they weren't sure, I told them they could spend their time going over material for any of their finals. (Luckily it was first period, so the finals had just started.)

It's hard to deal with a class when there are no lesson plans. But of course there were no lesson plans as the teacher was just running late, not missing the whole period. 

So, I started off by taking roll. By the time I was ready to settle in (as the kiddos had followed my instruction and many of them appeared to be looking over notes or quizzing each other with flash cards), Mme. F walked in. 

Whew.

All in, I was in class for maybe ten minutes. Well, okay, then.

(Mme. F got stuck in traffic. Something about a shooting and a detour.)

Last Day

It was the last day of the regular semester. (The following week was finals week.) And I caught an extra period in the classroom three doors down--the "opportunity" class. 

(It's no longer called opportunity. It's now called BEST or something. Basically, it's a self-contained class of kiddos who were behavior problems on the general middle school campus, and now they've been isolated into one class. It's a step or two before the alternative education center.)

As it turned out, it was also the last day for the student teacher, and festivities were planned. 

The class had an instructional aide and another adult (whose duties were unclear) as well as the teacher. So, I sat back and followed their lead.

First, the class did a thing where they listed what they were grateful for. But they focused on what they were grateful for about the student teacher. This was a surprise for him as well as a tribute. 

Then it was game time while the IA attempted to make s'mores in the classroom's air fryer. The s'mores actually turned out pretty well. An air fryer gives the marshmallows just the right light brown color, although the IA had to play with the timing a bit before she got it right.

The game was Avocado Smash. It was new to me. The IA said they had never finished it before, but this day they did. They actually got a winner.

And that took us to the end of the period. The next period (with a different sub) they were going to watch a movie. (I was able to set up the movie for them. I know what a nightmare it can be to get that working, so I was quite happy to make sure it would work.) 

Not what I was expecting for my extra period assignment, but it was a pleasant surprise. Usually I have kiddos bouncing off walls. (It's been a long time since I covered an opportunity class.) 

Fight Fight Fight

It was the Thursday before a three-day weekend (for Veteran's Day), and so, of course there were more teacher absences than subs available. I was asked to cover a class on my conference period. As I wasn't scrambling for anything, I was quite happy to help out. (It doesn't hurt that I get paid extra for covering another class.)

I had a choice, so I picked the class that was closest to the room I was in the rest of the day. (Mr. B's classroom is kind of back of beyond compared to the rest of the campus.) It was chemistry.

It was the first class of the day. I got a chance to chat with Ms. N before she left. (She was chaperoning a field trip.) She mentioned that the class was small and her best behaved. 

I recognized a couple students from success seminar last year. (Not problem students, like Kress.) 

As advertised, they got to work and weren't an issue.

Because of the weather, I had left the door open.

It was more than halfway through the period. Suddenly, a cacophony of voices erupted somewhere outside. It was such a sudden change and loud enough that we all knew what was happening.

A fight.

I've been proximate to enough of these to recognize the sounds. As had the students. Someone noted that it sounded like a fight. After less than a minute, I heard a golf cart speed by. (Security all drive golf carts on campus.) 

The thing that I didn't expect? Not one student moved from their seats. 

We all heard it. Usually, half the class would have run to the door to look out and see if they could see what was happening. This time? Not. A. One.

I was so shocked, but I said nothing. I didn't want to give them any ideas.

The noise quieted down fairly quickly. I assume several security descended upon the fight and removed the combatants. That's generally how these things go.

The chemistry students continued to work on their assignments. (They were practicing dealing with significant figures.) 

I was so impressed by them not reacting to the fight that I made sure to mention this in my note to their teacher. They deserve kudos for things like this.

Can't Beat the View

Last Tuesday (the same day as yesterday's post) I was asked to cover a seventh period for intro to health careers. 

This is known as period subbing, and it happens all the time. In this case, the teacher had a training going on during the class period, so I covered his class.

When I got there, Mr. I was there. He explained to the class what they had to do before he left.

We had a few minutes (during the passing period) to chat. They had moved the class into the new STEAM building (I've mentioned the new building before), so I commented on the new digs. The room it's now in is much smaller than the room it used to be in. (I've covered this class a few times.) 

Mr. I said it felt like the students were on top of one another. But, on the positive side, you couldn't beat the view.

The room was on the second floor, over in a corner. If you enlarge the picture up top, you can see the windows at the back. There are windows on the side too.

It was a great view.

I could see the lunch area. The library. I could practically see out to the athletic fields. 

The class was kind of working on their modules. It was the last day of the rotation, so many were finished. (They spend a couple weeks in different health care fields, getting an intro to them. Then they switch and try out another. It's things like optometry, veterinary, EMT, dental, mental health, nursing, etc.)

So, I didn't have much to do with them. I just occasionally reminded them to get back to work. 

Mostly, I looked out the windows. 

Some days it's nice to have a great view.

Needed Info

It was Tuesday, day two of my new long-term subbing assignment, and as per normal, I was scrambling.

Mr. P had given me the lessons he had intended to teach. My next door neighbor also teaches 9th grade English (I've subbed for her many times), and we conferred on what she was doing. (My plan is to follow what she's doing. We're teaching the same subject.)

I knew I had third period conference, which meant after the first period, I'd have an hour and a half to get some stuff set up for the class. (The school is on block schedule, and Tuesday was a 1-3-5-7 periods day.) 

When I arrived at school and opened my email, I had a message from the sub desk. I was assigned a 3rd period to cover.

I ran up to the office so I could get the copies I had intended to get done during third period copied (as I need them for fifth and seventh periods). As the 145 packets of four pages were copying (with printer jams and then not stapling which was the reason I was going to take my time third period doing it), I ran into another teacher.

Ms. M has transitioned into a different position, but she used to teach English language development. Which is the class I have first period. We got to talking, and she offered to share some of the lessons she used for her classes when she had them. 

(I have one period of ELD and five of English 9. I had a plan for ELD, but having these other lessons is so much better.)

Third period, I made my way to the extra period I was covering. It was a co-taught class, so I was just there for extra assistance. They were doing some testing...

It was also an English class. Was I expected to do this testing in my classes? Yup. And no one had told me.

So, now I know.

While it made the day so much harder having to jump into that extra period, if I hadn't had to go, there were two things I wouldn't have gotten/learned. So, it was kind of a win. Sort of.

Frazzled

Some days...

Thursday. First period was my conference period, but I got an email from the secretary asking if I could cover an extra period.

Just a bit before the warning bell, I headed out to the classroom. I climbed the flight of stairs up to the second story and got to the classroom. 

The teacher was there, but she didn't have any students. She was confused as to why I was there. I realized I must have made a mistake, so I checked my phone. (I had access to the spreadsheet with the extra period assignments.)

Then I realized what I had done. 

By this time the warning bell had rung, and so while I made my way down the stairs, students were making their way up the stairs. I hustled to the back of campus. 

I got there just before the bell rang.

Luckily, the teacher was there. She got class started while I tried to get my nerves under control. 

What had I done? The teacher I initially went to had been out the previous day. For some reason, I got the two days mixed up. What's worse is that I didn't cover that class the previous day. I only eyed the assignment and was happy when another teacher picked it up. 

At least the class I ended up in was a math class. They were doing problems that I knew how to do, so I felt less like an idiot being able to help them.

And that was only the start of idiot things I did that day. At least the English classes were just reading The Great Gatsby. I couldn't screw that up too much.

Busted

Friday. I got the dreaded email: could I cover an extra period? Deep sigh...

I ended up in the band class. Luckily, it wasn't too far from the English classroom where I've been, and while the class was huge, this is the sort of elective that kiddos choose, so they tend not to fight me on things.

As is my habit, before I left "my" classroom, I called the office to ask them to send someone to unlock the other classroom's door. (Someone means security.) Then I made the trek over.

I found a huge group of students. Waiting patiently. The bell rang...

We were still waiting. 

I was debating going to the choir room next door to call again when I spied the school's principal walking towards us. I knew he had a key.

Mr. L looked out over the group of students. "Mr. V couldn't make it in today? After the jazz band concert last night? Yet many of you were there and you made it in today. How many of you were at the concert last night?"

Several students raised their hands. 

"You all made it in today..."

Mr. L's tone was light, but he was definitely not happy. 

I'm glad I'm not the one in trouble. 

(Now, all sorts of things could have happened. There could be a true emergency. People fall ill all the time. I have no idea why the band teacher was out, but he called out when two other teachers were also not covered, so the absence was noticed.)

Quick Fix

Last week was spring break. As is my custom, I am posting the events from the week before the break this week now that we are back in school.

Tuesday. First period. 

It was the teacher I was covering's conference period, so I was sent to cover a math special ed co-teacher. The general ed teacher arrived at the warning bell, and she went to set up as I stood at the door letting the students in.

"We have a sub!"

Uh, no. It was kind of fun to watch their disappointment as they entered the room and saw that Ms. S was there.

But, as Ms. S began setting up her lesson for the day, she ran into some technical issues. (She was trying to get her computer to project, which is how she shows the examples and such, but the computer wasn't connecting to the big screen.) Luckily, the teacher next door was fairly tech savvy, so she called out to him to help.

(The bell hadn't rung to start the day quite yet. Mr. F had just arrived and was letting his students in his classroom.) 

As the "extra" in this situation, I traded places with Mr. F so he could attempt to fix Ms. S's problem. 

Mr. F handed a stack of papers to a student to pass out, and then he went to the math room while I went into his seventh grade world history classroom. 

"We have a sub!?!"

Uh, did you see that Mr. F was right there?

The bell rang. I got the students seated while that one boy passed out the assignment. It turned out to be a study guide for a test. 

I explained that Mr. F was just next door, that he'd be back in class soon, and that they should probably get started on the study guide as it likely looked like their test.

"Have you taken roll yet?"

Uh? I wasn't expecting to be in the class for longer than a few minutes. Their teacher would take roll when he returned. 

(That boy then asked me twice more if I had taken roll. I guess he wanted to surreptitiously slip to a seat next to his friend. I don't know what part of I'm-not-taking-roll-as-Mr.-F-will-when-he-returns was hanging him up, but he didn't quite get it.) 

Mr. F returned. Although, not. He needed a cable, and while he was there, he opened the Chromecart and told the students to get started as they had a test Thursday. Then he left again.

Ah, they needed computers. That explained why they weren't working. 

It was a couple more minutes. The students had all they needed, but many weren't working. But they were contained, so that was all I could do, really. 

Then Mr. F returned. For good. And I went to cover the class I had actually been sent to cover.

I joined the math lesson, already in progress. (They also had a test coming on Thursday.)

(Ms. S's computer wouldn't connect to the internet. Mr. F plugged her in to a physical internet connection. Later, the campus' tech help person stopped by and fixed the issue.) 

Today's A to Z Challenge post brought to you by the letter

Figures 🙄

It was the same school day as I talked about yesterday. I had been assigned to an art classroom. 

As per normal, I was also assigned to cover a class on the teacher's conference period. It was a math class on the other side of campus. 

It was lunch right before, so instead of fighting crowds, I left the art classroom (in the 500 wing) to go to the math classroom (in the 100 wing) about five minutes before the end of lunch. And I got to the room just as the warning bell rang. 

When I'm covering a different class, I don't take everything that I brought on campus with me. My stuff will be safely locked up in the classroom to which I will return. 

I brought in an umbrella that day. It was raining when I arrived, but according to the weather app on my phone, the rain was due to stop around 11-ish. And it had stopped. The sun even came out.

I mean, the clouds were returning when I left for the math room, but it wasn't supposed to rain again that day. 

So, I left my umbrella in the art room which was clear on the other side of campus. 

And it wasn't raining when I got to the math room.

Class started. I was covering the special ed co-teacher, so the general ed teacher did her lesson on point-slope form. And I kept an eye on students who might need my help. (None did.) 

The classroom door was open. Almost halfway through the period, I noticed... No. It couldn't be. Rain? 

Yup, rain.

Of course. Figures.

The special ed teacher returned, and I was dismissed to go back to the classroom I was in for the rest of the day. All the way across campus. In the rain. Without my umbrella.

At least it wasn't raining very hard. I got a little damp, not very wet. 

I mean, I really should have paid attention to how gray those clouds were.

Today's A to Z Challenge post brought to you by the letter

Not His Seat

On Tuesday for my extra period assignment, I was sent to an English class that I had covered before. But luckily it wasn't for the period with fake Evan.

They had just finished reading Lord of the Flies, and their assignment was to make a slideshow summarizing each of the chapters. 

But before I could settle in to the period, I had to take roll.

Because eighth graders will try the seat swap, I call out the names of students I am marking absent.

"Jasper."

He was on the other side of the room. 

When I questioned him on why he was not in his assigned seat, he explained that the teacher had moved him because he talked too much in the other seat. 

This did not pass the smell test:

1. He was sitting in the middle of a group of African-American students. He's also Black. 
2. His assigned seat was in the middle of not Black students. 
3. He was clearly "hanging out" with the group he was sitting with.
4. The girl whose name was on that seat was sitting nearby (rather than having traded seats with him). 

I insisted that Jasper move back to the other seat. After some back and forth (and the threat of a referral), Jasper finally relented. And the girl whose seat he had taken got her seat back (much to her relief). 

Did he do his work? No. Did he talk to that group of students on the other side of the room? Of course.

I'll take the victories where I can.

Because Jasper gave me that much trouble about sitting in his assigned seat, I made sure he had a starring role in my note to his teacher. And because I email my notes to the teachers nowadays, the teacher replied.

She absolutely had not moved him. And she was not pleased with his lie. 

I wonder how upset with me Jasper will be the next time he sees me. I hope he learned his lesson and will sit where he's supposed to.

A Change of Venue

Wednesday. Fifth period. 

For my extra period assignment for the day, I was assigned to the learning center. This is a pretty easy gig. Any students needing a quiet room for a test are sent there. Many days I spend the period alone.

I got into the classroom and settled in. 

The door opened. Three teachers and a student entered. "We're doing an IEP meeting..."

Uh. Okay. Where do I go...?

This sort of thing happens from time to time. The learning center is an empty room, and they appropriate it for meetings on occasion. 

Of course, I knew of a classroom that was empty that period. And I even had a key for it.

It felt like cheating. I could sit in the classroom I'd been in all day, but this time on an actual prep period? And getting paid extra for it? 

Yeah, that's too good to be true.

As I headed back to the other room, a student headed in. He had been sent out of his biology class to finish a test from a previous day. Well, that's the class I was covering, so I told him to follow me.

Just when he and I got settled, the phone rang. A co-teacher needed to bring her students in because it was test day. (In co-taught classes, the special ed teacher may pull their students out to test with them all in a different room.) Well, that's the class I was covering... 

And it no longer felt like cheating. But that's cool, as I was getting paid to cover that extra period.

Funnily enough, three students in the class had been in the Spanish class that day. One girl had just been in fourth period. 

It's still an easier period than some extra periods I've covered. 

Getting in the Door

First period had ended. I had been asked to cover a second period elsewhere as second period was the teacher's conference period. I called the office to send someone to open the door to the other room, and I headed out.

I didn't have far to go. Some of the kiddos had arrived, and they were waiting patiently outside. (Period subbing is so common that the kiddos know to just wait and we'll be inside shortly.) 

Lately, when I call for security, they come fairly quickly, so I was getting a little concerned as the passing period wore on. (Passing period is six minutes.) But, the period hadn't started yet, so I remained patient. 

And then I spied a golf cart making its way towards me. With the crowds, it was slow going. We'd be late to start class, but only by a few seconds. No biggie. 

Then, a woman behind me asked if I needed to get in the room. I hadn't seen her approach. I said that I did, and she unlocked the door. 

As the kiddos filed in, the golf cart made its way to us. And the guy driving was not happy. 

Apparently, the woman had seen me waiting and came to let me in. But when I called the office, they had radioed security. He explained that he had made his way from the other side of campus, through the crowds, and if someone else was going to unlock the door, she should have radioed that she was there. 

I stayed out of this conversation. It wasn't really my concern. 

I appreciate someone coming to unlock the door. I definitely don't want them ignoring those calls, because I have had days where we wait and wait and wait (minutes into the period), and things can get loud. Then getting the kiddos settled once we get into class can be an issue. 

Usually, the drama I witness is teen-based. This was a rare instance where I got to witness some adult drama.

By comparison, the seventh grade English class was dull. (They were looking at Utopian societies. I'm not sure how this connected to whatever they're studying, but that wasn't my concern.)