Guest Conductor

There haven't been a lot of planned absences lately (trainings, conferences, meetings, etc.), so I've been getting gigs last minute (the dreaded early morning wake up call). For the most part, these teachers are falling ill, so lesson plans are kind of sparse and/or makeshift.

Wednesday. Band.

The class was expecting a rehearsal. They even knew what piece they were to be working on. But I was a musician (oboe). I didn't learn conducting.

As luck would have it, that was the day a teaching student was beginning his observations. No one had told him the teacher would be out. When it was clear I was out of my depth, he volunteered to rehearse the group.

via GIPHY

And... Things went well. Really well. One doesn't begin teacher training until having spent time learning the subject concentration, so he had already trained to conduct.

I spent twelve years playing in bands. That period felt like a rehearsal.

Some days I really luck out.

Keyless

After my fall that Monday, I wisely took Tuesday off. I had been scheduled for the same classes for Tuesday and Wednesday. While I was still limping about on Wednesday, my ankle was much, much better than it had been the day prior. I would have been in miseries if I had attempted the assignment on Tuesday.

The big problem was that the teacher traveled throughout the day. She co-taught for three periods, and she had her own classes for two.

I did not know this at the start of the day. I assumed she co-taught all day, so when I was not assigned keys, I did not worry.

When I arrived at the classroom for third period, the class waiting outside informed me that they had one teacher. Well, that wasn't a major problem. I got out my cell phone, called the office, and asked that they send someone to open the classroom.

For fourth and fifth periods, I went elsewhere. It was for sixth period that I returned to this classroom.

But right before sixth period is lunch. And security is busy supervising, so they couldn't come immediately to let me in the door. I kind of wanted to get in early so I could sit and wait for the end of lunch.

I got to the classroom, hoping the other teacher who uses the classroom second period (and who was also off at that moment) would be there. Alas, no.

I stood and pondered. The office was all the way at the front of campus while this classroom was near the back. There was no security in sight.

While I considered my options, one of the assistant principals appeared. I was shocked as this was not his usual part of campus. He let a student into a classroom nearby. It appeared that she had forgotten something inside, and the teacher wasn't there to let her in.

All the administrators carry keys that let them in any room. So, as he finished up with the student and her friends (I didn't catch much of the conversation, only something about him needing to talk to a parent whose phone number no longer worked), I approached. When he finished I politely asked if he could let me into the room across the way.

It was so nice to be able to sit for a bit before class. (I sat after class started, too.) It was so lucky that he happened by at that moment in time. Sometimes I'm just lucky.

The Wrong Key

I was to cover a 7th grade science class for three days. I had some time the first day to scan all the lesson plans so I'd have some idea of what was to come. All was in order. Or so I thought.

Day 1 they were to work on a study guide for a test on day 3. It was on line graphs, bar graphs, and pie charts. Easy enough.

But one girl called me over to help her with a question. And I wasn't sure what the question meant.

This happens sometimes. I walk in cold to these classes, and I haven't been there when lectures were given. Sometimes I'm not exactly sure what the teacher is going for. I usually mask this by having the students consult their notes and ask them leading questions so that they can figure it out themselves. This works 99% of the time.

This was not one of those times.

It was a simple question, but which simple answer did the teacher want?

Oh, right, I had the key.

Day 2 we were to go over the study guide, and I was given a key for this purpose. (Some teachers remember to provide keys for assignments. Some don't.) All I needed was to go into my materials for day 2...

I found the key. For chapter 1.1 & 1.2. They were working on the study guide for chapter 1.3.

Panic time.

But then I remembered that the science teachers all do pretty much the same thing. And the teacher next door might just have what I needed. So I called her. And sure enough, she was able to answer the student's question.

(And a short time later, she sent a student with the correct key. Whew.)

I am so grateful to that student, though. Because if she hadn't asked the question that sent me scurrying to the key, I would not have known I had the wrong key. Until the next day when it was time to go over the study guide with the whole class.

That could have been ugly.

It's nice when things work out.