12/9/10 I REALIZED TODAY THERE'S "DOING TEACHERS" & there are "BEING TEACHERS", And at times I must shift to the role of a "being teacher." Both are necessary. Some people are good at constant "tasking" (preparing, making copies, going to meetings, ...etc) while others are better at simply "being" in the classroom. Being a sub requires more of a "being" temperment most of the time.
I let the kids today watch a few Christmas movies b/c there was no lesson plan. It was a music class (no books, no writing material, and most of them were not in the classroom, because they were rehearsing for a Christmas show later in the day with the regular teacher outside. A white teacher gave me the movies (Charlie Brown Christmas) altho I was actually covering for a black teacher (Mr. Williams).
Later in the day this black teacher stuck his head in and asked me if "stacey had given me something to do" ? Stacey ? Who is Stacey? A secretary? I don't take orders from a secretary. They simply provide me with the paper work & key . They can't call mme and ask me to file papers in the office. That's not our jon, ha ha. I don't need busy work, thank u very much.
Why would anybody other than the regular teacher leave me something to do with the students. Apparently, he was "posturing", suggesting that I should be "doing" something with the kids. In another classroom with books I would definitely find a story to read with them, or do some vocabulary , but this was a music class and most of them weren't there and didn't have itheir instruments b/c they weren't planning on practticing (b/c they knew most students would be rehearsing.
Even if only ONE KID shows up in the classroom, that's my assignment to "be" there in that room, even if thhe kid refuses to be engaged and will only sit there. For me, that's not "kicking it"( see below). Its just the way the dice rolls. Other days I have classes full of rowdy students.
That's the way it goes. In such case you just let them "be" and and "be" likewise. I said they could watch the movie, read a book *if they had one), do homework. Most of them watched the movie. The black teacher added "just kicking it"? At the end of his question to me, which was the clincher that he was posturing.
If he thinks watching the same movie x4 is fun and relaxing, maybe he should be a substitute. I personally would be just as happy or happier if we read a story & discussed it. "Being" doesn't mean you're not "doing." Sometimes its hard to simply "be" and is "work".
Plus, I had an upset stomach all day and felt like sitting on the can for an hour or so. That's no fun either, when you can't even leave the classroom without calling for "coverage." By the way, I always carry my laptops so I can "task" on my computer when there is "down time" (between classes, during conference period, lunch, nutrition, etc)...thus I am still "doing" personal projects, requiring me to be "engaged", not just day dreaming.
Furthermore, the moment kids see a sub in the classroom, their readiness to work usually drops a little. I don't have a "carrot" to offer them in terms of a grade, altho sometimes I try various forms of verbal positive reinforcement. But this is another example of being insulted even sometimes by regular teachers (I.e "just kicking it"). Ask Mr. Williams if he would stay for a day for 1/3 or less of the pay he makes per day. I doubt it. I would love his job as a music teacher, but I don't have much musical ability anymore (don't play trumpet or piano as I did back in the day, altho I do sing for Jesus ).
