not a sub

because....

I GOT THE JOB!!!

I'm so excited I could pee. I'm like brand new puppy excited.

I'm that excited. I don't think I'll be able to sleep for at least a week.

hot damn!!

just a sub

I'm just a sub.

That's what I keep telling the kiddo I work with because she has high hopes I'll be her one on one ed tech next year.
In a few short days my job will be over, because I'm just a sub, and someone else will have the possibility to grab it and go.
BUT because I don't want to just be a sub I applied for the position.
I want this job! I need this job. To have some stability would be an amazing thing at this point in my life, in my son's life.
I submitted my resume, application and three great letters of recommendations.

Then I waited. And waited. I even waited some more and started to lose hope so I applied to other places for anything, anywhere I could submit my resume to.

Today, while at work I received a message to call the superintendent's office. I have an interview scheduled for next week!!

An interview!

I'm crawling out of my own skin. To sub I did not have to interview, it was a strange process but whatever.
I have to interview on Monday. I'm horrible at first impressions! Give me a few days and I can schmooze my way into your heart but there is no way in hell I can bat my eyelashes and make you my bitch in less than an hour!

Seriously.

I need to capture these people. This is super important because I'm up against people who have more qualifications than I do but I've been subbing for this position. Ya follow?

So... help me out. Give me all your hints, tips, tricks, advice! I want this so bad I can taste it.

...and it tastes so sweet.

role reversal

Three.
That's my favorite number. I don't know what it is about that particular number, but it just makes me happy.

At work I park in the third parking space on the right hand side. I have ever since I started and even when I came here to sub. That sweet beautiful space was always open.

Today I pulled in to the school parking lot and noticed a car in that spot!

I gasped. No, really, I did!

Someone took my space and there she was walking away with her giant purple umbrella opened up above her. I've seen this woman before and she has her own damn spot!
I notice these things and apparently today she didn't want to walk, in the rain, the extra 20 steps to get to the school WITH an umbrella protecting her crazy hair!

GREAT!

She's messed up my routine, I can see where my day is going, so I parked right next to her... spot number four and continued on with my routine.

I love walking in to the classroom. The students always greet you; the other teachers are always smiling and also greeting you. It's really a great place but today... I walk in and there she is... crazy hair lady putting away her purple umbrella, in MY closet. Damn substitutes!

Seriously!

You would have thought today was a Monday.

(ohh... subs are awesome, I really do love them!)

I'm back

...and I did it!

I landed a long term substitute position. Wait, that calls for many exclamation points!!!
Although I do not have a classroom and I am not teaching I am in the school system doing things I love; working with crazy and wild children!

I am in hopes that I will be offered this position in the fall; pending displaced teachers do not want it (seeing they have first pick) or the future budget cuts don't affect this position either. Education is a scary place right now!

With my new job not only am I physically exhausted, I am completely drained emotionally.
But I am constantly entertained. Constantly.

I work with a teenage girl so I see lots of things... things like the teenage boys with their pants down half way around their butts. I'm always telling them, "pull up your pants!" or when they say rude, crude and obnoxious things, "watch your mouth!"
The teenagers these days are definitely not disciplined like we were growing up. If I ever acted like these kids do when I was growing up, chances are pretty good my father would have inflicted serious bodily harm upon me!

Oh and let's not forget, they're having sex at 13. SEXUAL INTERCOURSE!
Seriously!?
That scares me for what I'm about to see in 5 years when Boy Child turns 13. A lot can happen in 5 years. Yikes!

Well anyways... I'm glad to be back. I had to mark a lot read in my reader but I'm going to do my best to keep up and update better and more often. I have missed everyone!

a matter of name

When I first started subbing I introduced myself as Miss (insert last name). Then as my co-workers (I guess that's what they're called) started introducing me to the kids when I would take over a classroom or what not, I was being called Mrs. (insert last name).

I'm not a Mrs. but I'm getting to the age where I'm not really a Miss either. Maybe more so a Ms. (gross)
So rather than taking the time and effort, which is needed for something else, to correct these people I am simply known as Mrs. (last name)

No questions. No corrections.

I'm just flattered they think I'm married.

my adventures

Last week I subbed four out of the five days and because of that do I ever have stories!
I can't go into great depth and detail, but you'll get the gist of it.

Tuesday I had a boy stab another boy with a pencil. When I confronted the stabber he cried. I mean he CRIED huge tears. I asked him why he did it. His answer, "because he did it to me!"
So, I was forced to ask him when that stabbing occurred. He then proceeded to tell me... "a couple months ago".

Tuesday's group of second graders was rough. I raised my voice a lot! So much that when they came in to my Thursday music class I got a lot of hugs and they completely cooperated with me. And I walked away Tuesday thinking they were all the Devil's children. (No really, it was THAT bad)

Wednesday's group of middle school kids was really uneventful. It was St. Patrick's Day so everybody was wearing green, seriously. I don't think I have seen so many shades of green in my life. I can't wait for more holidays so I have an excuse to dress tacky and wear crazy jewelry!

Thursday was music. Oh what can I say about music?! I have subbed for music so many times that when I was asked to sub again on Friday, I turned it down. I told myself when this gig started, DO NOT TURN DOWN JOBS!
Overall it was a great day but sometimes I just feel like I don't know what I'm doing and that is a really crappy feeling.

I want to walk into a classroom, look at a lesson plan, have it all click and then BOOM! I want to teach it. Not have the kids scream and tell you what to do, because they DO and they do it a lot.
I want to feel like I have control over my classrooms; often times I don't. I want to walk out of there at the end of the day knowing I did the best I can. Yes, I will always second guess myself and know that next time I could have done it better if given the chance.
Everyday I step into a classroom or group setting I see growth and progress within myself but not to the depth I'm looking for RIGHT NOW!
I'd love to have the confidence I see some of these subs have or better yet, those teachers.

If only there was a course on this.

they must like me

Tomorrow I'm subbing music. Again.
The same students I had a few weeks ago. Boy Child's classmates along with 5 kindergarten classes. It's going to be a long BUSY day but this time... I'm not so blind.

I saw the teacher this afternoon so she gave me a quick run down and then told me to go with the flow and have fun with it! What a relief!!

So tomorrow... it's game on!

Apparently I'm doing something right because my phone is ringing and I'm being asked to return.
The kids have all made it onto the right buses at the end of the day or their parents have picked them up at dismissal time.
No child with a peanut allergy has gone into Anaphylactic shock.

There have been no trips to the nurse's office. None have the kids have cried, well except one because he lost his pencil, but I did NOT do it!!
...and I haven't cried.

YET!

time out

I'm a huge, I mean HUGE fan of recess. Kids need to run and play. Get rid of that energy, especially when they've been in a classroom all day being forced to learn.
How dare us make them sit still, not talk, pay attention AND learn!!
The science is there, they need recess.

But today... a first grader yelled at me.
FIRST GRADE!!
He's still a baby. Six years old.

The result: I took 5 minutes of his recess away.

That'll fix 'im.

ear worm

I was called yesterday to sub and it was a MUCH better day. I am so thankful for that because last time it was horrible.
Last time I was the Language Arts 'teacher' for 6, 7, and 8th graders! 8th graders were just miserable and disrespectful.

My favorite line from the day:
student: Are you married?
me: No
student: I can see why

Agggh!!

Back to the positive... yesterday I was called to sub for the music teacher at Boy Child's school!
Awesome. (make note: Boy Child's music day is today)

I get the call about 40 minutes before I have to be there. Talk about lighting a fire under my ass!
It was full speed ahead! Pack lunches, iron my clothes, finish my hair (flat iron died in the process)... chaos.
Get us out the door and off to school we go.
Once we get there I realize I have left my glasses at home and my tea. *sigh*
Boy Child and I go separate ways and there I am... all alone in my classroom staring at the lesson plan.

Now if you have never subbed before that lesson plan is intimidating as hell! You're going in there blind (in my case, literally- Ha!) then you have to interpret those plans to the best of your ability to keep those students engaged (and interested) for the entire time period you have them while keeping them UNDER CONTROL!

There in black in white was a plan that had 4 third grade classes, 1 first grade class and 5 kindergarten classes staring at me!

Long story short, I still have "Are You Sleeping" and "Brother John" stuck in my head, my throat is screaming, and I learned that I will not be teaching music after I finish college.
Why?
Because I CANNOT sing. At all.

Overall, it really was an awesome day!

after the phone rang

Whose bright idea was it for me to sub anyways?

(don't answer that)

Next topic.

my phone rang

Ultimate goal: my own classroom.
Yes, that's right; I want to be a teacher.

Until then, I have applied at the local school district to be a substitute teacher.
So not only will I be doing the Mom thing and working on my bachelor's, I'm going to be a sub.

Back in December I filled out all the necessary paperwork, applications, background check and completed the necessary fingerprinting process.
As soon as I completed that, I was put on the 'sub list'! Oh happy day!
I had all this completed in time for winter break in hopes to be kept busy in between semesters, except my phone never rang.

Friday I made a few changes that may have affected my name being on the sub list, like dropping off my completed transcripts; proving I completed my degree! Accepted a few additional schools, so rather than being available to only 2, I'm available to 8!

I left the superintendent's office Friday and within ten minutes, my phone rang!
No joke!

I have my first assignment. I'm going to be in a language arts class with grades 6, 7 AND 8!

I'm so flippin' excited but... I'd also be lying if I didn't say that I'm also a lot little nervous.
I remember what it was like to have a substitute teacher in class. We were mean. Kids are mean. 6, 7, and 8th graders are evil! They're not your teacher so they "don't have to listen", but I'm going to go in there with an open mind and a heart that's temperature is yet to be determined.

Please... send me lots of luck! Oh, and any hints or helpful suggestions would totally and completely rock my world!