stories from the world of substitute teaching

[marathoner452]

Rule #1:  Never tell a class full of first graders that they have your permission to jump off their chairs, even if it's music class and they're supposed to be making "large movements" when the music changes style with a bang.  Because they will do it and they will scream while they do it and those who don't jump off their chairs will run across the classroom and hurt themselves and it will, in fact, be your fault.

Subbing is never boring, let's put it that way.  Any job working with kids never would be, I imagine.

Here's what else I've learned this week:
Turning at that evil intersection on the way home really can take 10-15 minutes.  I timed it today. 
Thank goodness for books on tape when what can be a 15 minute drive home turns into 45 minutes.
Marching around a 1st grade classroom to all 10 verses of "The Ants Go Marching" is a great quad and hamstring workout.
Thunderstorms out in the portables drive 3rd graders crazy.
I've still got the disaster educator bug in me-I stuck in a 5 minute lesson on tornado and lightning safety during said thunderstorm.  Where would you NOT want to be in a tornado?  In an elementary school portable.
It's always the loudest and most disruptive kids whose busses arrive earliest and leave last.
Music and books almost always guarantee rapt attention for at least 10 minutes.

Comments

[black-op.livejournal.com]

"Thank goodness for books on tape when what can be a 15 minute drive home turns into 45 minutes."

I could relate to most of what you said up there but not to any of it as much as this line.

I haven't subbed for elementary school yet but if you need an attention grabber for middle and high school may I suggest a Tourniquet.

[marathoner452.livejournal.com]

Tourniquet?

[black-op.livejournal.com]

Yep. You slide it onto your arm as if nothing out of the ordinary is happening and then cinch it down. Of course I don't think I'd do it with Elementary schoolers and the kids I've done it in front of I gave the 'don't try this at home...' speech to.

[gwendally.livejournal.com]

It's always the loudest and most disruptive kids whose busses arrive earliest and leave last.

This is not coincidence. These kids need a chance to get up and run around. Spending a lot of time seated in a constrained space is NOT conducive to sitting quietly and learning during classtime.

This is one of the main reasons I walk my seven year old son to school each day. He needs the exercise so he can avoid being called ADHD.

[marathoner452.livejournal.com]

That's why I don't like indoor recess-kids need a chance to run around and play and...well, to be kids.

[illistratingme.livejournal.com]

LOL I was one of those loud and obnoxious ones :)

[marathoner452.livejournal.com]

Ah-ha! So you were one of the kids who lost the class recess when kids like me were reading in the corner. :-)

[illistratingme.livejournal.com]

Lost it! Why I am proud to say I single handedly caused us not to havce recess for a whole week!