Substitute teaching

When I gave up my job teaching, it was a hard decision.  I am thankful to have had the opportunity to continue being in the classroom as a substitute (aka "Guest Teacher") on a part-time basis.  I really enjoy being around the kids and helping them learn, so I like being at school.  I don't get paid much, but I get to stay in the loop with what's going on in the education world, maintain professional contacts, and I don't have to grade essays or lesson plan when I put the kids to bed.  I have been working usually 1-2 days per week, which is pretty minimal, so I can schedule jobs around Grammy's babysitting and still have time for my kids, swim, volunteering (Girl Scouts and PTA), and other SAHM duties.  I feel very honored every time a teacher requests me to be there when they are out.

I do wish I could actually "teach" more often than just be a glorified babysitter, but the types of jobs and variety keeps me on my toes.  There have been days where students worked quietly and independently, so between walking the room and checking in, I was able to blog or plan GS meetings while students worked.  But I couldn't and wouldn't even try do that with the middle schools (behavior issues), ESL class (busy actually teaching and handing out motivational star stickers), or some art classes (have to stay attentive while students are working with drills and saws).

Last year I quickly realized I was not trained to cover elementary levels (controlled chaos), so I was able to avoid that level this year, but can in an emergency; so I do a lot of high school and some middle school.  Middle school was hard because it always seems there are one or two students in each class causing trouble.  At the HS level, I've gotten pretty good at establishing myself with students in the first few minutes of class so they are cooperative.  Unlike a full time teacher who can take a few days and regulate behavior over time, Subs literally only have minutes to establish the environment for the class.  I always leave notes of praise for teachers who obviously have good classroom management because their students are also good when they are gone.  I also learned a few tricks to making my job easier, like making behavior notes on seating charts by their names, and meeting kids who come in the classroom early and asking them a few questions about both their conversation and the lesson topic to make "nice" with them and make sure we are on the same page when I actually address the whole class when the bell rings.

The best perk of subbing this year was having an advanced jewelry design student polish my wedding ring for me in class (under very close visual supervision!).

I sent in my employment papers to continue subbing in both districts again (GUHSD and CVUSD) next year, so maybe my income will earn just enough to make a down payment on a motorhome when we finally find one we like (my paychecks get direct deposited into our MH savings account).

All my grandma babysitters went out of town in June for summer break so I only worked one day this month, but the nice thing is I can take any day off I want and not feel too guilty.  So I used my days off to volunteer at Fuerte and get ready for our summer trip to the East coast.