First Week of Being a Substitute Teacher

It was only the second week of school and I had two sub jobs! Things seemed to be looking up. I subbed last Monday in first grade at YCES, the school that I did my student teaching at. I am friends with the teacher (who happens to be pregnant!), she called me at 7:30 am and felt like she had the flu. Me (thinking it was 7:30am and I wasn't working today, was still in bed). I said I would be there ASAP. Only problem is the kids get there at 8 and it is about a 45 minute drive. YIKES!!! I jumped in the shower flew out the door and got to school at 8:30. The day went pretty well for the most part. I realized I really need to work on my classroom management skills! I kept trying to get their attention to give them instructions and they wouldn't stop talking. They also didn't know how to use inside voices. Then I remembered it is Monday of the second week of school and their first sub of the year. They are basically still kindergartners. They kept asking when lunch was, or when it was time to go home, or crying that they were afraid they would miss the bus. It was an exhausting day but I loved it! One thing I learned: during free choice only have play dough if you are willing for it to be squished into the carpet.

On Friday I subbed for another first grade class at YCES. This time it was prearranged and it was pirate day. I told the teacher that I would be dressing up as a pirate like the other first grade teachers. She told her students that she called the place for subs and asked if they had any pirates that worked for them. As it turns out they did! So a real pirate would be coming to school to teach them. Well, first graders are very gullible and actually thought that I was a pirate! The students were also dressed up as pirates. We decorated treasure chests, made pirate hats, made parrots, listened to pirate music, read pirate books and went on a treasure hunt. I strongly recommend celebrating pirate day at your school. It is a blast! I came home wishing that those first graders were my students and that was my class. Hopefully some day...