Today I subbed in the one class I did not want to sub in today... or any other day. I've written about them before. Some are very intelligent. Some are creative. All of them are a handful. They're disrespectful, disruptive, smart enough to find loop holes, and lazy enough to need those loop holes.
I've had a hard time getting them to participate in my drama class, and have had to readjust my schedule for their many disruptions, inappropriate comments, and fits of anger. Sometimes it is the longest 30 minutes of my week.
Today I was with them all day. There's a new head teacher (last one quit), and a new staff to make up for the two missing assistants (also quit). The exhaustion always shows in the faces of the classroom staff... before they quit. So there I was all day long.
Time stood still.
The one cool part of today was when I took over the Science Experiment. The new teacher, a completely capable and responsible person, was intimidated by the lesson, and was having a hard time grasping everything. She asked me to help, and before I knew it I had bailed on the botched experiment, started afresh and led most of the class through a fairly simple experiment on sugars and starches.
I made sure the students were safe during the experiment, did not cross-contaminate our samples and kept them engaged (for the most part). The teacher couldn't have been happier. She's asked me if I would be free to help out with Science every week.
My Senior Year of High School I was Mr. Klazer's lab sssistant for a chemistry class. He didn't always have lots of tasks for me, and even let me ditch sometimes to go rehearse my lines but he did use me during the experiments. I would set up, assist him, guide the groups, and help clean up afterwards. I have to credit him with today's small victory.
My older brother, a Science Teacher, will be so proud.
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