For anyone that does not know, I moved back home after graduation and my plan at the moment is to stay here in Roanoke so I can work and save money. I am looking into a few Masters in Teaching programs available in Roanoke, hopefully to start in the Spring semester. I quickly realized after graduation that my desire to "take a year off from school" was just silly. I am ready to get back into school so I can get my teaching license and have a real job. I am working right now as a sub and at my other two part time jobs. This definitely creates a hectic schedule for me, and a tiring one at that. I am trying my best to save money, though not for anything in particular. The Lord has been working on my heart a lot since I have been home and this season of my life has definitely been one of reflection and just diving deeper into the word. I participated in Young Life all through high school and stayed connected with it throughout college. It is a ministry I really love and feel called toward. Now that I am back in Roanoke, I have decided to pursue serving as a volunteer leader for Young Life. It has been incredible thus far to share fellowship with the other leaders and see the awesome things God is during in Roanoke Young Life. I am really looking forward to seeing how the Lord is going to use me within the ministry. Now, for what everyone is probably really curious about... my first week as a Substitute Teacher.
Day 1. High School. 9th Grade Earth Science. This school is a difficult school in general. It is really unfortunate to say but a lot of the kids there have no desire to be there and the dropout rate is really bad. I went there that day optimistic, yet unsure of what to expect. The first period of the day was okay, for the first part of the period there was another teacher in there to help me. I guess I don't remember having classes like this in high school, but these kids would just not stop talking. No matter how many times I asked them to stop chatting with one another so they could pay attention to the lecture, they just wouldn't. Every period (I had 4, one of them was a history class) that day was like this. I most definitely did not have their respect and they really could have cared less that I was in "authority". The last period of the day, the absolute WORST. I am not exaggerating, but I could not get through 30 seconds of material without having to stop and ask them to be quiet because I could not even hear myself talking. The "funniest" (at least according to my sister, who has told everyone we know the story) episode of the day was an encounter I had last period with a student. This girl got up in the middle of lecture, walked over to her friend’s desk across the room and proceeded to lean on her friend’s desk and have a conversation. I asked her to take her seat and she didn't even acknowledge me. I walked over and again asked her to sit down. She turned her head to me, scowled at me and said "I am TALKING to my friend" and turned back to her friend. I told her she could save it for after class and to take her seat. She stood upright said "OH MY GOSH get out of my face... if we was on the streets I would have hit you." I am not kidding. She said that to me. My response: "Awesome, take your seat." She told me I was rude and that she was going to tell the principal on me. This honestly makes me laugh now but how sad is that? How do teachers connect with these kids to encourage them to learn? Do they even want to learn? Certainly there were a few paying attention to me and engaging, but really I am astonished at how disrespectful the majority of them were.
Day 2. Middle School. 8th Grade Physical Science. This day was much better than Day 1, probably because middle schoolers still have enough "fear" of teachers so they get quiet when asked. They were definitely chatty kids but most of them really did pay attention and engaged with me. In my Substitute Handbook it tells us not to lend students ballpoint pens because they can "use them to shoot spit balls." I thought this was a joke. Well my friends, this is no joke and my backside can confirm this. Yes, a student "shot" me in the butt with a little paper spit ball. I do not even know how kids learn to disassemble their pens to use them for this, but REALLY? You are going to shoot the sub in the butt? Ohmylanta.
Day 3. Elementary School. 4th Grade English. HEAVEN. I am so in love with elementary school. Not to mention I love this particular school because I did my senior year internship there in high school. I really enjoyed these kids and actually knew a couple of my students from my job at the gym. The kids were helpful and respectful. There were definitely some moments I had to bring them back to focus, but they actually listened (imagine that, 9 year olds more respectful than 15 year olds). If I could sub at that school every day, any grade, I would be supremely happy.
I know this was super long, but I wanted to share with you just a little about my first week as a sub. Many funny stories to come I am sure!
