Picky is working

Friday, January 26, 2024

I have been trying to be very selective about which sub jobs I pick up. I am going to elementary school more often, and boldly choosing to be a classroom teacher sometimes. It wasn’t so long ago that the thought of that would have kept me up at night, but now I am excited to go. I actually hop out of bed most mornings really interested in going to work. Third and fourth grade are the sweet spot – old enough to know the routine, happy to teach it to me, and not fifth graders (who are too cool for school). I went a little rogue this week and picked up a 6th grade social studies job from an unknown teacher (I’m sure other people know her. I do not). I have been having a lot of good days at that school, so I thought I would give it a whirl.

What a total win. The kids had a good assignment, using a website to watch short videos in order to answer questions in a packet. It is hard for me when they are working totally on the computer, because I can’t see what they should be doing or what they are doing. I had time at the beginning of the hour to chat with them a bit. We had group conversations about ice cream cones, camping, what makes a state great, and the fact that John Tyler, 10th president (took office in 1841), has a living grandson and then got down to work. And they worked. Every hour. Fifth hour wanted to adopt me and make me their teacher (John Tyler chat was a BIG hit), or at least their always sub (sorry, Mrs. Kramer, they really don’t like you). The teacher left me laminated hexigons to cut out. I am able to remember that there are kids to supervise and to help while I am cutting laminated items, but it is really hard. Cutting is so great.