Thursday, April 20, 2023
I went to kindergarten! On purpose! I signed up at to do a half day sub job in kindergarten at my favorite elementary school. Two days ago the teacher texted me and asked if I could do the entire day. My first thought was that I wasn’t sure I could do the half day…but I said sure. That is literally what I texted back – sure – because I was afraid of letting him know how inexperienced I was! I thought writing, “I can try,” or “Maybe…” might not be the best idea.
I have had these kids in the library a bunch of times and was also in their classroom a couple half hours while I subbed for the EL teacher. You remember Maverick, right? It’s his class. I thought I could do it, because I know a bunch of their names already. I know two of them cry all the time (and that I shouldn’t take it personally). It is a big class – 28 kids – and they have a full time paraprofessional because of that. I was feeling very confident because of the paraprofessional. She is another adult I can look at and make gestures at and basically say, “What now?” to whenever things are going off the rails. I was completely confident.
And it was fine! Only ONE kid cried (three times). I was called Mrs. Teacher A LOT. I was told, “That is not the way we do it,” only four times (which I considered to be a complete win). One kid spent a LOT of time crawling under the tables. There was a tornado drill while they were IN PHY ED!! One of the “watch out for” kids was absent.
There were goldfish crackers!! (I have an exceptional affection for goldfish crackers. I did not have any while the kids were there, but I totally ate a handful afterschool).
I go back on Monday, and I am looking forward to it. Not only for the goldfish crackers, either.