Harassed.

Well, I'm still alive.  I've been a "real" teacher for about a month and a half, and it hasn't killed me.

What follows below is heavy on dialog.  All of mine is in bold.

I had a fun experience a couple days ago.  As regular readers might recall, I have taught summer school classes the past three summers.

Earlier this week I was walking around the local big, blue, box-store, when I noticed one of these students behind me with her mother.  I never know what to do in situations like that, so I pretended like I did not see them, and turned a corner.  The next aisle over, I heared the student loudly yell,
"No, mom, don't!"
I think, "okay... this should be interesting."
The mother turned the corner and quickly moved to stand right behind me, not saying anything.  This seemed a bit weird, and now I really wasn't sure what to say or do, so I ignored it and walked further down the aisle.  She followed, and stood silently behind me again.  Now I turned and asked,
"Hi, can I help you?"
"Do you know who I am?"
"Well, I saw you with [student], so you must be with her?"
"Yes, I'm her mother, and I'm also black."
I did not respond to this.  At first I wasn't sure that I had heard her correctly, or even where she was going with the statement.  After a few seconds of silence she continued,
"You kicked my daughter out of your class because she is black."
"I did ask her to leave my classroom.  She wasn't registered in any of my classes."
"You let other kids stay in the room"
"At first I let my kids have guests in my room.  They couldn't handle it, so I revoked the privilege.  After that, I kicked a lot of kids out of my room."
"You're a liar."
"Okay... what would you like to achieve here?"
"I want you to understand that not everyone has to live by your petty, elitist  little rules, and you're not king of the world.  I also want you to know what it feels like to be humiliated and singled out, like you made my daughter feel."
"...alright.  Well, it was nice meeting you."  And with this I turned and walked away from her.  It turned out she wasn't done though.  As I walked away, she followed me while singing at top volume, "this guy harassed my  daughter!  This guy harassed my teenage, high school daughter!  This guy hates black people!"

So, what do you do in a situation like this?  I thought about calling the police, but what good would that have really done?  I didn't want to escalate this, or take up any more of my time.  I also couldn't imagine that she would stick around long enough for the police to be any real help anyway.

I decided to call my mentor teacher.  She's someone who's always been able to give advice/suggestions when it comes to academic related stuff.  I figured she might have some words of wisdom.  As I pulled my phone out to dial, the woman chides,
"I think the number you're looking for is 911.  Maybe the police can help make this 'scary black lady' go away."
I ignored her and dialed.  By the time she picked up, the woman had ran away.  Once I explained what had happened, she assured me it was a "once in a lifetime experience."

When I told my administrator at the alternative ed school about this, he told me I should have filmed her and put it on YouTube.  Maybe if this sort of thing ever happens again, I'll think to do that.  Maybe.

Probably not.

Enlightened.

For a while I forgot this blog existed.  My previous post was just over a month ago, but it feels like a lot more time has passed.
As I discussed in previous posts, I've accepted a full-time teaching job.  We're on week three of school.
Periods 1,2,3 I teach 7th grade history.
4,5,6 I drive down to the alternative ed. school to teach English.
7th hour I drive back to teach high school current events.

So, I'm out of school sick today.  I went in yesterday with what I thought was just a minor cold, something I could just muscle through.  Without going into detail, things got much worse as the day went on.  Come 7th hour, I was more focused on seeing a doctor than getting things around for the next day.
When I got home, I posted for a sub.  Someone I don't know, teaching my kids?  It's a bit nerve wracking.
Because this was last minute, I had to completely re-do my lesson plans for the day.  With that said, though, I think I wrote pretty good sub plans.  I've got a pretty good idea what subs want to know to make their lives easier.

I cannot wait to see how things went.

I've got another sub coming in on Friday because I'll be out of town for a conference.

Employed Full-Time

It finally happened.
I've accepted a full-time teaching position.  It is in a small, rural district.  I've subbed there a LOT, and many of the postings in this blog have come from there.  I completed a couple long-term subbing assignments there, including the art position that I blogged about.
I feel as if I know the school's culture well, along with much of the staff.  I'm much more excited about working in this district than I would be elsewhere.

I believe I will be teaching three blocks of 7th grade social studies, one "to-be-determined" social studies elective, and two blocks of alternative ed.  I go in on Thursday to fill out paperwork.  I'm hoping that I'll know more then.

I'll still be teaching the last session of summer school starting August 5th, until August 22nd.

I'm not sure what direction my blog will take after that.  I might take this one in a new direction, or I might start something new.  I guess we'll see.

In Demand

Friday was the last day for the Seniors at [City Withheld]  High School.
This is a school that I have subbed at many, many times, including a couple long-term jobs.  This year's Seniors were Freshmen when I first started working there.  This is the first time I've ever really been able to see a class through their entire high school career (even if I wasn't there every day). 
Knowing that Friday would be their last day, I decided weeks ago that I would not accept any other jobs for that day. A early last week I started to notice a LOT of job openings.  One school had 10 posted positions for Friday.  I began hearing teachers complaints at other schools about how their posted jobs were not being taken.  I felt reasonably confident that if I did not get into my school of choice, I would easily be able to land a job elsewhere.  There were so many jobs that the staffing agency I work for sent out a mass email telling all their employees to "please make yourselves available" to work on Friday.  That's something I'd never seen before.
Thursday morning I accepted a job at [City Withheld] High School.
When I arrived, I discovered a couple major things.  First, the teacher I was subbing for was actually around and in her classroom all morning, and only needed a sub for the afternoon.  It was unclear why the job had been posted for a full day.  Second, a posted job for a different teacher had gone unfilled.  This kept me very busy all day.

Why was Friday such a popular day for teachers to skip?

Also, one of the Seniors gave me a Senior-photo.  I felt special.

A US History Teacher and a Special Ed Teacher (plus a BONUS rant!)

Today was exciting.
I excepted a job posting to teach high school US History.  When I arrived at the school this morning, I found out that, despite what the job posting said, I was only getting a half day's work (and pay).
Something similar to this happened a month so ago in this same district.  I had planned on registering a very firm complaint about this at the end of the assignment.  Before that could happen, though, I was asked if I could fill in the rest of the day for another teacher, who's sub had not shown up.  I was told that if I accepted I would be paid for two half days, rather than one half day.
I probably should have complained anyway, on principle, but by the end of the day I just wanted out of the building.

The second half of the day was spent with a special education class.  I had a lunch period separating the two parts of my day, and I ate in the special ed room so that I could go over the lesson plans.  The remaining two class periods of the day were rather vague.  They simply talked about taking the kids to the library, with no mention of what they were supposed to do.
Near the end of lunch another teacher came in, asking if I knew about the trip to the library.  I told him that I had seen it mentioned, but no specifics were given.  At this point he explained that my class was meeting up with two other special ed classes, and they were all taking a public bus across town to the public library.
The trip was really very easy.  I was told that the teachers usually just spread out around the building and read, trying to set a "good example" for the students, who pretty much just screw around the whole time.
We returned to school with about 25 minutes left in the day.  The kids were wound up pretty high, and I was not left with any material to fit the situation.  I told them to "sit and read quietly."  Most did, the rest sat and talked, thinking I couldn't hear them.

Okay, so, here's my question to all you other subs out there...
If you accepted an assignment online which was posted as being an entire day (at a full-day's pay), and when you arrived you were told that the assignment was only a half day... would you be upset?  Would you feel cheated?  Am I being melodramatic?

Personally, I won't accept partial day assignments unless it is the day of, and there are no full-day assignments available.  I feel like the district is cheating me - a "bait and switch" sort of deal.
As I said, I had a similar problem with this district a while back.  I didn't write about it, and I probably never will.  I usually try to keep the material here positive and funny (or at least light-hearted).
Suffice it to say, I was under the impression that the district understood why posting jobs incorrectly (in regard to the pay scale) was not in their best interest.

A Test Proctor

I'm on a special assignment.

I have traveled about 100 miles north in order to help proctor a state-run standardized test.  Not only is the subbing agency reimbursing me for my mileage, hotel, and meals, but I'm also earning almost twice what I make at most schools for a subbing job.

The job is almost mind-numbingly easy.  There are 11 students mixed between grades three and eight.  The state requires that each grade have its own proctor.  I spent the first two hours of the day ready to escort kids to the bathroom, and the second two hours watching a single eighth grader take the test.

You may be wondering why any school would want to take part in this absurdly over-priced situation.
First, the state has very strict requirements on the administration of this test.  Second, the school I'm working with is an online charter school.  The students are basically home-schooled, except the curriculum goes through this school, and kids turn in homework online, to a teacher they've never met.   In some cases, the kids (or, I guess their parents) have driven over an hour to be at this testing site.  The school has testing sites all over the state.

I will be here for the rest of this week, and part of next week.

A Security Guard

As I mentioned in a previous entry, I've taken a seasonal job working security at the football games of the local university.
The first game was a few nights back.
The gig was pretty fun.  I just had to walk a corner of the Student Section, and make sure the kids didn't get too crazy.  By and large, it was actually a lot like subbing in most high schools, with the exception that a much higher percentage of these kids were drunk.
The highlight of the night was calling for the paramedics when some girl collapsed.
Next week I've got a 4pm-4am shift working security in the dorms the night before a huge game, followed by another 12 hour shift during and after said game.  It should be a lot of fun.


On a separate note, school starts on this Tuesday.  Last year I started getting work on day 2 of the year.  Maybe this year I can get work on day one?  How fun would THAT be?

Helpful

I was called today by one of the head people of a subbing agency I work for.
Apparently one of the districts in which I work has had a very hard time getting subs to fill jobs in their elementary.  It sounded like the district leaders were putting some pressure on the agency, trying to find out why.  It was decided that the best way to answer "why" might be to actually survey some of the subs that work in the district.
This also happened to be the same district that would often give me problems with my pay.  The agency has very misleading (I would say wrong) rates on their website for the school.  They are pictured below.  Keep in mind that multiple days, mean consecutive days as the same teacher.

The pay rates, as listed on the company website.

To me this means that if you're the same teacher two to ten days in a row, you get $75 per day.  The agency says this only applies to long-term subs, though there is no mention at all of this anywhere on the website - trust me, I searched VERY hard.  According to the agency, the school has exceptionally complicated "pay codes," and this is their best translation, and reflects the wishes of the school.  It took many strongly worded emails to their customer service before I was paid my missing $15.
Oh, and on two separate occasions, the school forgot to submit my work logs to the company for my pay.

I explained this to the guy, and suggested that if I'd had trouble with my pay, others might be in the same boat.  I also pointed out that the district pays less per day than all of the surrounding schools, that a few times I've noticed the elementary jobs posted with the wrong building and address, and lastly that The school is kind of in the middle of nowhere.

The guy said that he would be looking into the possible pay "errors" right away.  He also sounded as if the other things I'd mentioned were very useful, and gave me what sounded like a sincere "Thanks, keep up to good work."

For the first time ever I actually felt like the agency gave a damn.



**UPDATE - 9/1/2012**
A recent look at the agency's website shows that they have corrected the posted pay information for the school AND raised the per day pay to match that of surrounding schools.
Did my suggestions help out all the other subs that work there?  I'd like to think so.

A Job Hunter and A Social Studies Teacher (Summer 2012)

I have just finished the first week of the August secession of summer school.
The program ran for three weeks back in June, and I've now got two more weeks left in August.

I have about twice as many kids this time; 11 instead of 6.  I've got four different classes going on at the same time.  That isn't really too difficult to manage, but I've got a couple students who won't stay on task unless I'm watching over them directly.  Another student works really well by himself if I leave him alone, but he has a fancy pair of Beats by Dre headphones, and blasts them into his ears at max volume.  Sometimes he will burst briefly into song for a few seconds.  It's actually pretty funny, and since he's working so well I ignore it.

For those of you keeping track, I did not get that job I mentioned a while back.  In fact, I've only had three interviews all summer.  Despite numerous sent applications.
This past Monday I interviewed for a parapro position at a local alternative ed school.  The job sounded awesome, and the interview went really well, except that it ended with them telling me that I was overqualified.  They also said that it paid a good deal less than I would make subbing five days a week.

On Tuesday I interviewed with a local company that provides security to the University's home football games.  After explaining how my experience wrangling teenagers is actually quite similar to crowd control, the interviewer told me that she thought I "would be a very good fit for the student section."  This job is, for now, only seven home games, but it is in the evenings and weekends, so it should be interesting.
Maybe I'll keep you posted.

Looking For A Job

I've got a job interview coming up on Thursday (7/12/2012).
It is with a school just about 230 miles north of where I'm living now. It is for a social studies teaching position.  I'm not exactly sure if it is middle school or high school, since I've seen the district posting for both.

I wonder sometimes what will become of this blog if/when I get a full-time teaching job.  The blog's premise, which is "pretending to be a teaching of any given subject," would become almost more self-deprecating than I'd like.  Perhaps I'll rename the blog, and continue on as a teaching blog?  Maybe I'll abandon the whole thing, and just start a new one? I suppose deleting everything, and forgetting the whole endeavor is also an option... though probably not one that I'll go with.

This is something I can probably worry about later.

p.s.
For those of you keeping track, I'm not just "pretending" to look for a job.  My job hunt is very much real.  I just wanted the title to fit the over all theme.

End of The Year Totals...

I just did some counting.
For the 2011/2012 school year, I worked 160 of 180 possible days.
I suspect this would have been higher, if I hadn't been working another job at the start of the school year.

Adventurous

I've accepted a job for tomorrow with the following note attached to it: We will be going on a field trip to Forest Hill- you will need a sack lunch and will want to wear jeans/tennis shoes. Another class will be going also, so there will be another teacher there. 


Not only have I never subbed for this class, but I have only worked in this particular building once.
And did I mention that it is 4th grade?  I avoid elementary jobs like the plague.

It should be an adventure.

A High School Librarian... again

I spent more time in the high school today working on the inventory.  My two day total was just about 4,000 books scanned.  I can only really ball-park on the exact time spent working on this (what with taking a lunch break, and stopping to let the scanner charge), but I think I averaged about 15 books a minute.

Confused?  Check out my last two posts, here and here.

A High School Librarian

Same teacher today as Monday.

The high school library is starting an inventory of their collection.  Since I was pretty much disposable labor for about two hours, I was given the privilege of kicking off the event.  In just under two hours, I scanned a just over 1,500 books.
I think there are a few librarians out there reading this... is that a high number?
Either way, I will more than likely get to do it again tomorrow.  I'm hoping to beat my high score.

A Dreamer

My intention when building this blog was to keep it from ever being a place to rant about my political opinions.

However, I found this video on YouTube, and I really have to post it here.

I'm not a scientist, let alone an astronaut, but NASA and the space programs have always held a strong fascination for me... I'm sure my love of Star Trek is connected some how.

Whenever I hear people talking about de-funding NASA, it makes me sad.  

Take a look at this video, maybe you'll agree that continuing to fund our nation's future isn't such a bad thing.

Amused by the System

As I've mentioned in previous updates, the way the subbing systems work (or at least the two I work for) is that teachers either call or log-in to an automated system, and enter the info for the job they need covered.  If you do it online, teachers can add in special notes.

Every so often I'll see a job posting with a note saying, "No sub needed, job filled internally."  

So... 1) Why do they bother posting it to the job board?  Depending on your setting, some people may be getting CALLED as early as 4am because the job is posted to a particular school on their list.  And, B) what would they do if I accepted the job and showed up ready to work?

Everything...

I covered IEP meetings today.  It was similar to another job I wrote about, about a month ago (more or less, I haven't actually looked it up).
I ended up with about two and a half hours of down time in the middle of the day, plus several 15-20 blocks throughout the day.

Most of the teachers didn't even know they had a meeting until I showed up.

I covered for a science teacher who was conducting a cool experiment with middle school students.  They were filling glass bottles with varying amounts of water and comparing the pitch made by tapping them.

Hopeful

All the local schools start tomorrow.

With any luck, I'll get a subbing gig on day one.  That would be pretty cool.  Last year I was getting jobs pretty solid from day two forward.

A Photographer

As I mentioned in my last post, nearly a month ago, I've taken a job as a photographer.
I've been training now for just about a week.  The studio for which I'm working is located inside of a major, national, big-box store, so I see a lot of people who aren't interested in photography.  This includes a lot of students I've subbed for.
It has been kinda funny, actually.  Many students will come up to me and say "hi," and want to know "what I'm doing there."
It's nice to be recognized, but sometimes it can be hard to skirt around the fact that I have no idea what the students' names are, or even what school they go to.