Thank you Gentle Reader for your participation and continuous encouragement
along this quest. It heartens me to know you have enjoyed a smile or two with
me along the way and have searched out my blog without even having told you I’ve
written more.
Cheers to the possibilities and inevitability!
Being a Substitute Teacher is really interesting. So far I have been in several different schools with a new classroom for each visit. It’s like the movie 50 First Dates, only I don’t have a sweet, endearing Adam Sandler to snap me into reality. I get the snickers of “We have a Sub” and watch as a malevolent gleam grows across the once innocent smiling faces.
Yesterday was Middle School. Last night I came home exhausted. I did manage to go for a three mile walk. I did create for myself a delicious meal. I did lose myself to the orderly disorder of a hidden object game. But beyond that, I did little more than sleep. Why I woke at 3:20 this morning though, is a mystery.
I am still recovering from my kindergarten cold and will most likely retain for the rest of my life an unnatural fear of shiny-eyed five year olds.
Although yesterday’s experience has shown me that while six years can do much to change their size, the willful spirit of independence still remains. I was told, before class even began, that one or two of the students were already expected to be seen in the office.
1st period came and went. But in 2nd period Spanish I was told by several of the children who would come to see me again for 6th period English… to expect a room of mayhem. I looked on the sheet: “6th Period - This is my most challenging class.”
"No Sub has been able to control that class," I was told by an eager young girl just waiting for the fear to set in. I looked her full in the face. "Well, one did," she admitted reluctantly.
"We are going to be doing things differently," I told the crowd. To be honest, I was un-phased…. something living in the moment has taught me. I was in 2nd period Spanish. I had enough in front of me to deal with. No need to borrow on the fear of what might come.
Every class, so far, has some sort of reward system for good behavior. Being new and a little slow on the uptake, it usually takes me a while before I figure out how to make it work for me.
By 3rd period, I saw an opportunity to reward several of the children who were brilliantly focused on their work. There were others, though, who called out with constant clatter some of the nonsensical chatter of their 5 year old selves. I guess we can call it “reliving their youth”?
As I looked around, I realized a certain dynamic. One boy was trying his best to remain quiet even though he was the focus of another student’s taunting. Rather than reprimand the noise maker, I rewarded the boy. I then also rewarded a few I believed could get out of hand but were currently acting respectably.
“Ms. Crystal,” the loudest chatterer called out.
“I only respond to quiet hands.”
He raised his hand and I walked over.
“”Yes?”
“Can I have one of those fake coin thingies if I’m good?”
I looked at him. “I can tell it has been difficult for you to remain silent, but if you can do that for the rest of the class, I would love to give you one.”
Within seconds his demeanor changed and he became a model student.
The other chatterers slowly, but perceptibly, calmed their noise. It wasn’t that they were also asking for coins as much as the energy in the room had made a shift. My shift. And I liked it.
But 6th period was a different animal altogether…. I could have offered one hundred fake coin thingies and I do not beleive it would have worked.
But now I need to begin my day. I’ll have to share that story later.
Victoria Crystal… living SimpleSexy
www.victoriacrystal.com
Cheers to the possibilities and inevitability!
Being a Substitute Teacher is really interesting. So far I have been in several different schools with a new classroom for each visit. It’s like the movie 50 First Dates, only I don’t have a sweet, endearing Adam Sandler to snap me into reality. I get the snickers of “We have a Sub” and watch as a malevolent gleam grows across the once innocent smiling faces.
Yesterday was Middle School. Last night I came home exhausted. I did manage to go for a three mile walk. I did create for myself a delicious meal. I did lose myself to the orderly disorder of a hidden object game. But beyond that, I did little more than sleep. Why I woke at 3:20 this morning though, is a mystery.
I am still recovering from my kindergarten cold and will most likely retain for the rest of my life an unnatural fear of shiny-eyed five year olds.
Although yesterday’s experience has shown me that while six years can do much to change their size, the willful spirit of independence still remains. I was told, before class even began, that one or two of the students were already expected to be seen in the office.
1st period came and went. But in 2nd period Spanish I was told by several of the children who would come to see me again for 6th period English… to expect a room of mayhem. I looked on the sheet: “6th Period - This is my most challenging class.”
"No Sub has been able to control that class," I was told by an eager young girl just waiting for the fear to set in. I looked her full in the face. "Well, one did," she admitted reluctantly.
"We are going to be doing things differently," I told the crowd. To be honest, I was un-phased…. something living in the moment has taught me. I was in 2nd period Spanish. I had enough in front of me to deal with. No need to borrow on the fear of what might come.
Every class, so far, has some sort of reward system for good behavior. Being new and a little slow on the uptake, it usually takes me a while before I figure out how to make it work for me.
By 3rd period, I saw an opportunity to reward several of the children who were brilliantly focused on their work. There were others, though, who called out with constant clatter some of the nonsensical chatter of their 5 year old selves. I guess we can call it “reliving their youth”?
As I looked around, I realized a certain dynamic. One boy was trying his best to remain quiet even though he was the focus of another student’s taunting. Rather than reprimand the noise maker, I rewarded the boy. I then also rewarded a few I believed could get out of hand but were currently acting respectably.
“Ms. Crystal,” the loudest chatterer called out.
“I only respond to quiet hands.”
He raised his hand and I walked over.
“”Yes?”
“Can I have one of those fake coin thingies if I’m good?”
I looked at him. “I can tell it has been difficult for you to remain silent, but if you can do that for the rest of the class, I would love to give you one.”
Within seconds his demeanor changed and he became a model student.
The other chatterers slowly, but perceptibly, calmed their noise. It wasn’t that they were also asking for coins as much as the energy in the room had made a shift. My shift. And I liked it.
But 6th period was a different animal altogether…. I could have offered one hundred fake coin thingies and I do not beleive it would have worked.
But now I need to begin my day. I’ll have to share that story later.
Victoria Crystal… living SimpleSexy
www.victoriacrystal.com
you brave, brave woman!
ReplyDeleteThanks love! Any kudos gladly accepted :~)
ReplyDelete