Category Archives: Teaching*

Well, as I left my last job post at an awkward place I thought I should probably begin my holiday post schedule with details on where I’ve been all month!

I mentioned in my last post that I received the call for the job at 8pm on a Thursday night, and I started work the next morning. I didn’t really know what to expect, but as I have done other short-term extended supply work before I assumed it would be similar. In those situations, I was basically just a proxy for the regular teacher–a licensed teacher in the room for legal purposes. In every other scenario I’ve been in, I either had lesson plans pre-made for me, or I was given the materials and I just worked with what I had. I was still able to communicate with the teacher, and all marking went home to them–not with me.

This time? Not so much.

I walked in at my regular time on Friday morning to find utter chaos on this man’s desk. Not only were there no instructions or plans, I couldn’t even piece together what the previous supply teachers had done as no one had left any coherent notes.

Another teacher in the department came into the room seconds later and looked from me to the pile on the desk and just began apologizing. He quickly told me that this teacher had already been out for two weeks, not one, and that I was the fourth supply teacher to come in during that time.

*face palm*

Oh, and that he had absolutely no idea what the kids had been doing for the last 2 – 3 weeks. No one did. He handed me a pile of photocopied ISU (Independent Study Unit) handouts for my classes as a peace offering, then told me just to take the day to talk to the kids and figure out where they were. He guessed that my two periods of Grade  9 English were somewhere in Romeo and Juliet, and that my Grade 10 English class might be just finishing To Kill a Mockingbird. He then apologized again and hurried off to prep for his own classes.

I looked at the clock–8:25am. I had 15 minutes to try and plan out my day. I quickly shuffled through the mess of attendance sheets, handouts and marking that littered the desk looking for something that I could use as a guide, but the most detailed notes I found were “Great day. No problems.” left from a teacher three days previous. Feeling wholly unprepared and a little nervous, I made my way over to the classroom to begin the day.

As the bell rang for each class, it quickly became apparent that these kids had ruled their classroom for the last two weeks. There was no semblance of a seating plan, they had forgotten all concept of  listening when the teacher was speaking, and most were blatantly sitting & texting on their cell phones while I explained their new situation. One kid even sat down with a bucket of greasy chicken and ate his lunch in the middle of my class.

I quickly made a decision: deal with the lessons first, and the behaviors second.

In each class I explained to the kids that I was going to be their new teacher until the end of the semester. As I had been in with these classes before they all knew me and (for the moment) were okay with the decision. As I began to piece together what they had been doing for the last two weeks I learned that they had basically been a complete waste. My Grade 9s were indeed in their Romeo and Juliet unit, but when I asked them to show me where they were in the play in their books, they all looked at me blankly. A few began offering plot points to me, which raised my first red alarm. So, I asked:

“How have you been studying the play so far?”

My heart sank a little when a student told me that they had been watching not one, but two versions of the film, and that they were in different places in each movie. I’m trying hard not to judge, but the teacher before me (who claimed to be an English teacher) decided that it would be easier to show not one, but two versions to take up some time. So, my kids knew all about Leonardo Dicaprio and basic plot points, but when I asked them about themes, language, and literary devices they all looked at me like I had grown a second head. I immediately made them all take out their books and we began backtracking and learning how to read Shakespeare as this was their first time ever being exposed to it.

My grade 10 class was no better. They had indeed finished their To Kill a Mockingbird unit… two weeks ago. They should have been well into their Shakespeare unit, but instead had spent two weeks fiddling around with their essays for TKAM… which were still no where near done when I arrived. I told them that they had until Monday to get it in to me. Period. They too were used to running the room and I knew I’d have to do a major overhaul come Monday morning.

At the end of the day I wearily sank into my chair and realized the extent of what I had signed up for. In all my classes, the ISU units had not even been introduced, let alone started. I was basically starting at square one with all three Shakepseare units.

…and there were only 5.5 teaching weeks until the exam.

To say I was stressed is an understatement. I already knew that the first two weekends in December were booked–my aunt was visiting the same night I started working and I had book club on the first weekend, and the Hubster’s mom flew in to see us the next.

…and then I discovered the marking. I wasn’t told what happened to the teacher I replaced, and I still don’t have a clue. All I know is that he basically had to drop everything to take a leave of absence, and that no one is really in contact with him. If ever I absolutely need something, I have to go to my department head who then makes arrangements to get in touch with this man. On my second day there, my grade 9s asked me when they would be getting their essays back.

…essays?

I soon found out that they had handed in essays to their teacher, who had taken them with him (unmarked) when he left. This is another story all in itself, but by day three I had three sets of class essays to mark that I hadn’t assigned… along with  a pile of other things that had been left or collected in his absence.

As far as the behaviors go, I laid down the new laws on day two. No more cell phones in class. Period. If I’m talking / teaching, they are not. Only healthy snacks in my classroom. And new seating plans… glorious new seating plans. I didn’t win many friends that day, but I did begin to see their respect. I also abandoned the films for Romeo and Juliet, much to their dismay. We backtracked through the first two acts, then began reading the play in Act III. The poor kids had no idea how to navigate through the language, and as they continued to ask every day when we’d be watching the movies again, I let them know that the films were there to help them understand after reading, not before.

Besides, they had already seen most of them anyway. *sigh*

I’ve now been teaching for three weeks, and I’m just beginning to feel like I’m getting my bearings. I’m still very nervous for January as I have no idea how I’m going to fit everything in before the exam, but I know I can handle it. The hard part is knowing that those two weeks before I came in were just… wasted. Each week is precious in teaching time, and now I know I have to really push the kids just to make sure they have what they need to be successful on their exam.

So, I’m still muddling through things as I figure everything out, and new surprises crop up every other day. On my first “official” day of the assignment, I learned that I also had caf duty for the week and a staff meeting. My department has been wonderful though, and my department head continues to reassure me that I’m doing a good job and helps me in whatever way he can.

Do I regret taking the assignment? No. I wish I had known exactly what I was walking into when I started, but I still love this school with all my heart. My only reservation is that in less than a week I’ll be 9 months pregnant and the countdown to my due date will really be on.I just didn’t expect this kind of work this late in my pregnancy–I mean, really now, I was 8 months pregnant when I was offered the job. I was so sure that I’d be on daily supply until my maternity leave that I boxed up all my teaching books and sold my desk.

(The Hubster loves that I have since completely taken over our kitchen table with piles of marking and prep work. ha.)

It just goes to show that you can never really know when an amazing teaching opportunity will pop up. I am thrilled that I’m able to have this experience before I venture into motherhood… it’s just stressful knowing that I am now responsible for whether or not these kids pass or fail.  I feel like I have so little time to teach them what they need.

But, such is life. So, I take each day at a time and hope for the best.

And hope that this little wee-bean likes my belly enough to stay in there until the job ends on January 31st!

I have been happily supply teaching in my school board for the last year and a half.

I somehow lucked into a perfect position where I was primarily back and forth between my two favourite schools, and 90% of my work calls were made days in advance. I often worked 3.5 – 4 days a week which was perfect for me, especially now in my large and pregnant state.

If I’m being perfectly honest, I loved life as a supply teacher so much that I had moments where I wasn’t even sure if I wanted a full-time position. My lessons were always created and prepped for me, there was no marking, and each day I left before 3pm and had my evenings completely free.

But there is one school in my board that I knew I would never turn down. It’s my happy place–my “Cinderella” school. You see, for me supply teaching is a bit like shoe shopping. I get to walk in and “try on” different schools to see if it’s a good fit. There are many schools that I love going to, and many that I would absolutely dread spending even half a day at.

And then there’s MDS: My Dream School. In my first few months of supply teaching I was getting calls all over my board as no one school knew who I was yet. As I slowly ticked all the high schools off my list, I realized that there were only a few schools that I had yet to be called to, and MDS was one of them.  I had worked almost 6 months before I got my first call there, and as soon as I walked through the doors I had my Cinderella moment: it was a perfect fit. It was like that moment when the prince’s attendant finally slides the glass slipper onto Cinderella’s foot and it fits so perfectly–this school and I fit together the same way.

After that first random call, I began to be requested there on a regular basis, to the point where I would spend full weeks there just hopping between departments and teachers. I got to know the English department very well, and was often specifically requested by the department head.

This fall has been no different. Early on in the semester I began to be requested at MDS again, and loved spending every moment there. As the wee-bean continued to grow and I began to feel the effects of my second and third trimester, I was very grateful to be supply teaching as the work load was very light. Aside from a few random calls to schools I don’t often go to, I spent a lot of time at my lovely MDS.

On Monday, November 28th I woke up early as I hadn’t yet received a call from dispatch for work. I went through the motions to get ready, and when my phone did ring shortly after 7am with a call to go spend the day at my second favourite school, I happily accepted. This school is right around the corner from me and has the latest start time in my board, so I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and took my time getting ready.

Shortly before 8am my phone rang again. I didn’t recognize the number, but I answered it anyway. I was shocked to find the  secretary at MDS on the other end. Our conversation went something like this:

Gina: “Hi Shop Girl! Sorry to call you at home, but did you receive a call from dispatch this morning?”

Me: “I did, but it was for another school. Why?”

Gina: “Oh, that makes me SO mad!  Did they even tell you about the request I put in for you?”

Me: “No… what request?”

(I should mention that our school board is one of the few boards in the province that still has real people calling from dispatch. We’re not automated yet.)

Gina: “I put in a request to have you come in and work all week for Mr. S. He’s quite ill and is out all week. I can’t understand why they didn’t give it to you, as soon as I saw he was out I knew you’d be perfect for it as his kids already know you. There’s something weird going on here. I’m going to get the principal to look into it.”

So, I immediately begin trying to find a way to get the assignment, but she let me know that it had already been filled by someone she had never had into the school before. She apologized for the mix-up and promised to figure out what happened before letting me go.

To say I was upset would be putting things mildly. I was mad that I had missed out on a full week of work at my favourite school, and I was furious at dispatch for not even telling me about it. I went to off to work in a rather foul mood.

I was able to put it out of my head as the week progressed, and my second favourite school actually kept me incredibly busy. I worked every day, and on Wednesday night my phone rang again. Dispatch called and let me know that I had been requested to work at MDS on Friday–in for the same teacher I had previously been requested for. I thought it was a bit odd as the original assignment had been for a full week and it had been filled by someone else, but I happily accepted.

While I was working at another school on Thursday, Gina called and left a message on my cell asking if I could tentatively leave Monday open as well as they weren’t sure when this teacher (Mr. S) would be returning. It meant turning down a job at my second favourite school, but I was happy to do it.

That night (December 1st) I went home and was puttering around my house like I always do. I was sitting at my computer when my phone rang shortly after 8pm. It was dispatch again.

Dispatch: “Hi Shop Girl, I have a request for you at MDS.”

Me: “Oh, great!”

Dispatch: “I’m sure you already know this, but you’ve been requested to cover for Mr. S at MDS from December 2nd – January 31st.”

Me: “…pardon me? Did I hear that correctly??”

Dispatch: “Oh! I guess they haven’t spoken with you yet. They’d like you to come in for this teacher until the end of the semester. Will you accept the assignment?”

Me (absolutely flabbergasted): “Oh course! Thank you!!”

I hung up and sat at the table staring at my phone for a moment before I dashed off to find the Hubster. We were both floored by what had just happened, but I was beyond excited. I wasn’t sure how it was going to work, but I had just been handed a two-month position at my all-time favourite school, and I started the next day.

After the initial rush of excitement died down a little, I realized that this job was going to take me very close to my due date, with just a 5-day window. It worried me a little, but I knew everything would work out. I was just dying for details.

So, the next morning I woke up early, packed my teacher bag and headed off to work.

I had absolutely no idea what I was walking in to…

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about why I chose to become a teacher in Ontario.

The truth is, in this current job market, it wasn’t a one-time choice. It’s a choice I continue to make every day.

I choose to get up and wait each morning for a call to work, and on the days when the call doesn’t come, I choose to look at a day off as an opportunity or luxury that I wouldn’t otherwise have if I was working full-time.

Really though, I know I’m pretty fortunate. The days that I do get calls far outnumber the days that I don’t. Sometimes I’m afraid to talk about it, because I know that in my board I’m very lucky. I still troll through that same Facebook Group and constantly see teachers complaining about the lack of work, and my region / school board has come up more than once as being notoriously difficult to survive in.

I often feel guilty that I’m getting calls when others aren’t.

I like to think that part of it is because some of the joy and passion that I expressed in my last post comes through my teaching style and interactions with staff and students.

I like to think it’s because I work hard at what I do, and I like to think that it’s because I have more successful teaching days than failures.

After posting my article, a friend commented on a reference I made to some of my “bad” days as a substitute teacher, wondering how I handle being in those situations when they do arise.

Luckily for me, in the two years that I’ve been supply teaching, I can count the number of bad days I’ve had on one hand.

Of course, my definition of a bad day might be a little different than most.

Since beginning this career, I’ve been sworn at, had students walk out of class, had elastics thrown at me, had personal items stolen, been told that I am I am a terrible teacher, felt completely out of control and even had a student escape through a window.

(Yes, that actually happened.)

To someone outside this profession–or even to someone who has a full-time job and sees the same students in the same school each day–any or all of these may seem like a career deal breaker.

So, why do I deal with it?

Because I love it.

I didn’t love those particular days, but I survived them. Over the last two years I’ve learned a few ways to get through the hard days so that they don’t cloud over the good ones.

For starters, my job is all about picking battles. On any given day I’ll teach anywhere from 75 – 100 teenagers. Seventy-five tired, hormonal, stressed teenagers who often believe they already know everything that you could possibly have to teach them.

Because I mean really, I’m just a supply teacher, right? What could I know?

The moment I step into a classroom I have to command attention and control of the room. To these students, I’m just another supply teacher. I could be just like the one they had before, with whom they didn’t get along and disagreed with his/her methods of teaching.

Some teachers like to enforce immediate silence.  Some like to start yelling or using props to command attention.

I prefer to smile. I say hello to each student as they come through my door.

And then I wait.

You see, I’ve learned that the way that I begin my class is the most effective tool I have in my teaching arsenal. If I am on my game and don’t let anything from my personal life affect those first 30 seconds after the bell–exhaustion, stress, or whatever it may be–then it’s almost always going to be a good class.

I also have to remember to be realistic. I work with teenagers. Teenagers who attract drama and gossip like flies to honey, and if I prevent them from having 30 seconds to greet each other and dish the latest news before beginning my class, they’ll just do it while I’m teaching instead.

This lets them know one important thing: I’m not a robot.

(To teenagers, becoming a human being in their eyes is a very important thing.)

The trick is not to let it go on too long. Instead of shouting at the room to be quiet, I simply call out “Good Morning / Afternoon!” when I’m ready to begin. Most of the time, this makes someone laugh or smile and the class clown at the back of the room will inevitably respond with a hearty, “HELLO MISS”.

I could say something about shouting in class or go the primary division route and remind them all about “indoor voices”, but again: it’s all about choosing battles. Instead I find it wildly more effective to stop everything and respond to the student with a laugh and say hello back. This immediately establishes that I have a sense of humor and again, am not a robot.

Then I switch into business mode. I’m not someone who believes in introducing myself with a speech or going over a lengthy list of classroom rules at the beginning of class. Here’s a secret: they don’t care. Unless it’s a grade 12 class about to apply to university, they don’t care where you went to school, what your teachables are, or what your wishes and dreams are. They already know the classroom and school policies, even if they pretend they don’t. Instead, I give the class my name, power through the attendance and go over the agenda for the period with the class, which I always have written on the board.

Then it’s straight to work.

I usually let students chat quietly while they work, and circulate through the room to maintain crowd control. Would it be easier to sit at the front desk, demand silence and read a book while they work? Sure.

But then I would miss out on the awesome opportunity of getting to know these students. While I circulate I stop at each desk and make comments about things I see–books they have chosen to read, essays they are writing, quotes they have written on their pencil cases, etc. I make an effort to help them understand the work their teacher has left them and help them be successful students.

I do this because I believe it shows each students that I see them, and not just another group of kids I have to teach to get through the day. It helps me build relationships with them, even when it’s just for 76 minutes.

It helps those students remember me, so that the next time I teach them, they are excited to have me back in the class.

Of course, this method doesn’t work for everyone.

Sometimes my cheery hello and attempts to get to know students while they work are met with resistance and anger. It’s in those moments that I have to remember that those negative emotions usually have nothing to do with me–I’m just the target at that given moment.

Usually it’s a result of something going on with a friend, a parent, a teacher or some other authority figure, or most often it’s a lack of understanding in the material being taught.

And that frustration comes out and is directed at me.

Usually I can diffuse the situation with a little understanding, patience and sense of humor.

Occasionally though, I’ll go through every idea I have and realize that there’s nothing that I can do. In that moment I have a decision to make: I have to evaluate whether or not the behavior of the student is affecting the learning experience of the other students in the room.

Occasionally I have to do what I hate and contact the office for support.

For me, this is a last resort and I only do it when I feel that I have exhausted every other option available to me.

Want the truth? Some students will try out the behaviors just to see how far they can push you. They aren’t bad kids, they just are just used to pushing someone and meeting no resistance.

For some of these kids, a trip to the office isn’t a punishment, it’s an opportunity to take a walk, check their cell phones and tell their vice principal that the supply teacher over reacted and they don’t really know why they’ve been sent there.

Think back to your own high school experience: didn’t you push the borders a little with supply teachers too?

So, using a curse word  in my class won’t get you a trip to the office. It’ll get you a stern look and a gentle reprimand, but not a trip out. I would only ever send a student out for swearing if the situation was extreme and the language and emotion behind the word was directed at another person.

It’s all about choosing your battles, right?

As far as throwing things goes, it happens. I’ve had paper, elastics and a host of other things “tossed in my general direction”.

Again, for the most part they are just testing the water, and it’s amazing what a fierce look will do to quell the urge to throw something more than once in my class. I’ve only ever had one thing thrown at me with real intent, and I was in a special education classroom at the time so the circumstances were entirely different.

…and thankfully their aim wasn’t great and the desk was too heavy to throw very far.

All in all I’m happy to take the challenges with the good, as in my experience the challenges have been few. I could easily choose to focus on these hard days and complain, but then I know I’d miss out on all the other amazing students I encounter on a near-daily basis.

I wouldn’t be able to get past the behaviors to see the struggling student underneath who just needs a break on the day that I’m there.

And worst of all, I’d miss out on the joy this profession can offer. I’d miss out on being able to teach, even if it is while I have an elastic thrown at me.

So, I choose to take each day at a time, and leave the emotions associated with a challenging class at the door when I leave each day.

I remember that I chose to become a teacher for a reason, and that even though I’ll have days where I may question that, the good will always outweigh the bad.

And lastly, here’s my biggest secret to surviving life as a substitute teacher– on those days when things just don’t seem to be going my way, I channel a little Anne of Green Gables:

“Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it. (yet.)”