It is Friday. Normally, I look forward to Fridays for the same reason all people look forward to Fridays: getting through them earns you a ticket to Saturday. Today, I had an extra reason to be excited; my chickens were coming home to roost. In day one of my extended middle school assignment, I had assigned an oral presentation to my 7th graders. Now, the students would be going up in front of the class to give their speeches.
Would they take it seriously?
Children are mean. Some grow mean as they age, while others seem to have been born that way. They bully classmates to feel strong, make fun of others to draw attention away from their own imperfections, and talk back to teachers. Unfortunately, it is a problem some children take with them to adulthood, and single-serving substitutes are usually powerless to prevent it.
But what happens when a child innocently exhibits bigotry in the classroom?
A good teacher is hard to come by, but easy to spot. Sure, most teachers try hard, but only a select few really shine. Today, I caught a glimpse of a particularly brilliant teacher. Although I did not observe her in her element, I did notice how her classes acted in her absence. The following is a list of the top five things I noticed:
It happened without warning–when they least expected it–on a bright Tuesday afternoon. It was a shock because the relationship had been so strong: the bonds so close. Yet, it was hard to deny that the warning signs had been there all along. Today, I witnessed an emotional breakup between seven girls.
What makes this job ugly?
It is not the bad students. It is not the long days. No, substitute teaching becomes ugly–almost horrific–when there are no coherent lesson plans. Walking into a class without a lesson plan is like walking into a jungle without bug spray: all you get is a thick swarm buzzing around aimlessly in hissing cloud.
