Completed Papers Are Paper Clipped to the Rooster
Winner of the Teacher of the Month Award Proofreads Her Notes
I leave very detailed notes for the teacher when I sub.
Today I was covering for one of my favorite teachers, someone who teaches reading. She knows the mystery of how to teach older kids to read. The kids we have do not learn as small children like I did. Maybe some, but they don’t read happily or fluently.
As I wrote my sub note, it occurred to me that something looked off.
She had left me the perfect sub packet: neatly arranged class lists, packet of paper work for the kids to do. I would expect no less. This teacher falls into the “I want to be her when I grow up,” category for me.
So I paper clipped the completed papers to the…
The English language is a beautiful thing, isn’t it?
Before you think that farm animals abound or are being in any way inconvenienced in the production of education in West Philly, let me assure you, no roosters were harmed. You guessed it, I clipped the papers to the roster.
My tired brain misread that one as “Edible templates for teachers…”
We are back from yet another two days off due to the second snow storm, and I really need for it to be the last. One of the Assistant Principals asked me how my snow days were. I hate them because when I don’t work, I don’t get paid, and it is quite anxiety producing. Plus, I miss the kids. No one outside of school yells, “Sticker Lady!” when I walk in and runs up to hug me!
There are far too many disruptions in learning, and snow storms are the newest one. A good friend of mine, an aspiring legislator, told me that he’s reading all these parent memes begging schools to please keep their kids in for a full week! Indeed. They barely get back to work when we’re out again.
In good news, last week I got an email from my agency saying that I won Teacher of the Month! For my city, there was another one for DC. They had a little article in the newsletter today, and it was adorable. I’m very proud of my Teacher of the Month award. While I want something more consistent, that pays better and with benefits, I no longer feel “less than” for being a substitute teacher. I’m a good one, and what I do matters to the kids, teachers and administrators, and probably to the parents by now.
I wish my Dad were here to see my Teacher of the Month article. He used to say to me that he didn’t care what I did, as long as I was the best at it. Well, here you go Dad. My mom, who also taught everything from little ones to college and PhD students, as well as my step-mother who was a kindergarten teacher were proud.
On Sunday, before the snow started, I went to the Catholic church near me. It’s a giant, beautiful old one. Hard to hear the priests due to crying babies, but I really enjoyed the calm, beauty and reverence of the service. No ranting about politics. No pressure.
I’ll go back.
Today I got to meet Charlotte, the School Tarantula.
This is not Charlotte, this is a rose hair tarantula on Facebook. Charlotte is blacker. She lives in a room where I sub a lot, and today the teacher was in. I guess he’s her human father. She’s very pretty and he says she’s friendly. Maybe I can hold her sometime.
One of the other teachers was asking if she was okay, and I got really scared. I’ve seen her many times before but did not know her name until today. “Is she sick?” I asked.
“No, she just needs some water,” he said.
Years ago a friend of mine collected tarantulas. He would rescue them from pet stores where they were getting sick and dying because you have to give them the right humidity and water. So I spent much of the day worried about Charlotte.
After school I stopped by the room, and Charlotte looked much happier than earlier, up and about, being her furry spidery self.
“Did she get her drink?” I asked the teacher.
“Yes, she got her water.”
We chatted a bit, I found out her name, and he said she’s very docile and sweet. I wonder what she thinks of the kids coming in and out. Her terrarium is on the top of a bookshelf where no kid could get to her and harm her, even by accident. This is good - it’s generally very safe there but you can never be too careful.
Thinking about Charlotte needing her drink, and how she might be late getting it (though she was not sick at all and I’m sure he would have gotten in if it had been longer and she had been in any danger) since we were out of school, got me to pondering how awful it can be to be dependent on someone else. Her human is not at school when it snows. I don’t get to go to school when it snows. Then there are those random days when I just don’t get a shift. The kids don’t get their stickers and I don’t get paid.
As Steve is writing and sharing others’ stories about gig work, unemployment, and falling down the class ladder, I identify. I miss the security of having sick days and vacation time. And grateful I am for the other gigs and friends who have helped me survive along the way.
But things are gradually looking up. I’m applying for full time teaching jobs, and while one likely won’t start until next year, it’s good to be applying.
Years ago I would have thought that teaching was not quite exciting enough for me. But with tarantulas, roosters, stickers and a regular paycheck - sounds like paradise.
A good friend sent me this hilarious video: an Irish folks song about the Simon Ehrlich Wager. You need this today, just as much as I did!
Congrats- Teacher of the Month!
Interestingly, when my dad went back to work after ostensibly retiring, he started as a substitute teacher and then went full time.
I hope you get that full time job you want. Those kids would be lucky to have you.
👏 🥇