A Well-Rounded Education

I'm nearing the end of my third week as a substitute teacher, and I have to say it's quite an eye-opening experience. I have taught several different topics so far, including English/Language Arts, Social Studies, and Art. I was even "tricked" into being the In-School Suspension Coordinator for a middle school last week. The computer said it was a Social Studies assignment, so I accepted...and then found out when I arrived that the Social Studies teacher is now the ISSP Coordinator (translation: let's put 11 kids with attitude and behavior issues into one small room the size of a storage closet with no windows and teach them to behave...not likely). I survived, but wow, do I ever have more respect for my parents for raising my brother and I to respect our elders after being so disrespected by the ISSP students. Those kids were obviously testing me, and I get that, but if I had EVER acted like that in school I wouldn't have been able to live it down with my folks.

And today, I taught Math to sixth and seventh-grade students at another middle school. Math, as anyone who knows me well enough will understand, is not my favorite subject. I really do believe that despite my teacher's best efforts, I was just never meant to be a math person. I can compute basic figures in my head well enough. I liked Geometry because it was like a game to me somehow. But where in life will you REALLY need to know that (3+x)/(14-y)=132? I mean, that's fine if you want to be a scientist or a mathematician, but I was just more worried about learning to balance my checkbook. Anything with the word "calculus" in it was just too terrifying for me. But the teacher who called me to sub for her is a friend from church, and I've known her for quite some time...so I accepted the assignment and just hoped for the best...at least it wasn't high school pre-calc or something like that.

Lo and behold, she had an awesome lesson plan all written out for me and all I had to do was follow it carefully. Hand out the assignment, help the 6th graders if they had questions, and make sure the 7th graders didn't talk during their test. It was somewhere about halfway through the day that I realized, "I can totally relate to these kids." Now, I don't think I'm going to run out and get my teaching certificate and specialize in Math, but I had some sort of epiphany that because Math frustrates me, I was really working harder to make sure the students could get a better handle on things. Maybe that will make a difference for them later down the road, even just a tiny insignificant difference.

So subbing is going well. The kids are having a blast with my mom during the day, so that's just another blessing I count among many each time. And several teachers today asked me for my contact information so they could call and request me, so I take that as a positive sign. I don't know if middle school is really my "favorite" age group, since I haven't worked with elementary or high school all that much yet, but it's nice to know I'm doing something right.

Learning Curve

So my first day as a substitute teacher was Monday, and thank you Meagan for reminding me to give an update! Things went pretty well. Actually, the first half of the assignment I didn't even have students. It's a school that works in four blocks of classes each day and then the blocks rotate every other day. Instead of having seven classes that are 50 minutes long each, there are four classes that are 90 minutes long. Each school will be different, so the trick is to learn to adapt, I suppose.

Since my assignment was for HALF of a day, I was scheduled to arrive at 11:30 a.m. I got there early. Not just 30 minutes early because that's what was recommended by our instructor in orientation, but over 45 minutes early because I had allowed for traffic on 95...not thinking about the fact that there really isn't any rush hour traffic at 10:30 a.m. My mom met up with me to get the kids and take them back to her house, and from there I jumped on 95 and zoomed right up.

I was early enough to get to the main office and check in, and I made it to "my" assigned classroom in plenty of time to meet the teacher I'd be subbing for. That's when I found out that the next class session is her planning period. Meaning no students. Oh, and don't forget a 30-minute lunch break. I was told to take lunch and be back in the classroom by 1:15, since students would be arriving around 1:23 and the final bell for class to start would ring at 1:28.

I went to the cafeteria because (gasp!) I hadn't been on-the-ball enough to grab a frozen dinner from my kitchen, and I was not at all shocked to find that cafeteria food hasn't changed much since I was a high school student. It wasn't terrible, don't get me wrong, and for $3 you wouldn't be able to find much better elsewhere, but I will definitely be remembering to bring my lunch from here on out. There was another sub in the teacher's lounge when I got there and we chatted for a while...but as soon as she found out I was a "newbie" she got a huge grin on her face. She gave me some good, practical advice about how to handle the students in my class. Basically, the rules include things like "Don't let them know it's your first day." Oh, and "Make sure you tell them you will not tolerate profanity in your classroom." Yikes.

I got to my classroom with plenty of time to spare, reviewed the lesson plan the teacher and I had discussed before she left, and then started greeting the students as they arrived. The coursework was simple...some workbook time (grammar) and then an in-class open-book essay quiz on Act One of Othello. Should have been simple. But these kids wanted to talk. A lot. To each other, and especially to the kids who were sitting across the room from them. Fine, I'll mention that in my note to the teacher. I had a good handle on my control and didn't snap, since I'm pretty sure they were hoping I would. I calmly told them that they needed to have the assignment completed and turned in by the end of class. I even walked around the room every so often and discreetly had the "willing to work" students mark a star on the corner of their assignment, so that I could tell the teacher to look for the star if she wanted to know who was really dedicating themselves to their work.

By the end of the class, I was still doing fine. I only had one student who was tardy, and out of 26 that wasn't bad. Out of 26, however, three refused to do the quiz and turned in nothing to show for the day. That was fine...as students turned their essays in, I marked it down on the attendance roster so the teacher would have that on record.

All in all, I was pretty pleased with my first day. I'm glad I did a half day first to give myself that confidence boost I needed. Tomorrow and Friday I have an assignment with a middle school, much closer to where my mom lives. Again, I'm teaching a Language Arts Class, and while I've been warned by several "pro" teachers that middle school is probably the roughest age group, I think I can handle it. And I'll learn from it, too, so that each class I teach will be that much better for all involved. :)

Back to the Classroom I Go!

So I'm heading "back to the classroom" on Monday...but not as a student this time! I was activated today to be a substitute teacher for the Duval County Public School System. I signed up under an educational staffing agency, and wow, there was a LOT of paperwork involved...but considering the fact that you're working with youth I understand the need to be thorough. My background check was the only thing we were still waiting for, which isn't a shock because those take time. The approval came through today, and I got the call around 3 p.m. that I could begin accepting assignments!

I'm pretty excited about this opportunity. I had debated majoring in Education in college, but I felt like Public Relations was a better fit for me and earned my degree through the College of Journalism & Communications. I don't regret the decision I made, because my PR experience was a great one, too. Now that I'm in a different chapter in my life, I feel like working in schools would be a challenge I will enjoy. By being a substitute teacher I also have more flexibility in my schedule, and if there are specific days where I really need to be home with the kids I can do that by just blocking them on my schedule. My mom is going to help me by watching the kids on the days that I have assignments, so that's a blessing in itself...even at three, childcare for two kids costs a small fortune!

When I got home this afternoon I logged on to the scheduling module we were taught to use at orientation earlier this week. I am currently scheduled for my first assignment this coming Monday. It'll only be a half-day schedule, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:10 p.m., but I think it's a good way to get my feet wet for a first day. I'm covering a high-school level Language Arts class, and I'm sure I'll blog about my experience sometime next week to let everyone know how it goes!

Cleaning House

OK, I'll admit it. We've got a "stuff" issue. We have lots of "stuff" that we've accumulated over the years, and only so much house to hold it. We're hoping to wait til April to get rid of a lot of it because my parents' neighborhood does a community sale twice a year...and that's the next one...but I don't know how long the house can hold up. I could swear I've heard groaning of the foundation...especially from the spare room/office/junk room, which is slated to become Jeremy's bedroom down the road when the kids aren't sharing space anymore. And don't even get me started on the garage...I don't recall how long it's been since I've actually parked a car in it.

We're not total slobs, but we're also not "meticulously neat" people by nature, and I've always seen clutter as a sign of a life that's being lived. If I stopped to pick up the toys that are strewn across the living room every time they drove me nuts, I'd be in a padded room before the day was through. The kids are learning (slowly, but still learning) to help clean up. But there's something about a three-year-old's mind that causes severe distraction whenever a toy is picked up to be put away. It's like a synapse just fails to make the connection...and that toy must be played with. Megan has very mild OCD tendencies that we actually crack up about on a daily basis, and she likes things to have a sense of order for the most part. But she's more likely to line up her toys by size and color than to actually put them away without repeated prompting. And Jeremy...bless his little heart, I asked him to put away his cars the other day, went into the garage for a split second to change the laundry out from washer to dryer and when I got back inside he was trying to figure out how to get his shoes on the right feet. He has the best of intentions, but it's almost like a little voice stopped him as he started to tidy up his Hot Wheels..."psst...put the cars down...shoes are so much more fun!"

And I'm just as guilty...I'll start cleaning the kitchen up, reorganizing the pantry or whatever. Somehow I end up putting laundry away in my room instead. Not sure how that happens. I'll tell Steve, "Tomorrow I'm going to get the office organized," and when he gets home he finds me doing a complete overhaul of the kids' bedroom. Hmmm. I guess I know where the kids get it from. :)


I'm going to start working on downsizing my "stuff." I think I have a bag of stuffed animals that hasn't been opened since we moved into this house (ahem, seven years ago). But it's hard to get rid of things that have sentimental meanings, even if you're not opposed to storing them in a plastic shopping bag for seven years! I'll get there eventually. I just hope the foundation and general structure of the house doesn't give out in the meantime!



Happy belated Valentine's Day to everyone...can you believe we're already halfway through February?

God Made Dirt...

When my children were newborns, we were so careful with EVERYTHING that came into contact with them. I know that most parents probably react the same way...boiling bottles, washing pacifiers every time they fell on the ground, getting a clean burp rag if the one you were using touched the floor in any way...it's a completely natural reaction for first-time parents. After a while, we learned that the world wouldn't stop turning if the binky got dropped. The 10-second rule got implemented after the first couple of months. I'm very glad we got over the OCD attitude early, because as the kids grew and gained the lovely gift of curiousity, it seemed like EVERYTHING went into their mouths. Toys, check. Shoes, check. Feet, check. And not always their feet, either. :)

My mom still freaks out a little if Megan or Jeremy drops Cheerios or something else snack-y on the floor and picks them up to eat them. I don't want them doing that while we're out and about (i.e. public restrooms, etc.), but I don't worry anymore if it happens in our own home. We vacuum regularly, and if I scrambled to pick up every last Cheerio I'd never get anything else done (there's a nice collection trapped in the couch cushions I'll get around to cleaning up when the twins are in college). I've always heard that famous phrase, "God made dirt, and dirt won't hurt." What a relief to get validation on that quote from this article: click here

Silly that I get this excited about an online news article, but it just gives me one more confirmation that I'm not totally messing my kids up!

Life is a Circus

I do some freelance graphic design work for a web site based in Jacksonville, and from time to time they pass along some free tickets to various events. Since it's a kids' activity web site, that means all of the events are kid-friendly...always a good thing as far as we're concerned! The most recent "donation" to the Lay family was a four-pack of tickets to the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus, which was in Jacksonville for a four-day visit. We went on Friday for the 10:30 show and didn't even tell the kids we were going until we were getting dressed and ready that morning.

There is a pre-show before the circus and you are allowed down on the arena floor. Megan and Jeremy walked with us from place to place, visiting with clowns, watching an elephant "paint," being amused by the acrobats and just being in awe. Information overload is pretty funny, especially when you can just see all the questions on their faces but they can't keep up with what they are seeing!

The show started, and we purchased a giant popcorn box from a vendor. Megan ate about 3/4 of it by herself...she was pretty greedy, but that's ok because Jeremy wasn't as excited about the popcorn. :) The show ran pretty long, but the kids didn't get antsy even once. I have to say that the circus people really know how to keep the audience involved and interested, because for these two kids to sit in their own seats for just about the entire performance was very impressive to me.

The best part now is the fact that they are still talking about it. Ask either one what they saw at the circus and you'll get a list, and those cute little voices are too irresistable. "Doggies!" and "Elephants!" and "The funny, silly clowns!" and "TIGERS!" I think they really had a great time, and I'll post a pic or two once they are uploaded from my camera.

Thanks, Alison & Cindy for making this trip possible...we had a day we won't soon forget!

Not a creature was stirring...

Steve has gone to bed since he has to be up at 4 a.m. for work at 5. The kids are asleep. The cats are in the bedroom with Steve, most likely sleeping. The dog is curled up on the couch with me...sleeping. These are just the most peaceful times for me...I love to spend time with my family, but I really think it's just a natural thing for people to need alone time, too, even just a small amount. It gives you the chance to think, to plan, to dream a little bit. To just relax because YOU are the only one who needs to be taken care of at that moment in time. Then of course your mind takes off and starts racing through all the lists of things to get done, but for a small window of time you get some peace and quiet...not something that's easy to come by with two three-year-olds running wild through the house!

Tonight we went to dinner to celebrate my dad's birthday, which was this past Wednesday. We had dinner at O'Charley's, which is great because kids eat free there (and I'm all about saving money!). Mom ordered a German chocolate birthday cake from the local grocer, and it was so good. I am not even a big fan of that kind of cake, but I enjoyed my little piece. :)

On another note, it's going to be in the freezing category tonight! I think there's something terribly wrong with me as a Floridian...I love the cold weather. I don't know if I'd want to live somewhere that has four months of solid freezing weather, but I really do like it so much better than the hot Florida seasons we get. I love my warm winter coat, and it's in GREAT condition after four years because I only get to wear it for about two weeks each year it seems like. I love wearing layers and snuggling with the kids under a blanket because it's a bit chilly. I don't love the heating bill, but I do love having the heat on in the house because it's so nice and cozy. See? I'm weird. And as much as I'd love to see snow here, I'm thinking it's not the greatest idea...some of the people in the small town where I live freak out driving in the rain, so I can't imagine what they'd do if it snowed...there would certainly be gridlock!

OK, enough rambling for tonight. I hope everyone's having a fantastic 2009 so far...God bless you and those you love!!!