Bright Times

I'll be finished with the long-term substitute job I accepted soon. Things have gone surprising well in spite of a few obstacles I encountered. I learned much from this experience, but most of all I learned to expect the unexpected.

That serendipitous moment I spoke of earlier seems to be blossoming and full of promise for a most happy future. I watch with awe at its unfolding. I make no predictions, but I hope most fervently.

My youngest graduates from AFI Conservatory in a few days. I am not privy to her body of works, but given her talent I imagine they are quite wonderful. She has worked hard in graduate school and I look forward to seeing her succeed beyond any of her wildest dreams.

Notes at Home Base

Substitutes are meat; Students are carnivores
A reminder to teachers...

Your "wonderful class" is in full attack mode when you're not there. If you leave no seating chart, no lesson plan or a plan that takes too little time, no standard of behavior to apply, no hint of your classroom expectations, no rules surrounding students leaving the room, no information about who to contact in case of injury or illness of a child, no plan for the truly unruly, undisciplined student…well, then we are dead meat. You have left us defenseless at the hands of our attackers.

Classroom helpers? They are your helpers and not usually very helpful for a sub. Their looks of astonishment at being called "helper" or their surly or sullen attitude clearly says, "I'm the teacher's helper; you're on your own."

You face the same challenges each day. For a sub, each period is a new and different challenge, and that pattern is repeated for every day a sub walks into a classroom. Potentially, a sub can face 20 or more classes a week filled with students who are - for the most part - delighted you are not there and gleeful for the opportunity to play "get the sub."

For myself, I'm gun shy. Certain names are refused immediately in favor of those who left the sub well armed. Sometimes, we arrive at school after turning down your job only to find you couldn't get coverage and we have to help in your classroom anyway. Expect us to do the minimum we must to get through the day. If your students want to play, we'll ask them to play quietly. If you leave us defenseless, we will find a safe corner and wait for the ending bell to ring.

The subs I know just want to do what you ask the best way we can. Leave us well armed so we can do that job for you. If you do, you’ll never have a problem finding a “sub.” We are the subs, not the teachers, and all we can do is use the tools you leave behind for us. Please don’t leave us unarmed.