Can it be?
Am I really writing a journal entry right after work?
It must have been months since I been able to muster enough energy after each 6.5-7 hour day to do so.
I've really forgotten how much easier substituting in high school is... less noise, less strength needed, less tempers tested.
but is this necessarily better then elementary? Nahh, definitely not.
I was fortunate this year to have found a job after graduation allowing for a short duration of stay time... even luckier to have landed a long-term subbing assignment just a few months in.
Regular subbing has its perks and pits. It's definitely great to be able to pick up assignments at my own convenience while allowing me a crash course in all grade levels. However it's essentially a lone man's journey. No connections, no 'home campus', and no drama. :P
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| Can you guess which signs I made?! |
When I accepted the Long-Term subbing assignment, I was looking forward to making connections with a static group of students and rest of staff. Little did I know that witnessing the impressive growth of kids would be surpass my anticipation of the "connection" factor.
Four months may seem like nothing, but it's definitely long enough to see social and academic growth working with 3-5 years old in their special ed programs. (Their's not mine :X) With peer role models and gentle but consistent discipline progress is usually seen. Autistic kids, including high functioning ones all need to be dealt with in their own special way. Once you find their "switch', a gentle nudging at appropriate times can help them blossom.
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| Two of our kids... made sure to hide their face from the pic ;) |
Take one kid for example.
He may seem like he has a hard time interacting with adults and children, but just by turning on any sort of multimedia, he will begin to engage, singalong and also talk with all of us in intelligible sentences. We take this opportunity to converse, praise and make eyecontact with him. Connections when his mind is "open" can help reassure him of our friendship and foster his social skills in the long run.
Bet you didn't know he's the only four year old in our class that can read too!
Each step we see is a celebration. I had forgotten how hard it is to learn how to handle scissors. Something so second-natured (to us now) such as holding the scissors, cutting along a line or curve needs to be worked on tediously in our youth. It was really impossible to comprehend until I re-witnessed the process.
My experiences in this long term substitute position has allowed me to appreciate the fertilizer to the seeds our future orchards. primary school teachers! Class time is only a minute percentage of a teacher's job. The prep and cleanup is excessive.
Usually after the first half of the day, I'd physically feel like I'd been working for a full day already, but it is definitely worth it. Time passes very quickly because you are constantly on your toes in a clamorous room...
and of course the flowers helped too.
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| My first flowers everrrr =) |
From the kids during teacher appreciation week!
I was never a flower person, but it's a pretty gratifying experience to have kids bring you flowers. Please borrow your friend's babies, nieces or nephews and try it yourself.
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| Can figure out which child wrote me that card :) pretty good writing for a 4 year old! |
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| Adorable handmade clipboard the PTA gave each of us that week |
Kids say the funniest things too... quotes perfect for blog titles ;).
Tuesday was my last day long term subbing. The IBI and two other teachers in my room surprised me with a mini send-off party!
Venue: Extravagant preschool classroom. A circle time table adorned with an assortment of chairs ranging from the infamous red 'time-out seat' to the (highly sought after) 'teacher's swively'.
Garnish: a bouquet! all for meeeeee :D
Topic of convo: kids.
I can now go on forever talking about my experiences through this long term assignment... but that would be soporific... so rejoyce... because here is a mini concluding collage.
Towards the end of my term I spoke with the principal who had a permanent position lined up that I can possibly begin the following day. However, it would require a summer and following fall commitment. Not wanting to keep others hanging with personal future plans, I reluctantly turned down the opportunity.
Ta Ta! So back to being itinerate with my regular subbing...
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| Easter Egg Hunt from earlier this year. |
Lol because I just got notice that I'll be subbing as a child development center teacher tomorrow.
Little kids here I come again!
