Kindergarten till the end of the month
Finally got word today that the District has hired a new teacher for the class I am subbing for. However she does not start till the 1st so I am set till the end of the month. That's the good news. Bad news is that with my particular start date, processing time and pay days on the 31st and 15th, I don't get paid till the 15th of next month. Hit me harder, go ahead.
Anyway I've been having to wing the class planning thing since Friday, taking what the last teacher left (can you believe she only left one week of lesson plans?) and improvising it from there. Think however what good experience this is if and when I actually go to "school" for my credential. Lesson planning? Done that. Resource research? Done that. And all on a wing and a prayer.
The teacher I am subbing for had a very good schedule pre set that all anyone had to do was follow. Meet the kids at 7:50 where the nice old ladies who work for Chartwells give them a little breakfast and growl a little. We then walk single file (yea right) to the room where they eat, then they write the word of the day in their journal, and make a picture of it. If they finish early they can read a library book or look at the Zoobooks that Alex volunteered. At 8:40 they do some learning songs. Then on to letters and the ELA program for reading. "Lunch" comes early - 10:20 to 10:50, break one of two for the teacher.
After Lunch they have a quiet time with head down and lights out and we do the whole potty routine. Quite a routine I tell ya. Then we do Math for a half hour and Science for a half hour. Then they get unstructured play time till 12:45. From there they go to special ops, Music, Art or Gym depending on the day. Another break for the teach. Finally the last half hour is pack and go. We are responsible for handing the kids off to the bus or their parents or suitable replacement.
One thing that really bugs me is how many of the kid's coats reek of cigarettes. Even some of their folders do. Just how much smoke are those kids inhaling if their folder reeks of cigarettes. I try not to make value judgements but you begin to hear about families from the teachers that have been there a while. Churning out kids, yet being the same families that never overlook the kid's homework or offer discipline. Sad comment on our society. But the class only had three or four real problem kids, the rest are just great. Welcome to South Troy.....
Anyway total immersion is certainly one way to get a feel for education. Would I want to teach Kindergarten all my life. Not in a million years. But it's giving me unexpected and valuable experience in class management.
Finally got word today that the District has hired a new teacher for the class I am subbing for. However she does not start till the 1st so I am set till the end of the month. That's the good news. Bad news is that with my particular start date, processing time and pay days on the 31st and 15th, I don't get paid till the 15th of next month. Hit me harder, go ahead.
Anyway I've been having to wing the class planning thing since Friday, taking what the last teacher left (can you believe she only left one week of lesson plans?) and improvising it from there. Think however what good experience this is if and when I actually go to "school" for my credential. Lesson planning? Done that. Resource research? Done that. And all on a wing and a prayer.
The teacher I am subbing for had a very good schedule pre set that all anyone had to do was follow. Meet the kids at 7:50 where the nice old ladies who work for Chartwells give them a little breakfast and growl a little. We then walk single file (yea right) to the room where they eat, then they write the word of the day in their journal, and make a picture of it. If they finish early they can read a library book or look at the Zoobooks that Alex volunteered. At 8:40 they do some learning songs. Then on to letters and the ELA program for reading. "Lunch" comes early - 10:20 to 10:50, break one of two for the teacher.
After Lunch they have a quiet time with head down and lights out and we do the whole potty routine. Quite a routine I tell ya. Then we do Math for a half hour and Science for a half hour. Then they get unstructured play time till 12:45. From there they go to special ops, Music, Art or Gym depending on the day. Another break for the teach. Finally the last half hour is pack and go. We are responsible for handing the kids off to the bus or their parents or suitable replacement.
One thing that really bugs me is how many of the kid's coats reek of cigarettes. Even some of their folders do. Just how much smoke are those kids inhaling if their folder reeks of cigarettes. I try not to make value judgements but you begin to hear about families from the teachers that have been there a while. Churning out kids, yet being the same families that never overlook the kid's homework or offer discipline. Sad comment on our society. But the class only had three or four real problem kids, the rest are just great. Welcome to South Troy.....
Anyway total immersion is certainly one way to get a feel for education. Would I want to teach Kindergarten all my life. Not in a million years. But it's giving me unexpected and valuable experience in class management.
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