Where I feel like I made a difference

Today I subbed for my mom's friend, the math teacher in the room next to her.

After a rocky start to the day with the really bad class, the day improved.

It was a pretty good day and one where I felt like I made a difference. The 2 pre-algebra classes were working on using the distance formula (Distance=Speed x Time or D=Velocity / Time). A lot of kids, perhaps due to apathy toward the subject weren't trying and thought me, being the sub would give them the easy way out and tell them the answer. Me? Do that? No. Never.

When a kid asked for help, I enthusiastically came over and asked them where they were having trouble. The kids told me and then sat blank wanting me to do the work for them. I said, "well, look, you have speed and distance given, now tell me what is missing." "Ok, so you are trying to find time, so what do you do?" The kids would ask inquisitively "multiply?" I'd ask the kids to explain why and walk me through the steps. They did and they'd come up with the right answer.

You know what? I could have taken the easy way out, but then I'd have felt bad for gipping them, but also not giving them the opportunity to prove they new how to do it.

Spring Break

What a marvelous 2 week event. I was blessed to have 2 teachers this quarter who decided to give us our finals a week early, so I had no finals during finals week.

Here is what I've done so far:
- Subbed a couple days
- went to LA with friends for dinner and a night on the town
- spent the night at a friend's house and played computer games
- went to lunch at Olive Garden with my parents
- went bowling with my friends and played 6 games- my best score was 130
- watched lots of "Law and Order"
- found a new DSL provider for us since we're tired of Earthlink- now it is just a matter of calling and setting up the service
- Took my car in for service; forgot to get an oil change, though
- went to the dentist and had no cavities
- switched banks- ALTURA SUCKS
- today I'm going to weed whack since my dad can't do it anymore since the motions hurt his back

Timeout

Yesterday I subbed for 6th graders at my mom's school. I had them for 3 periods. I do not like 6th graders, 7th, or 8th graders for that matter. I am subbing for this age level because my mom's school district is K-8, so high schoolers aren't an option. I do my best though- I'm firm on the kids like I would be with any other grade level. I also make sure to adjust how I talk around them etc. just because middle schoolers are different than high school kids. Not that I'd say anything bad, but it comes down to reasoning. High schoolers you can reason with, whereas middle schoolers have to be more forced, so I adjust my wording appropriately.

Anyways, I had the kids for 3 periods- 2 periods of math and 1 of science. There was one gal up wandering around, then she got an attitude with me a total of 3 times. The 2nd period I had her, she tried to tell me how to take attendance. My policy is if you're not in your assigned seat according to the seating chart, you are marked absent. She wanted to sit by her friend and not in her seat, so I marked her absent. She then was up talking and distracting everyone once we got down to work. I told her she better get to work or I'm sending her out. She said no, everyone else was causing problems. She told me she would cry on my shoulder. Finally I had enough and I said go to room 4. She told me she can't go to room 4 because it is the counseling center. I said well, they'd be more than happy to see you. She said no- there is probably no room there. I said they'll talk to you. I said go to room 4 now. She then said the teacher in room 4 was on prep. I told her that was pretty funny because I know for a fact that teacher's prep was 2nd period. She asked how I knew and I said something tells me that she has a class right now. I got on the phone and called my mom saying she would have a visitor. The class was wondering how I knew all this information and I said it was MY MOM'S CLASSROOM. Room 4 is my mom. They were all shocked. The girl went over to my mom's class and my mom met her at the door and said she heard that she was giving her son a hard time. The girl said no and it was everyone else in the class. My mom had a desk for her, sat her down there, and made her get to work. I caught the girl outside after school and she told me how mean I am and how mean my mom was to her. My mom just said that she heard she was giving me a hard time. We're mean teachers- the mean streak runs in the family.