What she wore: jean capris, black polo with white trim, black flip flops with white polka dots.
I usually try to blog about the joys of teaching–the little things that make it all worthwhile: that moment when a student actually "gets it," the hillarious things they say, the hugs.
This is not going to be one of those blogs.
I’m an inclusion teacher. This means that I team teach with another teacher modifying the curriculum as neccessary for special needs kids. I also pull out small group from the regular classroom to reinforce concepts not understood or read to kids who can’t handle the text book alone. This is a very rewarding job as it involves more one-on-one teaching and less paperwork (except during IEP season).
Whenever there’s a substitute for the regular teacher, the inclusion teacher dreads this. We go from being helful adults in the room to screaming bizzos trying to keep order. Sometimes, there is no sub and we are left disciplining kids who don’t understand why our role has changed. It’s frustrating and we don’t get a lot of helping done.
On Friday the sub looked hung over. She came in late, sat at the desk, and did not move. She made no attempt to speak to the other students, move about the room, or answer questions. She was inert. She did go to the door at one time to talk to a student that must have been her "buddy." I tried to pull together a small group and she just sat there doing nothing. The kids started acting up and she still did nothing. I had to abandon my small group to tell the kids to be quiet–surely, you don’t need a teaching degree to tell kids to be quiet. I took one kid out into the hall to discipline (ie: talk to) a student.
When I went to back in the room, the door was locked. Crap. I knocked. I knocked again. I knocked again. The kids sat there giggling while I knocked. Did the sub stand up and let me in? Of course not–she wasn’t feeling well.
I almost burst a blood vessel. I went and complained to the assistant principal who did not seem to think this was a big deal.
I went and found the sub who at this point was in the hall trying to figure out where I had gone. I told her I’d be down the hall working on some paperwork. I spent the next hour and a half typing up some neccessary paperwork and ignoring the woman who had kept me out of the classroom.
Was this mature? no. Was it fair to leave a sick woman to watch a room full of kids? I’m not sure, but that’s what she was getting paid to do and I’m not going to help someone who lets me stand in the hall. Sorry. No, I’m not sorry–I’m pissed.
Well, I was pissed on Friday. I’m better now. Sometimes teaching is hard.
KM
The Barnyard 
Hey girl!
I guess I wasn\’t entirely clear… it\’s a Bootcamp class… it\’s 4 weeks, 1 1/2 hours a day 5 days a week…. it\’s supposed to be a fitness class, but it\’s exactly like Canadian Bootcamp. It\’s taught by soldiers who\’ve been overseas… Karth, the funny one has just come back from peace keeping in Bosnia. I\’m way to spoiled to actually join the army, but I\’m interested in getting in shape, and I\’m curious as to what exactly goes on and K swears we\’ll get a good idea… and then I think they\’ll try to convince us to join the reserves, but I\’ll tell ya, this chicky is NOT planning that! I DO think I\’ll be exhausted, and I\’m a little concerned about that, because for all intents K said that it\’s a brutal \’class\’ and then we get to go to our jobs all day, go home and do it all again the next day… I better be in KICK ASS shape when it\’s all over! I\’ll explain it better on the site… for all others who think this princess is joining the army… That\’s a big NO GO!
Your sub sounded useless and I wouldn\’t blame you for ignoring someone who lets you stay locked out of the classroom… how ridiculous!
BCP
How can the administration hire people like this?!?! I will never understand…
Why do people have kids?
My oldest son turned 13 today. I was priveleged to have him, his brother and a friend spend Friday night with me. I watched him closely and felt a tear well up on more than one occasion when I would hear him say something very adult-like. Then chuckle when two minutes later he said something very childish.
But the way I feel inside when I see him interact with his peers; the way he will make a face that reminds me of one of my own sometimes; the way he will try to make a point with his brother during an argument that sounds like me…
All of these are reasons I had kids. I may not have conciously realized it at the time, but this 13 year old is a part of me. He is my legacy to this world. He carries my name, my values and my family tree forward one more branch.
During my recent marital problems, He and his brother have become even more important to me. I now know that they are my life… without them I wouldn\’t be complete…
Kids change things for sure… but the change is for the better!
Have a great Sunday!
Russ
Katy! You\’re a SPED!??? Why did this never come up before? Perhaps because you and I are new friends and you didn\’t read my rant back in November about my son being denied a 504 plan. It really pisses me off because EVERY child is allowed modifications. EVERY ONE. I shouldn\’t have to get a 504 Plan to make that happen, but his teachers do not understand this. It\’s been a fight the entire time he has been in middle school.
So, I may put this on my site and I may not. Who knows. I\’m busy and tired, but I\’ll put it here just in case.
Every Sunday morning before the family wakes up I read PostSecret.com. This one reminded me of you: http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/994/593/1600/chocolate.jpg
You did the right thing by being not SAVING the sub. She brought that on herself and quite frankly had no business agreeing to substitute when she was sick. What\’s wrong with her? She wants to get the students sick so they can share germs? Geez. What an idiot. She made that bed and all you did was let her lie in it. Unless they want to pay YOU the sub money, then you didn\’t have to go back in there. She was letting the students misbehave – then she deals with it.
Hmmm….I just tried that link and you know what? It doesn\’t work. So just go to Post Secret and read them all. You\’ll know which one I mean when you see it.
If I were in your shoes… I would have done the EXACT same thing… she wasn\’t sick… she was hung over!! Her fault.. not yours. She was a useless boob… sorta like a nubbet… not sure why it\’s there… but it\’s there.
What boggles my mind is that administration did nothing to rectify the situation for you. Ridiculous. You have every right to be mad and pissed off. Good for you.
Hope you had a better weekend than how it started off.
Ciao bella
KC
Geez, I would be mad too. Not your fault she was hungover and didn\’t feel like working…as you said, she is getting paid to do something so let her do it. I think you handled it right!! Hope your weekend is going great! By the way LOL at your comment about me being so practical….I never even realized that until lately with all that is going on, a few different people have said that!
You had every right to be pissed. What a twit the sub was.
I looked back and saw that you have 38 comments to the questions about labor and delivery. Man! Talk about getting a response. You go girl.
Did you miss me? I missed you.
EZ
My son-in-law is an inclusion teacher for a middle school. He likes it. he does complain about th subs but has had none as bad as that….
I also would be pissed…
First of all as a SUB you dont accept assignments when hung over or sick! especially to the type of class you are in! You had every right to be pissed — as a mom of one who relies on the excellence of teachers — I can tell when Roo has had a sub and her spectrum behaviors know it too! I feel for you,
Hollie
I would have been so pissed!! You had every right to be pissed off. She should not have agreed to come in Friday if she was feeling that bad! Hope your weekend was better.
: ) Sue
You were right to be pissed. The sub was not only not helpful, she was dangerous. …Letting the kids lock the door… Shocking and irresponsible. I hope this never happens to you again…but the sad thing is it probably will.
~Carol
That sub is CRAZY!!! How can some people be so irresponsible? I am a little more shocked that the assistant principal didn\’t do anything about it (sigh).
I hope you had a wonderful weekend. You would have loved the Galleria in Houston (smile)!
Yes…got your e-mail. That sub deserved being left on her own! Did the kids gang up on her weakness?? I always remember the wrath of my teachers when they got a bad report from a sub <shudders>.
Ashlie
Wow I think I would request never to have her as my sub/asst again! and I would complain to who ever it took to keep her from coming back!
One of the local teachers was stopped and ticketed for dui…come to think of it I think she was the drunk woman that gave me the lap dance at the Don Williams Concert………And she still teaches!! I know we aren\’t perfect and we make mistakes but their are some people that are not suited to teach.
You did the right thing. If you would have helped her, she might actually get a job again there. She shouldn\’t be in charge of students if she is going to act like that. I can\’t believe the admin didn\’t seem to care about this. It seems they don\’t seem to care about much of anything?!? They are so lucky to have you there to be someone who actually cares about what education the kids get…
I don\’t blame you one bit for being upset!! That was totally uncalled for. I would have probably thrown the sub out of class and told her to go sit in the principals office, or if she didn\’t feel good maybe she should go to the nurse and call her mommy to come pick her up.
Oh, this reminds me of how I just about went off on a lady in church last night!! Wouldn\’t that have been site!! Maybe I will have to blog about that later. Hope this week is better for you and I hope you had a good weekend.
P.S. How is the hubby?
the thing that really gets me, is how the Assist Princip didn\’t think anything was wrong with having a hungover sub in the classroom.
how irresponsible…of the sub. i would\’ve left her too…i wonder if it\’s the teaching that\’s the hardest or the dealing with people like this…hopefully you won\’t see HER around again. toni
I\’d have been pissed too…did she ever get reprimanded or anything? I think you kept a remarkable hold of yourself…pat yourself on the back, Katy!! 🙂
Love the way you just tell it like it is. I also teach special education. It is a very demanding, yet sometimes rewarding, job. Good luck with future subs.