In the past couple weeks, I've been subbing at local middle schools and my high schools. The students have said some pretty entertaining stuff, and though I won't remember them all, here are some quotes for your enjoyment.
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Me: Have you done your illustration for the story?
7th grade boy (points to a blank sheet of paper): Yeah, it's right here. Oh, man! I forgot! I shouldn't have used invisible ink! Now I'm going to have to start all over!
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7th grade boy, excited about speaking in Spanish to me: Score ONE for the home team! (which might be my new saying. Isn't that sad--picking up sayings from middle schoolers?)
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Some girls had this spray candy (think breath freshener, but sour), and offered it to this guy to try.
Guy (coughs): It's not too bad!
Me: Yeah, after the first cough.
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After completing all her assignments for the day, this girl asked what else there was to do--I told her there were no more assignments, but she could find something to do while sitting quietly at her desk. "Do you mind if I sit there and sew?" Sew?! Go for it!
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Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
This is a Call, part 2
(part one of this blog can be found here)
Once again, I am home on vacation, and have the Central Call System calling me about substituting.
The past two mornings, I've had my alarm going off at the latest possible time for me to get up, shower, and get ready to go to a school. However, at that point, there weren't any jobs listed for me, so I would go back to bed. Within the next hour, the phone would ring multiple times with jobs for me, but there was no way I could make it to the school at that point -- so I would go back to bed AGAIN.
I realized that the SMART choice would have been to get up and get ready, and then find out where there was a job available for me.
It made me think about how I should be ready to go where God wants me, even if I don't know where that is just yet, and even if I would really like to stay where it's comfortable. I need to get out of what is comfortable, and begin preparing for any of the possibilities I am considering for next year.
I should be ready to respond and go at the same time. "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
Right now there are more questions than answers.
The best I know is that I am called to follow Christ, to be made in His image, to worship Him, to share His love with others. Beyond that is unknown to me right now.
"I held these dreams of my heart tight inside, fearing that if I revealed them to anyone, then I might be held accountable to them or be seen as a failure if things didn't work out." ~Brooklyn Lindsey
Once again, I am home on vacation, and have the Central Call System calling me about substituting.
The past two mornings, I've had my alarm going off at the latest possible time for me to get up, shower, and get ready to go to a school. However, at that point, there weren't any jobs listed for me, so I would go back to bed. Within the next hour, the phone would ring multiple times with jobs for me, but there was no way I could make it to the school at that point -- so I would go back to bed AGAIN.
I realized that the SMART choice would have been to get up and get ready, and then find out where there was a job available for me.
It made me think about how I should be ready to go where God wants me, even if I don't know where that is just yet, and even if I would really like to stay where it's comfortable. I need to get out of what is comfortable, and begin preparing for any of the possibilities I am considering for next year.
I should be ready to respond and go at the same time. "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
I couldn't help but notice the parallels in this situation to listening for God's call. We should be aware of when God might be calling us or speaking to us--which is really any time, not just a few hours out of the day. When He does call us, we should be ready to listen and obey, disregarding other concerns (even family-?). Because He has called us, we should be willing to accept that call, no matter what it is.I'm really not terribly sure what next year will bring. A year from now, where will I be? Will I be here in MD? Will I be in El Paso? Will I be in Ukraine? Will I be somewhere else?
Right now there are more questions than answers.
The best I know is that I am called to follow Christ, to be made in His image, to worship Him, to share His love with others. Beyond that is unknown to me right now.
"I held these dreams of my heart tight inside, fearing that if I revealed them to anyone, then I might be held accountable to them or be seen as a failure if things didn't work out." ~Brooklyn Lindsey
Saturday, January 05, 2008
How time flies...
Four years ago, I returned from a trip to Nicaragua.
Three years ago, I was a senior in high school.
Two years ago, I was on my way to Belize and Guatemala.
One year ago, I was taking a J-term course called Human Exceptionalities, for working with special needs students.
Six months ago, I was in Mexico (this was the day Joel brought Angela back to us, we cleaned some of the Sunday School rooms, and we went door to door to evangelize!).
Six months from now, I will be somewhere in the Ukraine. Wow!
One year from now, I will begin my time as a student teacher somewhere in Quincy, MA.
Three years ago, I was a senior in high school.
Two years ago, I was on my way to Belize and Guatemala.
One year ago, I was taking a J-term course called Human Exceptionalities, for working with special needs students.
Six months ago, I was in Mexico (this was the day Joel brought Angela back to us, we cleaned some of the Sunday School rooms, and we went door to door to evangelize!).
Six months from now, I will be somewhere in the Ukraine. Wow!
One year from now, I will begin my time as a student teacher somewhere in Quincy, MA.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
classroom experience
Substitute teaching is a lot like babysitting. The students already have a routine, and all you do is come in and make sure they are following that routine--doing their work.
Today I did 5th grade at my old elementary school--if my cousin had been there, she'd have been in my class. These students were more on task than the ones I had yesterday, and I also took many turns about the room. I also tried to use more nonverbal indications that I saw them goofing off and that they should get back on task (proximity and eye contact). It was "exciting" to see that work. However, I had about 5 students complain, "My stomach hurts" and wanting to go to the nurse. Only one really had a legitimate complain, and later went home. At the end of the day (after I had run out of nurse's slips, actually), the nurse told me to just be firm with them, and that they were simply doing it because I was the substitute.
I could also tell which students were the ones with special needs, not just by their academics or their attention span, but also by the way they interacted with others. One girl told me, almost in a Drew-Barrymore-type way, "You're nice." Made me smile on the inside.
It was both strange and fun to be on "the other side of the teacher's desk," by teaching at my old school. It was nice to see my teachers again, but at the same time, I was just catching up with everyone, and many of them remembered me. I did get some insights as to how MD schools work, differently than MA schools. I remember when I was a fifth grader, that we changed classes in 4th and 5th grades--but now the supervisor of curriculum and instruction is opposed to any departmentalization in elementary school. One of my fifth grade teachers thinks that not even sixth graders should change classes--they're not ready for it. This same teacher said to me, "You'll probably be back" (in terms of coming to the county to teach). I don't know about that....
The culture here is also different than what I've been used to in Quincy. Only one student (of the two schools so far) has made any indication of being a Patriots or Red Sox fan. Down here, there are more fans of Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, and various other teams. Yesterday, at one school's "Sports Day" for their "spirit week", I saw ONE Maine hockey jersey and nothing for sports teams from New York or Boston/New England. Bizarre.
Today I did 5th grade at my old elementary school--if my cousin had been there, she'd have been in my class. These students were more on task than the ones I had yesterday, and I also took many turns about the room. I also tried to use more nonverbal indications that I saw them goofing off and that they should get back on task (proximity and eye contact). It was "exciting" to see that work. However, I had about 5 students complain, "My stomach hurts" and wanting to go to the nurse. Only one really had a legitimate complain, and later went home. At the end of the day (after I had run out of nurse's slips, actually), the nurse told me to just be firm with them, and that they were simply doing it because I was the substitute.
I could also tell which students were the ones with special needs, not just by their academics or their attention span, but also by the way they interacted with others. One girl told me, almost in a Drew-Barrymore-type way, "You're nice." Made me smile on the inside.
It was both strange and fun to be on "the other side of the teacher's desk," by teaching at my old school. It was nice to see my teachers again, but at the same time, I was just catching up with everyone, and many of them remembered me. I did get some insights as to how MD schools work, differently than MA schools. I remember when I was a fifth grader, that we changed classes in 4th and 5th grades--but now the supervisor of curriculum and instruction is opposed to any departmentalization in elementary school. One of my fifth grade teachers thinks that not even sixth graders should change classes--they're not ready for it. This same teacher said to me, "You'll probably be back" (in terms of coming to the county to teach). I don't know about that....
The culture here is also different than what I've been used to in Quincy. Only one student (of the two schools so far) has made any indication of being a Patriots or Red Sox fan. Down here, there are more fans of Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, and various other teams. Yesterday, at one school's "Sports Day" for their "spirit week", I saw ONE Maine hockey jersey and nothing for sports teams from New York or Boston/New England. Bizarre.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
this is a call
Two days I returned "home" from college for Christmas break, with an intention of substitute teaching while QA schools were still in session. I figured it'd be a good way for me to get some teaching experience, and earn some money on the side. :)
On Saturday, I called the Central Call System to see if any jobs were available. The way Central Call works is that the automated system will list potential jobs for one's acceptance or rejection, and gives the teacher's name, grade, and time. There are set time periods where the system will call potential substitutes in the morning and evening.
Once I got back from church tonight, I made sure my phone's ringer was on, so that I would be ready for any calls from the system. Around 8pm, my phone rang, and the caller ID indicated that it was from the town where my Board of Education is. Putting aside my brother's math question for the time being, I answered the phone and paid close attention. I followed the steps of the automated recordings, and listened to the job listing at KES in 3rd grade. Knowing that the system also records whether or not you accept jobs, I chose to accept this job. Third graders are fun too. :D
After a little while, I began preparing for the next day--making my lunch (I've had enough caf food for awhile), and figuring out what I should take with me.
I couldn't help but notice the parallels in this situation to listening for God's call. We should be aware of when God might be calling us or speaking to us--which is really any time, not just a few hours out of the day. When He does call us, we should be ready to listen and obey, disregarding other concerns (even family-?). Because He has called us, we should be willing to accept that call, no matter what it is.
After that, we should prepare for whatever it is God has called us. It could be beginning to take the next steps, researching the scenario, or otherwise preparing and obeying.
On Saturday, I called the Central Call System to see if any jobs were available. The way Central Call works is that the automated system will list potential jobs for one's acceptance or rejection, and gives the teacher's name, grade, and time. There are set time periods where the system will call potential substitutes in the morning and evening.
Once I got back from church tonight, I made sure my phone's ringer was on, so that I would be ready for any calls from the system. Around 8pm, my phone rang, and the caller ID indicated that it was from the town where my Board of Education is. Putting aside my brother's math question for the time being, I answered the phone and paid close attention. I followed the steps of the automated recordings, and listened to the job listing at KES in 3rd grade. Knowing that the system also records whether or not you accept jobs, I chose to accept this job. Third graders are fun too. :D
After a little while, I began preparing for the next day--making my lunch (I've had enough caf food for awhile), and figuring out what I should take with me.
I couldn't help but notice the parallels in this situation to listening for God's call. We should be aware of when God might be calling us or speaking to us--which is really any time, not just a few hours out of the day. When He does call us, we should be ready to listen and obey, disregarding other concerns (even family-?). Because He has called us, we should be willing to accept that call, no matter what it is.
After that, we should prepare for whatever it is God has called us. It could be beginning to take the next steps, researching the scenario, or otherwise preparing and obeying.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
many options
So I have many options on where to go upon graduation. Here are just a few:
~teach in MD. ordinary/everyday option.
~teach in MD then go elsewhere
~Boston Teacher Residency (www.bpe.org/btr)
~teach in an international school in Bulgaria
~teach anywhere.
~WHO KNOWS!?!
~teach in MD. ordinary/everyday option.
~teach in MD then go elsewhere
~Boston Teacher Residency (www.bpe.org/btr)
~teach in an international school in Bulgaria
~teach anywhere.
~WHO KNOWS!?!
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