6th, 9/27

I love subbing for sixth grade at the middle school level.

1st reason: one lesson, five periods. I literally teach the same thing five times. Nice and simple.

2nd reason: I get to see the kids I subbed for last year at the same middle school. They are all so tall now! And they came and gave me big hugs - it was so nice to see them!

3rd reason: I love sixth graders. They crack me up. I never know what they are going to do.

Case in point.

At each table group there is a bin for red correcting pens. A student took one of the red pens apart, and was doodling with it during whole group time. Then he got frustrated because it wasn't writing, so he proceeded to blow the ink out of the pen onto his notebook (and consequently his desk, pencil and hands). Then he broke the pen and threw it across the room.

All of this was done and I didn't notice. I'm amazed I didn't see any of this.

Anyway, I walked back there and saw what was going on. At this point he had red ink all over his hands. I looked at him and inside my head was thinking "I honestly have no idea what to do or say about this."
So you know what I said?

"Well, I guess I caught you red-handed."

Sixth graders. Gotta love 'em.

-Ms. J

3rd, 9/19

I got a very important call! It was to sub for the teacher who has half of my class from last year! My babies! (ok, not babies, really, as they are now 3rd graders)

So I got to spend time with some awesome 3rd graders! They are really sweet kids, and have grown up a lot over the summer. I was extremely impressed with how they handled themselves in the absence of their teacher. It makes me very happy - and to think I helped with that a little! This class was completely different than the class I took over in May - polar opposites, in fact. So stinking' proud of them.

And they were happy to see me, too! I am definitely close to my quota of hugs for the week! I could hear my students telling their classmates (the ones who were not in my class last year) "she was OUR teacher last year!" awwww!

Of course, subbing for former students is a funny thing, and very unique. I didn't have to spend time establishing ground rules, or explaining my expectations- they already knew them. And at one point, I looked at a kid who was being disruptive, and just asked, "Do I need to email your mom?"

Ha! What other sub can do that????

-Ms. J

4/5

Yesterday I volunteered at the school I worked at last year. When subbing is slow, it's good to get out and volunteer to get your face out there. It's a great way to market yourself, and also a really fun way to spend the day! (Plus, I see my students from last year in the halls and get plenty of hugs and "I miss you" and "Where have you been???")

I was in a 4/5 blend classroom for the day. It was a ton of fun! I know I will enjoy subbing for this class - the kids are full of personality!

At some point during the day, the teacher mentioned that she is 51. This was quite the news announcement to those kids - there were many kids amazed she was that old (she looks much younger).

One kid just kept talking about how she didn't look older than 40. Finally, he said, "well, you might look 43 but no more than that!" Then he said (much to my amusement):

"You're like a 51 year old woman with a 43 year old body!"

Hahaha what a compliment! Ya gotta love 4th graders trying to flatter their teachers!

-Ms. J

What's in the bag?

A sub bag is an essential part of being a successful sub. While most of the stuff may not be used all the time, it's helpful to have these things on hand, just in case.

Here is a pictorial guide to what I deem important enough to put in the bag. Usually the bag stays in the car and I simply take the bare necessities, but the bag is there in case I need it!
The bag lives in the car, by the way. It's important for those last minute calls.

What's in the bag!

A fun logical thinking test. I like to pull it out for classes that I really enjoy, when we have a few spare minutes. I usually tell them that they cannot go on to the next grade if they don't get 100% - you'd be amazed at how many kids believe me!

Colored dot stickers. I am thinking they will be fun for creating groups or teams.

Granola bars. Necessary for those mornings when I get a call and run out of the house without time to eat breakfast or pack a lunch (the doctor says I need to stop skipping meals!)

Angry Birds coloring pages. I don't foresee any opportunities to use these, but ya never know!

The absolute most important thing in the bag - this goes everywhere with me! Miss Nelson is Missing is the book I read to every class K-5 the first time I have them. It is a great way to establish myself as an authority figure. I read it, then tell the kids "I can be a teacher like Miss Nelson (nice), or a teacher like Ms. Swamp (mean). It's up to you."

Stickers are another must-have, when subbing K-3. Such a good incentive!

Thumb drives with lesson plans and activities, just in case there are no lesson plans.

Sticki-notes. Useful for exit slips, notes, etc.

My special/favorite pens - PaperMate Flairs - and my "cool" pen - very popular with the littles.

My middle school/half day behavior plan - if I catch someone with good behavior, I give them a ticket. At the end of the period (or our time together), we have a drawing for a piece of candy.

Of course, there are a couple things not shown, such as candy, my iPad, and a camera! And I always have business cards ready to hand out and leave with teachers!

And there I am - ready for a new school year!

Fun craft!

So I filled in for a week at a Summer Lunch program for a friend who's having babies soon :) it was a lot of fun!

It was also really hot, so I decided to give the kids a fun craft they could make and then have a water fight! This is the funnest/most fun craft ever!

Sponge balls - I bought all the supplies for 35 kids for less than $10.

I bought 7 packages of 10 sponges at the Dollar Tree

Cut each sponge into 3 long strips (I didn't do this one - a helper cut it)

Select 5 strips to make your ball. Bundle them together in one hand

A package of rubber bands ($0.59 at target). Take a rubber band and wrap it around the middle of the bundle of sponges

Add two buckets from the Dollar Tree, and you have a fun craft for a hot day for less than $10!

A Great American Grandma

Meet Candie (name changed for privacy), a fine upstanding member of society. She is one of those people that I am proud to say I know. This is a tribute to her.

Candie is a grandma. She has some grand kids that mean the world to her. She volunteers at their school all the time. Last year, she started volunteering at another elementary school during the summer lunch program. This is how I met her. She volunteers a couple times a week, serving lunch to kids through the summer lunch program. Every summer, she goes out and buys up the supplies for 2 students - unknown to her. She buys backpacks, calculators, paper, pencils - everything that is on the school supply list. She doesn't buy the cheap stuff, either - the supply list called for a "simple calculator" for a fifth grader, and she could have bought a cheapo calculator for $3. Instead, she spent $11.95 on a calculator she knew would be good. This year, she also bought some copy paper for her grandkids' elementary school, because they always run out. The total cost for her generosity: $200. When I asked her about it, she replied, "There is such a need. And I can do it. As long as I can do it, I will."

I thought she was talking about money when she said that, and I was inspired by this sweet, stylish grandma. I found out today that she just found out she has breast cancer. She starts treatment right away. So she wasn't talking about money when she said "as long as I can do it, I will," - she was talking about ability.

Candie, I will be praying for you during this new chapter of your life. Just know that in the short time I have known you, you have impacted me with your selflessness, generosity and dedication to the children of America. You are a truly great American, and I'm proud to say that I know you! You don't simply expect others to do a great work - you get in and do it yourself!

Readers, I encourage you to let Candie inspire you to do good somewhere in your community - volunteer at a school, donate school supplies to a child in need (contact the school counselor for ideas), or make dinner for a family in need. Change can come to your community - we don't need new policies, laws or speeches - the great Americans among us (like Candie) are planting the seeds of change close to you, and simply need someone (like you) to help water them.

A Lesson in Binary

One of the kids I taught this last year as a sub was extremely intelligent. Math nerd, deluxe edition. It's the true nerds that take that label as a compliment. His binder was deluxe nerd, also. It was covered with nerdy stickers and sayings. My favorite said this:

"There are l0 kinds of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't."

I laugh so hard every time I think about that binder! I cannot imagine the blank stares the other 6th graders gave that binder as they tried to figure that saying out. "How can there be 10 kinds of people and only list 2 kinds of people?" hahahahaha!

P.S. if you don't get it, just know you're in the second group of people

-Ms. J