After I retired nine years ago, I planned on substitute teaching to supplement my retirement income. Little did I realize how much I would be called upon to work interim positions and the like. For the past two years, I’ve been teaching every day, half a day. with a fifth grade science class.
Today was one of those rare days when I was called to teach a full day. Some of the teachers I work with were on a field trip, so a full day it was. I will honestly say I wasn’t totally looking forward to the whole day stint, especially given the fact I would be working three consecutive hours with one of my more difficult classes. But surprisingly, things went much better than expected.
We have a weekly quiz we take on Fridays and the students were at first busy completing it. We then worked in an online booklet dealing with humans body systems and that went smoothly as well.
Their math teacher had left an online math assignment for them to work on and after changing to a regular classroom (I normally teaching in a “learning cottage, AKA trailer) and they continued to work rather well.
Next week we’re going to be constructing a human body systems booklet and much of the extra time with both classes was spent putting those booklets together. I was pleasantly surprised that we were able to get them all put together and are now ready next week to fill in the information each student will be required to complete.
I was able to leave a little bit earlier than expected when the field trip groups returned. I thought I would feel much tireder than I did, although I have to admit I did take a short nap when I got home.
Would I want to go back to working full-time,,,,probably not. But it is nice from time-to-time to remember what it was like back in the “good old days” of full time teaching.
David Lee
David Lee 