It has been two months since I last wrote about my journey to substitute teaching. I am busier than ever, and am trying to manage my time. My blog has suffered, but my brain is swirling with tales to tell. My journey has continued, and I don't even know if I will be able to express all that I'm thinking and feeling.
When a teacher walks into a school building each morning, he/she takes on an unbelievably important role, and he/she takes that role seriously. Parents send their most precious and beloved children off each day to be cared for, nurtured, and taught by other adults. Those adults had better be ready, willing, and able! What I witness every day tells me that they are, and sometimes what I see brings tears to my eyes.
I know what I brought to the classroom all those years ago, but I guess after having been removed from the situation for so long, I needed to be reminded that millions of teachers, teacher assistants, and teacher aides all over the world, are "bringing it" every day as well.
What I have witnessed in the past weeks at the middle school shows me that all of our children are in excellent hands. It is a very different type of job than most people have. When you deal with kids, anything can happen on any given day. Teachers and administrators deal with a myriad of issues each day; kids who have conflicts with other kids, kids who are dealing with issues at home, kids who have developmental or social disorders, kids who are having trouble fitting in, kids who don't feel well, kids who didnt get enough sleep, and kids who are just plain having a bad day!
Did I mention anything about having to deal with these issues while at the same time trying to teach these children math or science or english? That is another part to this job. Let me tell you what I was quickly reminded of as I go through this journey: Teachers can't have a bad day! Every minute of the day counts, and every interaction with a child makes a huge impact on that kid. It's a lot to think about, and it is a huge responsibility.
I am seeing things in a much different light now than when I taught many years ago. The reason for this is that back then I had a very young baby, and school for him was years away. Now I have been a mother for a very long time, my kids are all in the school system, and I know what challenges they face each day just by being kids, dealing with schoolwork, and extra curriculars. I know how I want my kids to be treated by the adults with whom they interract each day, and I am so happy to say that this kind of treatment is what I witness each day at the middle school.
As a substitute, I have the advantage of being all over the building, meeting many, many teachers and students, and observing pretty awesome "ordinary happenings." The students and adults in my school have a special bond. I see kids seeking out adults all day long; they ask for advice, they just want to chat, they need a human connection. On the flip side, I witness the adults treating the kids with respect, listening to them, and being a constant in the lives of these kids. Teachers don't do this because they are paid to do so. Teachers do these things because that is why they became teachers in the first place. This is what many people, and those who berate teachers, do not understand and never will until they spend some time in a classroom with real kids and teachers.
I am only a sub, but I have become a familiar face to many of these kids, and it is awesome when I walk down the hall and hear kids calling my name. I am very, very attached to this school and these kids. My journey will continue, and I hope to share with you more of what I am learning about schools, kids, human nature, and most of all, MYSELF! (And I am learning a ton about myself that I never knew, or maybe just forgot!)
Just rest assured that your kids are in great hands when they enter a school building, wherever that building may be. Teachers are for kids. Plain and simple. What I see every day is confirmation of that.
