Substitute teaching is a dirty job

This one I completely forgot about until recently.

So before getting hired at Rosenwald, I took a few subbing jobs. Let me first just say that if you ever meet someone who chooses substitute teaching as a mode of income or job, shake their hand immediately. As it is, students I've encountered have a very different mentality than what I'm used to. Commonly, the respect from students is given to you on the first day and it is up to you whether you maintain it or not. Here, it's different. Kids aren't scared when they're written up, put out, or sent to the office. You have to respect them and be on their asses constantly until they feel the security of your structure and work ethic to start respecting you. In other words, you have to work to gain their respect...It's admirable in a way, but not always easy for the teacher.

So this one day I walk into class. Teachers typically leave lesson plans for you to teach with and basically know what the hell you're doing that day...This one didn't. She left me the daily schedule and the textbooks. So instead of listing what story they're working on, what literary skills are being taught, and what math concepts they're doing for the week, I had a schedule telling me Reading 9:00-10:00, Spelling 10:00-10:45, Lunch 10:45-11:20, etc.

At around 7:45 the students started trickling in and then the teacher who I was subbing for walked in. We made small talk, and then she pointed to the desks of the "bad ones". Then she left me with some shocking words:

"Now let me tell you I've been teachin' for 24 yeauhs. I've taught in Mississippi, Alabama, New Ohleans after Katrina, and now here. And these kids (pauses to point to just about every kid in the room)...these kids is crack babies." Mind you this was within clear earshot of the kids. And it doesn't stop there...

"So what I do to keep em in line is I tell them I'll call my brother who's a cop and if they act up, he's going to come over here and arrest them. Plus I have a boyfriend who BRPD...You should be fine though."

When she said that I maintained the crossed arms and calmly nodded my head with scrunched eyebrows to express my disdain to the unfortunate situation. On the inside, I screamed, "Get the f*** out?!?! She did NOT just say that in front of the kids! And what am I supposed to do?? I don't have a love interest in the Baton Rouge Police Department!! O and what a great way to introduce my to your class..." Then the morning bell rang.

For the rest of the day this teacher's words orbited my head like birdies when a cartoon character gets hit with a frying pan. Kids cried because I didn't let them do what they wanted. These first graders screamed at each other, tried to fight or hit one another, teased one another like no other, would NOT stop talking, and showed every sign that this teacher did not have management of her class.

I ended up choosing to sub for that teacher again the next day. It didn't go much better but Rylacia did leave a sweet note on the teacher's desk for me at the end of the day:

"You are a real real nice teacher."