AuburnChick's Adventures

As you know, I’ve been off this week.

I kept myself busy on Monday and Tuesday.

This morning, I almost decided to take Rooster to school in my robe, but at the last minute, I pulled on a sweatshirt, jeans, and a random pair of flip flops.  I figured nobody would be seeing me, so who cared.

After dropping off Rooster in the car loop, I made a last-second decision to park the car.  I was on a mission…to find a movie version of The Scarlet Letter.

Rooster’s high school has been very generous in helping me out, so off I trudged to the media center.

I got the okay from one of the school employees to take a look in the room that houses the movies.

On my way across the library, I saw Chicky and Rooster’s English teacher from last year (although in different grades, both were fortunate to have the same teacher).  I stopped to say ask how she was doing, and she told me, in a semi-panicked voice, that her child was ill, and she was looking for a sub.

I had told the ladies in the office that I would welcome the opportunity to sub this week as a way to spend time with the kids who are near and dear to my heart and as a way to earn a few extra dollars.

So, hearing the teacher’s response, I told her that my subbing credentials were still in order.

She asked, “Don’t you have to work today?”

She knows that I have my own teaching job because I had approached her for assistance.

“Nope,” I responded.  “I’m off this week.  Do you want me to sub for you?”

Her face instantly transformed to one of relief.

My heart filled with joy.

It was a God-thing.

I asked for a bit of time to run back home and change my clothes.  Because I live next to the school, this was not a big deal.  It gave her a chance to get her first class settled and for her to write instructions for me.

I was excited when I saw her students.  I recognized quite a few.  Many were from the teacher’s class that I subbed in for a month in January.

You could not have wiped the smile from my face.

Second period was a repeat of the first one.  As the students entered the room, their faces lit up.

They were genuinely happy to see me.

The feeling was mutual.

Next, I had planning, followed by lunch.  I was able to run home and create a vocabulary test for one of my classes.  I am using every spare minute to get things made up for the weeks leading up to Christmas.  It is my hope that I will be able to focus on teaching, reviewing, and Christmas shopping, rather than test-making, printing, and copying.  Those tasks really eat into a teacher’s week!

After lunch, I returned for fourth period.  The school is on a block schedule, so there are four 90-minute classes.  Personally, I love the schedule.  Teachers have three classes and a planning.  It’s divine.

Anyhoo…I digress…

Fourth period consisted of tenth graders…my 9th graders from last year.

Oh.

My.

Word.

Their smiles were, if it’s possible, BIGGER than the other classes’.

One of my students was so happy to see me that she added the following under my name on the board…

Do you see that little tag line?

Bestill my beating heart.

I love that girl.

No.  I’m serious.  I really do.

We have a very special connection.

Her dad, who is also a sub, sat with Chicky after she was in a fender bender.  At the time, I didn’t know who he was, but one day, I was in the front office helping out, and he came to check out his daughter.

When I heard him speak her name, I introduced myself.  When he heard my name, he asked if Chicky was my daughter.

We put two and two together, and BINGO.  There was that connection.

It was such a great day.

I have missed these students.  Many have grown taller.  I have seen a few of them at various school functions, and they have always inquired about when I would be subbing for them again.

This is my only opportunity this year to sub.  My school’s Spring schedule follows the public school schedule.

God is so gracious and so kind by allowing me this opportunity.

The best thing is that I get to go back tomorrow.

Getting paid to be with students I love…it’s a tough way to make a living, but somebody’s gotta do it!

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: teaching, teenagers | 2 Comments »