Subsitute Teaching

Last night, around 6:00, I got a call for substituting at B's school.  As I was listening to the information, I pulled up the potential job assignment to see who it was and what grade.  It was Kindergarten, and it was a multi-day job, meaning I'd be in her class for the remainder of the week.

I took the job, and B was super-excited about that possibility of seeing me in the hallways at school.  It's the little things, really.  It also meant that I had a lot of homework I had to figure out how to complete since I would be busy for the 8 hours that I would usually spend working on homework and other things...like cleaning my apartment.  You have no idea how much it needs a good cleaning and how little desire I have to do it.  We're talking negative numbers here...

I woke up a whole hour earlier than I normally do, and by the time the boys woke up for school, I was already halfway through drying my hair.  I made lunches, drank coffee, packed a bag of stuff, and at the last minute, I threw in a package of Starbursts.  Teach 'em young, I always say...  N had to be at school early to re-take a quiz, so we dropped him off at 7:00 and were at a total loss when it came to how to spend our time for the next 30 minutes.  I realized I hadn't made MYSELF a lunch, so without telling B where we were headed, I drove to CFA for a chicken bagel.  He was THRILLED!  He scored some hash browns and chicken minis, and his Thursday was totally made.

When I got into "my" classroom for the remainder of the week, I was ready to go.  Little people, at least mass quantities of them, kind of freak me out.  I can handle a few small children at one time, but it's been a LONG time since mine were that age, and I was a little more than a little apprehensive.  There had been a substitute the day before as well (I didn't know this), so there weren't any plans left.  And then there were plans, but they were only have right.  And then there were more plans to decipher.  This sweet lady's mom got sick and she rushed off to care for her, so I can totally relate.  It's her mom.  You have to be there for your mom.  How many times did she drop everything for you?

We made it work.  We had lots of laughs, lots of tears over ridiculous things, and I even survived solo lunch duty!  Score!  I went home, thoroughly exhausted, and ready to make dinner at 4:00.  I babysat for my two favorite kiddos (aside from my own) tonight, too, so it was a late night for me.  They were awesome, per usual, C asking me "What were you thinking?!  KINDERGARTEN!?" when I told her what I'd been doing all day.  As a seasoned first grader, she just couldn't believe what I put up with.  Have I mentioned that I adore her?

I did manage to catch up on some homework while I was there, so in addition to story time and some giggles, it was a fantastic evening.  My mom pulled babysitting duty of her own so I could spend some time with C & J and so the boys wouldn't have a super late night.  And I'm pretty sure, in the quiet stillness of a house where everyone's asleep except me, I can hear those 19 little Kindergarten voices talking over each other and giggling and tattling on each other.

Oh, the voices...
Aubs