As I sorted through the mail, I saw an envelope addressed to me with the return address of the school I subbed at a few weeks ago. I had already received my paycheck for subbing so I was puzzled as to what it could be. Even more strange was that it seemed very heavy. Inside was a stack of notebook papers with a post-it note on top. The post-it said "Here are notes of apology from some of the eighth graders that you taught. I hope you will substitute for us again" and it was signed by the principal. (side note: the principal is one of the parents from my daughters' school who I know fairly well and is frankly someone I hope to convince to hire me at his school some time in the future when I am ready to go back to work full time). The notes expressed remorse from these students about their behavior and was signed by their parents. I felt bad for these poor kids and extremely pissed at this monstrous teacher from across the hall.
Here's how the day I subbed played out. From the moment I got to the school I was warned about class 8A. Everyone may as well have said "Dreaded 8A from Hell" from their ominous and disdainful tones. The secretary and every teacher on the floor "warned" me about them. Needless to say I was curious.
My classroom management style is laid back and respectful of my students. I don't yell (this was a very hard habit and inclination to break but over time I've gotten really good at it). I modeled my technique of "waiting" for my students' attention instead of yelling like a maniac at them and thereby losing a lot of credibility with them, after my psychology teacher in High School. I stand in the front of the room with a smile on my face and I wait. If students yell stuff out to me or ask me questions I put up my index finger in the international symbol for "hold on a minute" and continue to wait. Eventually they realize that I am waiting for them and little by little they get quiet and even tell each other to be quiet until I can begin to speak. It works really really well. I have had to even write on the board "I am waiting for you to be quiet before I begin speaking." It works way better than yelling and, like I said, the kids don't feel nagged at.
Well when "dreaded 8A" arrived in the classroom, they were loud and rambunctious, but it wasn't that bad. So I waited as they took their seats, a few of them were getting the drift and quieting down, when all of a sudden this giant woman with tight white curls wearing what can only be described as a muumuu came barreling in the room. She started screaming at them to be quiet and when they were, launched into this tirade about respecting their substitute and telling their regular teacher how they were behaving and just a whole bunch of nutso unwarranted threats and reprimands. She informed me that I should get her from across the hall if they "acted up again" and stormed back out. She seemed like a total bitter angry psycho. I don't think I hid rolling my eyes and being pissed at her very well. Because after an awkward moment of silence I think I sarcastically said something like "Yeeeah...okaaaaaay...anyway" and then introduced myself to them and explained what we were going to be doing. Class went fine, I found them to be an amusing group, funny ( yes rambunctious and a little loud) but not by any means the worst I've dealt with. Someone ratted on someone for not being in the right seat, and I was like okay whatever just move, I had to keep repeatedly asking a few kids to quiet down, but it was really no big deal. Typical day of a sub. In my note to the teacher I said that everything went fine.
Then I get these crazy notes in the mail. I was pissed. I know psycho muumuu teacher said who knows what to the principal. It made me so angry. Maybe in her own way she was trying to help but she completely undermined my authority by doing what she did. I didn't need saving. Maybe she thought I was some young newbie that needed her help. But I'm not. I'm a good teacher with time tested methods and eleven years of experience dealing with Jr. High kids. What must this principal think of me now? Maybe he knows she's a nut, but then I feel bad about those kids being given this unwarranted, in my opinion, punishment that needed to be signed by their parents.
I feel like calling him up and telling him what actually happened so I can set the record straight and I also feel like giving that lady a piece of my mind. Nutjob!
Here's how the day I subbed played out. From the moment I got to the school I was warned about class 8A. Everyone may as well have said "Dreaded 8A from Hell" from their ominous and disdainful tones. The secretary and every teacher on the floor "warned" me about them. Needless to say I was curious.
My classroom management style is laid back and respectful of my students. I don't yell (this was a very hard habit and inclination to break but over time I've gotten really good at it). I modeled my technique of "waiting" for my students' attention instead of yelling like a maniac at them and thereby losing a lot of credibility with them, after my psychology teacher in High School. I stand in the front of the room with a smile on my face and I wait. If students yell stuff out to me or ask me questions I put up my index finger in the international symbol for "hold on a minute" and continue to wait. Eventually they realize that I am waiting for them and little by little they get quiet and even tell each other to be quiet until I can begin to speak. It works really really well. I have had to even write on the board "I am waiting for you to be quiet before I begin speaking." It works way better than yelling and, like I said, the kids don't feel nagged at.
Well when "dreaded 8A" arrived in the classroom, they were loud and rambunctious, but it wasn't that bad. So I waited as they took their seats, a few of them were getting the drift and quieting down, when all of a sudden this giant woman with tight white curls wearing what can only be described as a muumuu came barreling in the room. She started screaming at them to be quiet and when they were, launched into this tirade about respecting their substitute and telling their regular teacher how they were behaving and just a whole bunch of nutso unwarranted threats and reprimands. She informed me that I should get her from across the hall if they "acted up again" and stormed back out. She seemed like a total bitter angry psycho. I don't think I hid rolling my eyes and being pissed at her very well. Because after an awkward moment of silence I think I sarcastically said something like "Yeeeah...okaaaaaay...anyway" and then introduced myself to them and explained what we were going to be doing. Class went fine, I found them to be an amusing group, funny ( yes rambunctious and a little loud) but not by any means the worst I've dealt with. Someone ratted on someone for not being in the right seat, and I was like okay whatever just move, I had to keep repeatedly asking a few kids to quiet down, but it was really no big deal. Typical day of a sub. In my note to the teacher I said that everything went fine.
Then I get these crazy notes in the mail. I was pissed. I know psycho muumuu teacher said who knows what to the principal. It made me so angry. Maybe in her own way she was trying to help but she completely undermined my authority by doing what she did. I didn't need saving. Maybe she thought I was some young newbie that needed her help. But I'm not. I'm a good teacher with time tested methods and eleven years of experience dealing with Jr. High kids. What must this principal think of me now? Maybe he knows she's a nut, but then I feel bad about those kids being given this unwarranted, in my opinion, punishment that needed to be signed by their parents.
I feel like calling him up and telling him what actually happened so I can set the record straight and I also feel like giving that lady a piece of my mind. Nutjob!
posted by Kathleen Ryan at 9:11 AM
3 Comments:
Don't worry too much about it. You know you are a good, capable teacher. That lady was out of line. It does show that the principal cares about disipline. I'd wait until you would naturally talk to him next and just mention it and how you felt about it.
She's a spy! Watch your back when you go there again. Did she plant any listening devices in the room? Do a sweep next time. Good luck with that situation.
At least you had the opportunity to get out of the house and use your teaching skills. I'm a formally trained lion taimer and haven't had a job in my field for years. Oh well....
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