I know if you're reading this it means you've been waiting with bated breath for the latest installment on my blog. Therefore I will give you what you've been waiting for.
For those who don't know I signed up to be a substitute teacher this year on the east bank of the Jefferson Parish School System. So far I've had two assignments, both as a sub for PE coaches in elementary schools. I would just like to say I didn't specifically request to sub for PE or to work in elementary schools, but I figured if I wanted to get more assignments it would be best to sign up for every school and well, you never know what a PE coach does until you get there, so I just figured I would take whatever came my way.
My first assignment was at the alternative(problem kids) school for the parish. It was kind of sad to see kids as young as in 1st grade there, but alas they were there. Most of the kids were very well behaved and actually very sweet kids. I generally tried to play whatever game they were playing, but seeing as I was in a skirt and flats some games I just wasn't properly attired for. What made me saddest though was one particular class' teacher assistant. Every class has an assistant that goes with them to every class and for the most part the assistants were very friendly and approachable. But the TA for this class was quite rude to me (yelling at me for having kids near the office door) and treated the children like criminals. In defense of myself the reason I had them by the office door was because the gym was as hot as a sauna and the water fountain's water was lukewarm at best whereas the office I was in (which was really just a desk and chair) has two a/c units in it making it almost uncomfortably chilly. So, when kids got overheated I let them stand/sit in the doorway to cool down. But I'm now fully converted to the idea that if you treat a child like a criminal he would act like one. Later on that day one of the kids from that class was brought in to the principal's office while I was there for trying to start a fight. I realize a certain level of discipline needs to be in every class, but yelling at the kids for no warranted reason is only adding to their motivation to act out, whether for good or bad.
The next day I was assigned to an elementary school near my home and worked along side two other PE coaches. Justin made my day by slipping a note into my bag with a quote from School of Rock (one of our favorite movies) saying, "Those who can't do, teach. And those who can't teach, teach PE." Lo and behold, I was provided with two examples of the second part of that phrase for that second assignment. It comes as a surprise to no one that Math and PE were tied for m least favorite subjects in school and those teachers reminded me why. Whenever a kid came to say they were thirsty, hurt themselves or something the lady would say, "suck it up, it's not that bad" (to 2nd and 3rd graders) and the punishment for acting up in class was to pick up all the rocks in the playground and put it into a bucket (according to the male coach). I mean, they really weren't bad teachers, but it just reminded me of how gruff PE coaches were in comparison to the English and Social Studies teachers I loved as a kid. I have to say the funniest thing about the day though was the male coach with unusual punishments. If he wasn't explaining a game he would stand behind/beside the female coach and stretch. He would stretch his arms, his legs, I'm pretty sure he was trying to stretch his butt muscles at one point because some of the stretches he did were so unusual. It only got better when the band teacher came to speak to the 3rd-5th graders and was playing a flute when this coach, while stretching, asked if the band teacher could play some Jethro Tull. I had to laugh because then they got off topic and were telling the kids about Jethro Tull, but this male coach seriously made me laugh.
I do commend anyone who goes into teaching. I don't mean to criticize them because I realize their jobs are somewhat similar to mothers in that they often go unthanked and under appreciated. But I couldn't help but almost take these two experiences and use them as learning tools/social science research regarding interaction between adults and children. I really didn't see it as a job because it was a lot of fun to work with these little kids and do stretches with them and play soccer with them.
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