Choreographed Dance

Today I substituted in a 3rd grade classroom at a school where I am a regular. In fact, I am a regular for all 4 of the 3rd grade teachers there. The advantage to working at one school on a regular basis is that nearly all the students know me, as do the teachers. I am able to build relationships with the kids that I normally wouldn't have if I only saw them a few times a year. I also generally know the classroom routines at least a little bit and that helps the day run more smoothly. There is less of a sense of pressure and uncertainty when you have both of these things going for you.

When I arrived at 7:30 I gave my time sheet to the secretary, got the attendance folder and key, and walked to the classroom. The key didn't work so I had to return it and try again. This can lead to a building stress if you aren't familiar with the class and the routine because you only have so much time to familiarize yourself with that stuff before the little darlings appear. If stuff isn't layed out or explained well in the plans you need every minute to prepare. If you are running late you end up scrambling to keep things under control. The last thing you want to be is unprepared with 20 or 30 kids waiting, some of them ready and willing to add to any chaos that appears!

I went over the sub plans as soon as I got into the room. The first hour and 20 minutes in this 3rd grade is like an elaborately choreographed dance. Students received directions for seatwork and an explanation of how to do one of the pages. Then I send one kid to the resource room, 4 kids to the computers, and 6 kids to a remedial reading specialist who comes into the class for about an hour. I call 2 other kids over to work with me and the rest do work at their seats. After 15 minutes kids begin to rotate: new kids on the computer, with the specialist, with me, or doing seat work. There ends up being 4 rotations. During that time a 2nd reading specialist takes 2 of the kids to another room to work with them in a small group for 15 minutes. All of this choreography has been ironed out by the regular teacher and things run very smoothly.

Today, about 20 minutes into the school day, my nose began to run. This is not the first time this has happened and so I knew I was in for it. It is usually is a sign of an allergic response to something. Sometimes it's something in the classroom and sometimes it's some plant or pollen or something outside. Having allergies sounds like such a wimpy thing... but it simply makes me miserable. I some times wonder if I'm going to make it through the day when it hits me. My nose starts running, I start sneezing, and no matter how many times I blow my nose, the relief only lasts about a minute, if that. I never know whether or not it will subside or make me miserable the whole day.

By the time we had finished with reading groups, etc., at 9:20, it was obvious that this pain-in-the-nose wasn't going away. My choices are limited. Either I suffer through it or I take Sudafed or Benadryl and deal with the overwhelming desire to go to sleep. (Those non-drowsy antihistamines don't do anything.) Today I chose to suffer.

We began to correct the Practice Book page the kids were supposed to have finished. I frequently stopped to use a tissue. I apologized, saying, "I'm sorry; I have allergies. I must be allergic to something."

They offered ideas. "It's probably Terry" (the class turtle). Another said, "It's Grimey!" the class gecko. A third student, a girl who skipped a grade, said, "I think you're allergic to the kids. Maybe you shouldn't substitute anymore!"

"Maybe you're right!" I answered, and we laughed.

To finish the day all the 3rd graders did an "archeological dig" in the sandbox. They picked partners and went out to dig up "artifacts" in the sandbox that were placed there by volunteer parents. The kids were to work carefully, recording their findings on a grid. Some embraced the archaeologist's job and were meticulous as they removed layer after layer of sand using spoons and paint brushes.

Unfortunately, some kids didn't really get the archeology concept, or didn't care. One pair dug through their quadrant in minutes, anxious to uncover whatever was there and not bothering to record anything. They said, "We'll do it after."

Another pair started out fine but as time went on one of them got impatient and began digging like a dog. In no time at all she had thrown 3 piles of dirt into her partner's hair and onto her shirt. The one with sand in her hair retaliated with a handful of her own by the time I stopped them. (I'd have found it humorous if my nose hadn't been draining the whole time.)

Taken as a whole I think the activity was fun and worthwhile. The kids learned a lot AND got to do something 'hands-on'.