Substitute Teaching...

...is an interesting venture. First, you might be called to teach in a school system where you don't know anyone.

Such is the case I'm in today. Yes, I'm subbing for a school that's relatively close to home - only 21 miles from my garage to this school's front door - but I really don't know anyone here. A couple kids know me because I interviewed one for a newspaper I work for and the other is related to some good friends. Otherwise, I have no really vested interest in the school.

This makes for an interesting day. Now I'm not saying I'm just here for the paycheck. I like when a teacher leaves me something to actually DO during the day instead of feeling like a glorified babysitter. Make that an 85-dollar-for-the-day babysitter.

But honestly, I subbed here yesterday afternoon and will be here all day. I finished the YA novel Thirteen Reasons Why and I've written two web articles for a company I write for. Yes, and now I'm blogging. (Oops, almost busted by the superintendent; of course, I'm really not doing anything wrong...)

And I'm not saying the kids here are disrespectful, because with the exception of a sixth grader commenting on one (er...make that two) of my womanly features yesterday, they've all been pretty decent kids. They work when I ask them to. They are fairly quiet. And, they have excellent taste in music that they've been playing (it helps to sub for the computer teacher).

But it is interesting that some teachers just leave "busy work" when they will be absent. Hey, fellow teachers, I know how to teach, so why not let me do something!! I may not be the best at teaching calculus or physics, but I have been trained to teach and I'm quick on my feet, so give me something to do.