first sub job down, hopefully many more to come!

I FINALLY got my first sub job yesterday and it went so incredibly well. I subbed in a 3rd grade classroom at St. Luke Catholic School in Woodburn and let me tell you it was so different than public school that I spent almost the whole day adjusting to differences. They are good differences, not bad...just VERY different from how the public schools are run. Oh and did I mention that the teacher I subbed for used to work at St. Stephens in Portland (where I went K-8) so she has known me since I was probably 12 or 13. Again, awesome and strange at the same time.

Here are a list of what I experienced yesterday that I thought was really cool:

1. Morning Prayer/Pledge of Allegiance with the word "God" in it. now there's something that doesn't happen too often in public school. it was sweet, I guess each grade takes turns leading prayer and the pledge each week. so for example, one week,the 2nd graders will do it, the next week, the 3rd graders will and so on and then they will start all over again. I haven't had morning prayer since I was in private school so it was especially nice to see/be a part of.

2. the involvement of other teachers and aides. I am not saying that other teachers and teachers aides are not involved in public school because they are. I guess it's just different in private school because the class sizes are 18 versus 29 or so in a public. yes, the class size for 3rd grade was 18 at St. Lukes. I felt like I was hardly teaching. I was! it was just that the aides got right in there and it made my job a lot easier.

3. the politeness of these kids. holy moly! whatever I did, these kids were right there with me. very flexible to routine, helpful to a T and very patient. not to mention sweet and funny. again, not saying that the kids in public school are not polite or anything, these kids were just not going to try anything funny with a sub. they were probably warned.

4. word got out that this was my first sub job ever (only with the teachers) and pretty soon, I had teachers coming in whenever they had a break and asking me if I was ok and telling me that if i needed them, they were right next door or across the hall. The principal even came in to see how everything was going and see how i was. it was sweet, but i guess i am used to seeing no teachers coming in and checking on the sub until lunch time in the staff room. I felt very nurtured in that school. I would definitely return.

5. uniforms! aahhh. that definitely brought me back to my days at St. Stephens. we wore uniforms and we only had one or two "free dress days" a month and it was a huge deal for us. basically, we wouldn't have to wear uniforms those days and we could wear what we called "normal clothes" haha! :) within appropriate dress code of course ;)

after my day in woodburn, I went to the Silver Falls School District office and got paperwork for becoming a building sub for Butte Creek (where I did all my student teaching). so Monday or Tuesday (depending if I get called or not) I have to go in and turn it in, bring in my license so they can make a copy of it for file purposes and see if I have to go to WESD for other things. once that is done, hopefully i can start subbing for butte creek. :) I can't wait.

the last thing I did was go to seven brides brewing to meet my first mentor teacher to pick up a letter of recommendation from her and have a drink of course. we talked and caught up and it was really nice because we ran into a history teacher from high school (for me) he wasn't my teacher, but he was always super nice and he coached my brother in football. turns out he loves my family. as do I :) it felt weird to say "us" teachers. It put it in perspective that I am a teacher now. life is good. I know things have been really rocky for me, but this is the first time in a long time that I feel like I really am going to be ok from here on out. :)

Andrea