My First Substitute

On Thursday my students had their first substitute since my CT's return from maternity leave. A particular series of fairly fortunate events led to me leading the classes for the morning to my absolute delight. I relished at the opportunity to reclaim the spotlight and lead another lesson, even if it was not of my own creation.

The students came in saying, "Is there a sub? Are you our teacher today?" and gave them an enthusiastic "Yes!"

Though I was initially minutely concerned for the sake of myself and the sub, the students were actually very well behaved and listened to and followed my directions well. At first I feared the 'sub feeling' that overcomes classes like a sickness infecting students relentlessly with side effects such as excessive talking, spontaneous movements across the classroom, eruptions of loud noises, and the appearance of disrespect. Grave as this can sometimes be, the best cure is high and unwavering standards and expectations for behavior. If the classroom management plan is referenced and enforced, the 'sub feeling' is often wholly preventable.

Thankfully, I opened my class with, "Though your teacher is not here, her rules still are and I expect you to still follow them in her absence. Now lets get started!"

That is all I needed to say and the 'sub feeling' was (mostly) prevented. We made it through all of our work, and the students really exceeded my expectations. My lesson for the day was to remind students of the rules and their consequences, and as long as that is clear, discipline will be maintained.



Highlight of the Day:

Worksheet Question #20: Who is the best social studies teacher?            Miss Blanchard