Subbing Again

Bob

I got a call this morning to be a substitute teacher at a local school and I went.

It has been four years since I took a substitute teaching job. 

I quit doing it because I didn't like to be in a classroom with always more than thirty kids who automatically despised me. That's what a substitute teacher is most of the time in California--someone for the kids to be mean to--one adult they can get revenge on the whole system against.

This class was a Special Education class--that's why I went. All the students in the class are more or less handicapped--and they are great. These kids are not normal. They don't treat their teachers as some sort of joke and they don't hate substitute teachers.


Since they are not normal, they have been taught to be accepting of each other and of the adults helping them--teaching them. I was even told "Thank you" twice today by kids. Once for helping a girl count change in a game and once for helping a boy tear open his wrapped lunch sandwich. They are taught to be polite and are genuinely concerned about the teacher--even if he is a substitute--and each other. It is such a change from the competitive ME, ME, ME of the regular classroom.

I hope they call me again soon.


Tommy Morganstern

(This is a page from a coloring book I colored when I was helping some kids.)

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