Too cute for words!

This morning I got called at around 8:30 to head off ASAP to a school in south Salem. (Seems like I'm going to south Salem all the time doesn't it? I enjoy it - we'll see how long it lasts!) It was a morning job in a kindergarten class. I got there and the school had their building sub in the room in case I didn't get there before the kids (think I got brownie points for getting there so quick - I didn't bother telling anyone I live like 3 minutes away, because hey, even for living close I did get there quickly - I just get ready fast). But anywho, there was also an assistant in the room so she told me a couple things and then let me read over the plans. It was a pretty simple day for me.

The kids started arriving at 8:50 and in their cute little kindergarten voices, one after the other asked, "Where's my teacher*?" (*they actually used her name, but for the sake of being somewhat anonymous I'm gonna leave it out.) They actually adjusted really well to having me there instead. Often in kindergarten some kid(s) starts crying because their teacher is gone and they don't know me. But here they all just seemed perfectly happy to tell me all their stories and have me sit with them.

We did attendance and then a little writing, followed by something I've forgotten, then snack and recess, then math stations (playing with unifix cubes and pattern blocks), then story (I read the Kailey book) and then they went home. Nothing that was outstandingly amusing happened, but as a whole they were totally cute and REALLY well behaved for kindergarten! The assistant confirmed to me later that they had worked really hard on training them to walk down the halls and listen as well as they did. It was obvious - they were some of the best listeners, and quietest in the halls of all the classes I've ever subbed for. Top 5 easily.

So all in all, it was easy fun day for me hanging with the little ones!

Political Pundits

I've been sitting here for about 5 minutes trying to figure out how to start this blog with a sentence more interesting than "Today I was subbing at..." But alas, I cannot come up with a way, so I'll just start anyways:

I've been to 31 out of Salem's 47 elementary schools during the past year, but today I went to my 32nd school! It was one of the few in south Salem that I hadn't been to. Now that I think about it, during my years of student teaching and substituting I've been in 38 different schools! Wow...that's a lot.

Anyways, I was teaching for the afternoon in a 4th grade class. Their teacher told me that they were a good group of kids but prone to talking. I had to pick them up from recess which is always interesting when subbing for the afternoon because you have NO IDEA which class is "yours"! So I just end up asking some random line if they are Mr. or Mrs. so-and-so's class and they usually aren't, but they always know which line is. So I found the kids and we came back to the room, and they were a bit chatty, but once I started reading their read-aloud book they calmed down.

After a while I had the kids work on reading the Scholastic News magazines and answering the questions on the back. These particular issues were about the presidential race. One focused on the Vice Presidential candidates and the other talked about the Presidential candidates. The students were surprisingly opinionated on the matter. They all kept talking about who they were "going to vote for". And there were opinions on both sides of the spectrum. I listened to one girl spout off about how Obama had "no experience" and how he "keeps saying that he's going to change everything but he doesn't say HOW he's going to do that". Followed immediately by two boys discussing how McCain was clearly the wrong choice because he supported the war in Iraq and he "wants to still have the war". However, I was really impressed at how polite the kids were to each other. These 2 very different opinions happened to be sitting at the same table, and they all calmly explained what they thought, listened to the others and then just moved on. I think we could all learn a lot from the way they managed to have a political discussion without resorting to name-calling and bickering.

We also discussed the differences between the primaries (can only vote for your own party) and the main election (can vote for whoever you want), as well as how everybody's vote is private, and no one has to tell you who they vote for it they don't want to. Oh, and I also had to point out that John McCain and Joe Biden were indeed 2 different people! (Kids got confused by the fact they they both were wearing dark suits and had white hair apparently).

Later in the afternoon we went out to recess which the class was very happy about. (Love it when teachers leave extra recess or a movie for the end of the day - gives me something to hold over their heads all day (or half-day))

Oh, and I almost forgot the tale of the fidget toy! You see, these kids all had these little stress-ball things that they called fidget toys that they made in class that they could bring with them to the carpet and keep at their desks to fidget with during the day. Well, when we were watching a video, one of the kids was throwing his into the air (somehow I didn't see him do it) and it landed on top of the light. He pointed this out to me when the movie was over and I turned the lights on. So in order to prevent a fire hazard I had to keep half of the lights off. The kids all wanted to try to get it down, but I had them go to their seats and start the next activity. Meanwhile, I got a chair and a yard stick and climbed up to try to knock it down. But I just couldn't quite reach it. By this time ALL the kids in the room are facinated my me, their substitute, standing on the chair in the middle of the room. I had some kid grab me a "Whispy" (a curved tube that you hold up to your head like a phone and whisper into one end and listen out of the other end) and I stuck that onto the end of a broom and climbed up again. This time I managed to knock it down and everyone cheered. Who know I was so entertaining?!

Then there was the kid with the shirt of a Mr. Potato-like figure dressed up as Darth Vador (it said "Darth Tator" on top) pointing to a french fry and saying "I am your father!" haha thought that was pretty funny.

Oh, one kid drew me a picture of a squirrel being abducted by aliens. Great stuff.

Primary Therapists

Today was a fairly uneventful day. I subbed in a 1/2 blend for the afternoon at another south Salem school. The kids were sweet, and the stuff I had to do was pretty easy - a little read-aloud, some "health" which was basically about safety, and a little math and sharing and that was it.

The funny thing though was how complimentary these kids were! I think they should be hired out to work as therapists for people with low self-esteem. Seriously, I had been in the room for less than 30 minutes, and multiple kids had told me how they liked my hair, my outfit, my shirt, my glasses, and how I was pretty and nice. And then there was other child who kept randomly hugging me throughout the afternoon. I'd be standing at the door as they were all walking in and he'd just throw his arms around me and hug me. Must have done it at least 5 times. Apparently I just ooze coolness and niceness and the kids just can't help but love me! :)

Big Time Mix-Up!

So today was an all-time interesting morning for me! I got up and got half-way ready this morning at the normal time and then waited around for a phone call. I was kinda wondering if I'd get called to go back to the same class as Friday since the ST told me the teacher was going to be gone again, but I didn't get a call. It was around 8:45 when my phone finally rang. It was the sub office asking me if anyone at that school had talked to me about coming back Monday. I said that the ST had asked me if I was, but that the sub office told me it was only for Friday and no one in the office had asked me to stay. Then the sub office told me that the school had retained me for today. (Retained is the word they use when the job extends past the point it was supposed to end because the school finds out later that the teacher needs another day and then asks the sub if they can stay, the sub says yes, and then they let the sub office know that the sub's going to stay for another day). Anyways. I had to race around and get dressed, grab lunch and run out the door. Unfortunately, this school isn't super close to my apartment, so I had to fight the morning traffic on my way there. I got there and apologized for being late and explained to the office that no one had told me on Friday that they wanted me back for Monday. Then they explained to me that they'd requested a sub originally for both days and that they sub office should have told me. Ahh! Thankfully, no one seemed upset with me or blamed me for the whole thing. The sub office blamed the school, the school blamed the sub office - I don't know who's fault it was but I was glad it wasn't mine!

After that they day was pretty uneventful, the classes were still very nice kids. We did math and reading, and had picture day and it all went pretty smoothly. Even had time for a quick game of quiet ball at the end of the day. I'm hoping I'll get to go back to this class sometime later in the year since they are so easy to handle - also because later in the year the ST will be doing more and those are always fun days for the sub!

First Student Teacher of the Year

Today I subbed in the morning in a 5th grade ESL classroom. At least that's what the sub office called it - technically it was one component of a bilingual program at a school in central Salem. There are 2 bilingual classes for 5th graders - one class is all in English and one is all in Spanish and the kids switch from one to the other half-way through each day. The class I was in was the English class. Both classes of kids were very sweet, funny kids - and both were amazingly small - 17 kids in each class. So that was nice. Also, the class I was in had a student teacher (ST from now on) - a fellow Corbanite even! She seemed familiar to me right away, and later she told me I looked familiar too - asked me if I was on SEA (Student Educator Association is what it stood for I believe). I said that no, I wasn't, but I was a part of the group that "rapped" at the Celebrate Teaching event at the beginning of her freshman year - yeah, she remembered that! That just cracked me up that that crazy stunt is still remembered!

Anyways, the day was incredibly easy for me, although that did make it a little boring. The kids did journal writing in the morning, then went to music, then came back and the ST read them a book then they switched classes. Then the other class did journals, then had lunch, then listened to ST read the book, then did some math, then both classes got together for "Fun Friday" which was when I left since I was only hired for a half-day. The kids were staying for another 30 minutes before dismissal at 12:45 (apparently they have early dismissal every Friday and they don't want to pay for subs for a whole day so the counselor or principal or someone just covers the class for the last half hour). In my case the ST and the teacher next door were there to watch the class.

So neither of us actually did much teaching. The ST was eager to ask me how I thought she was doing, and I said I though she was doing well - although I would like to see her some other time when she was actually having to teach something - I think she'd do a good job of that as well. Apparently this teacher is going to be gone on Monday as well, but when the sub office called they didn't ask for me on Monday as well, so as of right now I'm not doing that. I kinda wish that I was now though since the kids were enjoyable (and such a small group!) and the ST was pleasant. Who knows, maybe they'll call me for that on Monday. Either way, I'm glad it's finally the weekend! Even though I only worked 3.5 days this week I'm still beat! Ready for a day off that I KNOW is a day off! :)

Oh to be 6 years old!

Well I am done with the first-graders today!

They did a better job today, so that was exciting. I talked to them first thing in the morning about having an extra recess and I wrote the word "RECESS" on the board and told them if they had any problems during the day then I'd erase one of the letters and that they had to have at least one left at the end of the day to get their bonus recess. The got down to only the R but we made it! So we had about a 20 minute recess which pretty much makes me a hero in their eyes! :)

I do have one funny story of the day that earns this blog the new tag "too much info" as in stories with too much info! Okay, so it's sometime in the afternoon and the class is cleaning up (or at lease they are supposed to be cleaning up) after the last activity. During this time, this one little boy comes up to me and says, "I don't go poop at the school bathrooms. I don't 'cuz there are too many germs!" To which I replied, "Oh." Then another boy who happens to be listening adds, "I know there are germs so I just put toilet paper on the seat before I sit down. " Then the first boy replies with, "Yeah, well I still don't go poop at school." Ooooookay! Well, that was enlightening gentlemen! Thanks for sharing. haha

So that's about all of interest to write about today. I hope everyone enjoyed learning a bit more about the 6-year-old mind than you ever cared to!

The Little Naughty-pies!

haha I was talking to my mom today and she asked me how the little "first grade cutie-pies" were today, to which I replied - "They were NOT little cutie-pies - they were little naughty-pies!" Hence the title.

So today the little rascals were quite fired-up, and very LOUD! I felt like every time I turned around I was telling them to whisper, or to sit down, or to look at me, or to keep their hands to themselves, or to pay attention, or to be nice, etc. etc. etc! Lots of bickering and yelling and general not-paying-attentioning!

So by the end of the day I was quite tired. As was my voice. I was going to take them out to an afternoon recess but they were so out of control in the afternoon that I just couldn't do it! So I talked to them for a long time about why we weren't going to go after I'd said we could and how they could improve the rest of the day and tomorrow in order to earn that recess tomorrow. We'll see if that works. I'm crossing my fingers but not holding my breath. haha

Oh yeah, I guess I've implied but not stated that they do need me back for this same class tomorrow. And even though they made me work for my money today, it is nice to know where I'm going ahead of time. Plus they kids aren't all bad. For the most part they are actually enjoyable individuals - it's just when you put all 26 of them in a room that's probably climbing towards 80 degrees and it's only the 10th day of school and their second day with a substitute...well....they kinda self-combust. Can't really blame them - but I will hold them accountable!

Wish me luck tomorrow! :)

First Full Day

This morning I was starting to think that I was going to be jobless again today, but then at around 9am I got a phone call from the sub office and instead of being for an afternoon job (as I was expecting) they wanted me to rush out right away for a job where the start time is usually 8:30. Thankfully, it's a school I'd been to before (in south Salem) so I didn't need to figure out how to get there.

Now normally, I HATE these kinds of calls - anyone who knows me at all knows that I don't really do "spur of the moment" stuff that often. So I really hate when it gets to be that time of the morning - when I'm starting to think I'm not working and I start to make other plans - and then the phone rings and I have to do a complete 180 and get ready and dressed in light speed and run out the door. But it didn't bother me as much today for some unknown reason. Although I certainly felt a rushed! Probably didn't help that I stupidly assumed that I wouldn't get a last minute call like that so I hadn't done my hair or gotten dressed or anything! Ahh! Guess I won't do that anymore!

Anyways, I have rambled on the getting called portion of this story because there is not much to tell about the actual day. I got there and the kids were already in the room (24 first graders) and the principal was leading the class. She graciously kept doing the morning routine so I had a chance to look over the lesson plans to see what I was supposed to be doing the rest of the day. We managed to get through probably 90% of what was on the schedule and the kids were fine - it's only the 9th day of school and these guys still getting used to full days and such, so they were easily stirred up and pretty bouncy but that's kinda to be expected and they did seem to improve during the middle part of the day.

One thing that always amuses me about 1st grade (and kindergarten for that matter) is the way they will just blurt out something totally random that has nothing to do with what you're talking about. For example, I was talking to the class this afternoon about raising your hand when you have a question, and how to be polite listeners and such, and a few kids raised their hands and told some story about how they know to raise their hand because blahdy-blahdy-blah. Then another kid raised his hand and told me how he sometimes got to go to his grandma's on the weekend. (Yeah, he was obviously real tuned into our little chat wasn't he?) Then another raised their hand and told me how they liked to go fishing. So then I had to say something about how I like to hear their stories, but they need to save them for another time because right now we aren't having sharing. So this other kid raises his hand and I asked him if he was just telling a story or if he had a question - he assured me it was a question - then proceeded to tell me that he had a Nintendo Wii (with a completely straight face I must add!) Little mischievous rascal. That was the end of question time.

So tomorrow I am going back to the same class which is kinda nice. I know the schedule ahead of time and hopefully I can remember some names. Plus I don't have to do the dreaded "wait for the sentence for the day phone call" in the morning! :D

It's getting late now, so I'm off to bed...otherwise the little 6-year-old will overwhelm me in the morning!!

I'm the best!

Okay, once again I did not get called today (and yes, I did seriously consider titling this blog "Jobless Tuesday" but ...well...I'm trying to be a tad more creative than that) and I'm starting to worry that I'm going to run out of old stories! So if anyone's reading this and can remember a story I told them that I should blog you should remind me. :)

But here's a shorty for today:
This happened when I was subbing in a 3rd grade in a school in south Salem. It was May 16 and I was subbing in this class for the second time I believe although I had been to the school frequently and seen the kids from this class in the halls and such. Anyways, I had their class for the afternoon (I'd been in a different class in the morning) and when one of the kids saw me walk in he or she (honestly can't remember) said something about how they were excited I was their sub and then, "You're the best sub in the whole school because you're actually not mean to us!"

Seriously - should have asked the kid to write me a letter of recommendation or something! :)

Jobless Monday

haha...laughing at my oh-so-creative title to this entry!

Anyways, no job today either. Not too surprised since it is only the 4th day of school for the kiddos of Salem.

But since my mother reminded me, I shall tell another amusing story from last year - perhaps my most amusing one ever! (I shouldn't say that though - I wouldn't want everyone to lose interest from this point on, but oh well - it's been said.)

It was April 17 or 18th and I was subbing in a second grade class at a school in south Salem. I was there for both of those two days and I can't remember if this happened on the first day or second...I'm pretty sure it was the second though. Anyways, the kids eat lunch in their classrooms and during the lunch time this teacher plays a video for them to watch while they eat. It happens to be a Scooby-Doo video and Scooby and the gang are headed to Mexico to solve the latest mystery of a crazed monster who turns out to just be some irritated-schmuck-who-likes-to-wreak-havoc-on-the-neighborhood! Anyways, Shaggy, Velma, Daphne, Scooby and that blond preppy dude who's name I forgot arrive in Mexico to be greeted with singing and dancing. This particular song simply said, "Vivaaaaa...... Mexico!" over and over. The song's been going on for a few seconds when I notice a peculiar look on one little girls face. She smiles and then blurts out in a very loud voice, "Hey! That's like, 'Vivaaa...Viagra!" (This was right around the time when Viagra started airing this charming new commercial with a band who sings that particular ditty (to the tune of the song "Viva Las Vegas") repetitively.) Needless to say I am desperately trying not to smile or laugh at this point. I decided to just let it go and hope no one asked me anything about it. But a few short seconds later, deciding that her little outburst had not gotten the reaction she was hoping for she sang out again, louder this time, "Vivaaaaa....Viagra!!". At this point I had to do something, so I just whispered over to her, "Let's not sing that anymore, ok?" She looked puzzled, but nodded her head and went back to lunch. I was mostly thankful though that she didn't ask me WHY I didn't want her to sing it anymore! :)

Jobless Friday

Today I did not get called to sub, so I decided to tell one of my favorite stories from last year. I tried to find it in my journal but apparently I didn't write it down in there. But I think it was on November 5 - and it was in a Kindergarten class...

The kids started arriving in the morning and looking at books. I sat down with a group of them and talked to them about the books they were looking at. One of the girls asked me to read a book to her so I obliged. Pretty soon I've got a little herd of kindergarteners gathered around me listening to the story. All of a sudden one of the girls listening blurts out "Why do you have a hole in your mouth?" Needless to say I was a little confused by this question. I asked her if she meant there was something in my mouth. She then said, "No, in your lip!". So now I'm thinking maybe I've gotten marker or something on my lip that looks like a hole...or that maybe there's a crack in my lip that I sometimes get in the winter...but I felt my lip and it felt normal. Then I asked some of the other kids if I had something on my lip. They all shook their heads and looked at me with very confused looks on their faces - apparently they didn't know what my questioner was talking about either! But I turned around and she's still staring intently at my lip. The only thing I could figure was that she was noticing how my bottom lip in not flat across but has a indent in the middle. I had to tell her, "I don't have a hole in my lip. My lip's just like that". She let it go but I could tell she was not quite satisfied with my answer. But this little conversation sure had me puzzled - and as soon as I was able to find a mirror I must admit I was taking a pretty close look at my lip to see if there was something weird about it. But there was nothing out of the ordinary - guess I just have naturally freakish lips! Oh the things a kindergartener will tell you! :)

First Day Back!

Well, okay, I guess subbing isn't so bad. Today was one of those days when I go "Oh, yeah! I guess this can be a pretty sweet job...sometimes".

So, today I had the pleasure of hanging out with a class of 5th graders in south Salem - at one of my top 5 favorite schools. This class had I think 21 or 22 students on the roster (AMAZING!), and there were 20 of them there when I arrived, only 19 left when I actually took over (one got called out by the office shortly after I got there). Anyways, when I came in the door a few of them saw me and said "yay!" - so either this was because they remembered me and liked me or they were thinking that they had a new person in the room to torture. I was hoping for the former. :)

Turns out their teacher wasn't leaving until 2, so she had me hole-punch some stuff, and cut up some other stuff, and count some more stuff, and check off still some more stuff. It was pretty simple, and it gave me something to do while everyone was at lunch - I'd eaten before I came.

When they got back from lunch they did some math with their teacher, and I walking around a little, then they did some writing and then sharing of their writing, so I just listened - and laughed and lot because a lot of them were pretty funny with their writing. After this their teacher left and I was supposed to have them do this interview worksheet with a partner. Basically I randomly paired them up by pulling popsicle sticks out of a pile and then I had the kids pass out the papers and then I walked around and made sure they did the worksheet! haha that was some pure teaching skill I tell ya. When they finished we went outside for their second recess and that was it! We came in 20 minutes later and they packed up, cleaned up and I sent them home (a couple minutes early even I was feeling so generous!)

So yeah, I only actually did anything sort of resembling teaching for about 30 minutes and I'm going to get paid for half a day's work! Pretty good deal for me today.

Oh, and turns out the kids (at least some of them) did remember me from last year - hence the "yay"s. Didn't remember my name, but I wasn't too offended - I didn't remember any of their's either! :)

Well...I've always liked a good saga

Here it is, school year 2008-2009 and I am once again substituting! Not that I'm terribly thrilled to still not have a job, but it's okay I guess. I have a love/hate relationship with subbing. But I guess it's that way with a lot of jobs - most times you like it but there are times when you just hate it!

My first year subbing I just kinda survived. Did what I had to do, but at the end of the year I could hardly remember WHAT I'd done! Last year, I decided to keep a journal of where I went, what grade I taught, and some things I liked or didn't like, or things I saw that I wanted to do someday with my own class (if that day ever comes!) And I'm proud to say that I actually DID keep that journal, and I DID write in it everyday! I'm glad to have it. I can look back now and remember all those things I learned throughout the year that I might otherwise have forgotten!

I'm gonna do the journal thing again this year, but I thought I might also try to keep up a blog - and here it is! I've missed blogging since I stopped doing it a couple years ago, and I thought this might give me some motivation. Subbing, if nothing else, can provide one with some entertaining stories! So here's where you'll find them.

What's up with the name of this blog you might ask? Pintastio - what does that mean? Well, in short, pintastio means nothing, and it means everything! It's actually a word that popped out of my 4-year-old cousin's mouth one day. (Well, to be precise - she's not my cousin, but my first cousin, once removed -- in other words, my cousin's daughter) But anyways, she just made it up and my aunt and I thought it was so funny that I wrote it down so I'd remember. But I think it fits - whatever it means - subbing is pintastio! :)

Tomorrow is my first day subbing for this school year - an afternoon in 5th grade is in store for me - let's see if we can keep this blogging up shall we?