No Sub Plans? No Problem!

Today I was teaching a first grade class and there were no sub plans.  Zip.  Nada.  5 - 5 = 0.

So... I had to make do by scrapping together what little information I had:  yesterday's schedule on the board and a practically empty lesson plan book.  Luckily my students were really helpful and I'm good at getting information out of them without letting on how clueless I actually am.   Plus I am also the best substitute teacher in the entire world (see this post.)

I had to make do here and there (I couldn't get the smart board working because I had no idea how to connect it to the computer - technology: not my forte) and so I pulled out some good old fashioned flashcards I keep which have famous landmarks on them, and went through those...

I had a kid call the house in which the president lives The White Castle.  I can see how this might be confusing.

I held up a card with Mount Rushmore on it, and several kids started shouting "Oh The Flintstones, The Flintstones!"   Although this is quite a clever assertion, I fail to see the resemblance:

Well, I had a lot of fun today, to say the least!

Should Have Worn Something Else Today...

No, actually, I am not dressed for Wacky Tacky Spirit Day.

But thank you for assuming so! 

- While subbing at my Alma mater, Bolingbrook High School, and talking to an old teacher of mine who had no clue who I was... for the record I think I looked very nice - and nothing like the people wearing wigs and underwear on the outside of their pants.

Because I am Pretty Cool...Apparently.

So some students of mine wrote a poem.  A poem about moi.  A poem about how I am the best substitute teacher in the world. 

Have a read:

Subs

Subs oh Subs they're driving me crazy

They're mean

They're strict

They're only a bit nice

But you are not like those mean old bags

You are young and nice

Oh so precise, when it comes to being nice

You're sweet like ice cream

You are like a supreme sugar

You're the opposite of a booger

You're the nicest sub we've ever had

That's right.  I was a muse for a day.   And it's pretty good to hear that I am not a mean old bag or a booger.  Secretly I worried people thought that.

Did I mention there was an ostrich at work the other day?

I love my job (most days) because things like this actually happen.

I was taking my students to the lunch room when out of the corner of my eye I spied an ostrich in the gym.  I had to stop and say aloud "is that an ostrich?" then pinch myself and laugh, because ostrich sightings in elementary schools do not happen every day.

It was, in fact, a real live genuine ostrich ( ! ), and I came within two feet of it as I walked back from the lunchroom.  There it was with its trainer, strutting down the hall towards me. We most definitely had a moment of eye contact. 

Turns out we were having an assembly that day, and the ostrich wasn't the only animal I got to pet (yes - pet!).  There was also an oppossum (cutest thing I ever saw), an alligator, a hedgehog, a python, and a tarantula (which a 4th grader bravely held). 

To commemorate the fact that my job is awesome and I get to partake in such fun assemblies, I have compiled some fun ostrich facts.

(Source: http://animals.howstuffworks.com/birds/ostrich-facts.htm)

The Great American Train Trip?

To tell you the truth, I am not that enthusiastic about finding summer employment - for a whole slew of reasons.  I'd much rather travel - and was seriously thinking about it (for about an hour) before I got offered an interview for a seemingly nice job.

I still want to travel though, and - even if I get the job - will still have time to do it.

I was playing around on Amtrak's website, just for kicks, and made up a trip with several stops (D.C., Providence R.I., Boston, and back).  My search returned results for 4 different tickets totaling 388 bucks. Not bad.  But - I played around with departure times a little and managed to get that price down to only 248 bucks!

We'll have to see what I end up doing, but knowing I can go so many places so cheaply is exciting.

And freeing.

Seeking Solace

I need a bath.  To relax.  To feel warmth.

Sometimes, I wonder:

What am I doing?