I've always wanted to be a teacher ever since I was a little girl. Of course, like most adolescents I deviate from that plan. I wanted to be a psychologist, a physical therapist, a professional musician, and an optometrist. The last choice was one my parents were really pushing for. You know, low stress, nice hours, high income. So, when in my senior year of high school I decided that I really did want to be a teacher (and a high school teacher at that) my parents thought I was crazy. They did all the things parents usually do: they told me how great my life would be as an optometrist, they told me how disrespectful "kids these days" seem to be, and when they realized I was serious about teaching they supported me.
When I graduated from college and the market was tight I had to sub. Any of you who have subbed know how hard it is. I've been really lucky, though. I bounced around several schools before finding one that I have been able to call home for the last 2 and half years. I have worked pretty steadily since then. I'm a tough sub. I have to be. It is the only way that the kids will take me seriously, and the teachers will respect me. I don't kid myself, not all of the kids at the school I sub for like me. That's okay with me. I have a job to do and that is to make sure the students do what the regular teacher intended for them to do. I've been around long enough that most of the students know that they are going to work when I'm there. I will write them up if they misbehave. While I could probably write a book about all of the crazy things a substitute school teacher encounters, I won't. All I want is to get my foot in the door of a wonderful school district and hold on until a full time position opens up.
Subbing is not the greatest gig in the world. However, I've stuck it out for the past 4 years hoping someday a position would open up that I would be lucky enough to get. Every time my parents brought up being an optometrist or my grandmother mentioned getting a "real job," I would tell them how crucial subbing was to landing that full time teaching job. Then, something happened to me that I never saw coming. It shook me to my core and made me question every decision I had ever made to pursue teaching as a career. I was threatened by a student. Threatened makes it sound somewhat civil. There was nothing civil about it. This student wrote a poem about me being shot at my second job. All of a sudden, all of those questions my parents had asked me when I chose to major in education came rushing back to me. Was I sure I wanted to deal with high schoolers for a living. Yes, I knew they could have attitudes and be disrespectful, but is this what I really wanted to do for the rest of my life. For the first time in my life, I found myself saying "kids these days." What is wrong with the kids these days?
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Can teachers/administrators prevent school violence?
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About Me
- KB
- I have never blogged before. So, I am looking forward to this opportunity to share my thoughts with you.
2 comments:
Growing up, I always wanted to be a police officer. It wasn't until I was in the military that I discovered that working with children was so much fun. My parents always thought that I was going to work in some type of law enforcement field. The great thing about loving parents, like you said, is that they are very supportive.
Fortunately, I was able to find a permanent teaching job right after graduation. I subbed quite a bit, so I did get to enjoy some of those experiences. I'd love to hear some of the good, and not so good, that you have been through. Obviously, you have been very patient. I'm sure that you've heard it before, but something will come along.
I hate being threatened, and I often question myself when something significant (negative) happens between me and a student. I think to myself, "Am I doing the right thing in life? Do I really want to do this as a career?" We'll never be able to figure out the kids these days. If you figure them out, please let me know. :)
I also knew I wanted to teach since I was 8 years old. I worked with special ed, pre-k through 8th grade and yes I do love teaching but it's very hard dealing with children's behavior especially when some parents are not supportive. I was hit, threaten, and mouth off by many students. This happen more when I worked with EI children. I always told myself that it's not the students fault that they are the way the are. Reason being, some of my students were, foster children, abused children, ADHD children, or drug babies. I pray each day that I could help make a difference in these children lives because I felt that they need somebody to trust and believe in and they needed somebody to believe in them. If your heart is working with children then you should continue because you never know how you're blessing the other students.
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