Volunteering

If you have been reading my posts, you have gathered that I am finding it difficult to get enough calls to substitute in Clay County right now. One reason is that the county has been flooded with people wanting to substitute. They have even stopped accepting applications from anyone not certified to teach. However, I discovered another reason recently. With the budget cuts planned for next year, everyone is trying to focus on saving money. One thing teachers have been asked to do to save the county money is to limit the number of days they are out of the classroom as much as they can (to save the cost of substitutes). Schools are also trying to cover classes with assistants and other teachers when they can.

I am substituting for two reasons. First is that I need an income. Second is that I want to teach Elementary. With very few teaching jobs out there, substituting is the second best way for me to gain experience at this level.

Now with so few sub jobs to go around, I have started my third best way to get experience...volunteering. Schools tend to get most of their volunteers from parents and grandparents with a pointed interest in the school's success. However, they are open to non-related volunteers, as there is always much work to do.

I offered to volunteer at Tynes Elementary for several reasons. It is close to my son's preschool, so I can minimize travel time, in turn maximizing time on site volunteering. Also, every time I have walked into the front office or spoken with any of the staff (from teachers to front office to cafeteria), I have gotten a friendly, open, cheerful, helpful reaction. One of the things I noticed and liked was their demeanor interacting with children. When students walk into the front office, they are not treated like they do not belong there. Immediately someone's attention is turned to the student; they are greeted with a smile and then assisted with whatever they need. That is how it should be. It was pleasant to watch. I imagine students at Tynes must feel happy, wanted, safe and like everyone wants them to succeed. It is a community, and I want to be a part of it.

You may think that you do not have the time to volunteer. I only offered 2 hours once a week while my son is in preschool, and they are grateful for it. There is someone in the front office talking to teachers about what they need done, offering my time, so that we can make the best use of it. In lean times such as this, your local schools can use as much help as you can offer - whether it is one hour here and there or several days a week. If you are only available in the evenings, consider contacting the parent teacher associations to see if they need help with any projects.

Lake Asbury Junior High

Tuesday (2/17) I subbed at Lake Asbury Junior High in a seventh grade ESE classroom. Here, there were 5 to 7 students, changing by 1 or 2 with each subject. Some students had 7th and 8th grade classes and some had a few "regular" classes. We changed subjects with the bell, like all the other classes, spending time on math, science, language arts, reading and social studies.

The classroom teacher left detailed lesson plans for each subject, including additional activities and notes about work for specific students. This class also has an assistant. She was invaluable, telling me how they run their classes and why, curbing any misbehavior before it started, scoring papers as the kids submitted them, etc.

It was a good day for me and a "normal" day for the kids (meaning that due to a dedicated and caring assistant and a teacher with the foresight to write comprehensive plans, having a sub didn't mean interrupting their learning).

First Sub Assignment !

Much has happened in the very long time (roughly 3 months) since I last posted. On the personal front, our family has celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas, 11 family birthdays, 1 friend birthday, finished moving from Duval to Clay, and started my son in preschool in our new town. We are getting acclimated to the community and love our new woodsy, peaceful yard.

Professionally, I have been visiting schools with my substitute card in hand, humbly offering my services. Just when I was beginning to wonder if I would ever get called, last week Tynes Elementary called me to substitute Thursday in an Autistic Preschool classroom. The classroom assistants were invaluable. They explained the schedule that includes activity changes every 10 minutes and the needs of the individual students. The children themselves were a pleasant surprise. Before entering the classroom, I was not sure what to expect. Would the children be responsive? Would they make eye contact? They all made eye contact, and all were responsive - some verbally and some in their own ways, just like in other preschools. A couple of years ago, my brother-in-law completed certification in Relationship Development Intervention therapy (RDI), a method for working with autistic children. As I watched and interacted with these sweet and fun kids, I heard his words, observations and enjoyment in his work run through my head. This only added to my enjoyment of the day with these special children. In addition, everyone from Kathy in the front office, to the teachers, to the cafeteria assistants and even Principal Newhall were very friendly and helpful. I hope all Clay county schools are as inviting and pleasant.

That evening I was called to substitute at Wilkinson Junior High for a language arts teacher. Being a math teacher that loves reading, I was excited about this one. As it turned out, she also had 3 drama classes. Great. I took drama in high school, but it was only an extracurricular activity (club); it wasn't offered as a course. The teacher I subbed for this day (Friday) went above and beyond to make my day (and that of her students) run more smoothly. She actually came up to the school to print lesson plans and make copies of the assignment for two of the classes, preventing me from having to run around to get this done in time. Since I was there when she was, she explained how to work the equipment in her room and even discussed an alternate activity for one of the classes, leaving the choice to me. She could not have made it easier to sub for her. One of the drama classes did improv the entire period which was fun to watch. They were creative and lively. Again, everyone I encountered at the school offered their help if I needed it, asked how my day was going/had gone, and was genuinely friendly.

Thursday I also got called to go to Lake Asbury Junior High tomorrow (Tuesday). I am not sure yet if I will be substituting in a special education or a science classroom, but if it is anything like my experiences so far, it is sure to be a good day.