Too bad Girl’s music teacher didn’t leave word for yesterday’s substitute teacher that, should the class get a little noisy, Girl is a pretty good shusher.
Girl has been given a special assignment in one of her classes. Apparently, one of her teachers is having a lot of trouble with the children in her class. Whenever the teacher tries to get their attention by shushing them, the kids ignore her. They keep talking. It’s very frustrating for the teacher, so, now, it’s my daughter’s job to be the shusher (“because kids will listen to other kids”).
Fortunately, what looked like Girl’s new ”special assignment” never took hold and the teacher has been doing her own shushing for now; yesterday, however, there was a sub,… who could have used the help. Based on Girl’s description, the woman may have looked like this.
Yeah, at one point, she screamed “SHUT UP!” at the kids, “with high-high-pitched screaching.” The horrible, out-of-control music was so bad, apparently, it pushed the woman right over the edge. She even made the children sit in silence for “a whole ten minutes” for punishment.
(Last night, Girl even speculated that if the woman had known them better she probably would have screamed, “SHUT THE “HELL” UP!” or “SHUT THE “F**K” UP!,” but, since the woman was working as a sub, she was probably on her best behavior.)
How it went — and goes:
For some strange reason, whenever the regular music teacher is out sick, the school chooses substitutes that know absolutely nothing about music. Lest you think I’m exaggerating, consider that the last two refused to even conduct the songs to help the kids keep tempo, each claiming to “not know how.” (Really? How hard is it to wave your arms back and forth in time with the music?)
The first woman started the children playing by saying, “One-two-three-go.”
The Screamer’s approach was simpler, “Start when you’re ready.” (Daughter to me: “Yeah, like we can all read each others’ minds” [rolling eyes].)
Each time, what followed was horrible, out-of-control music…
…and, children spending the rest of the day laughing at the ignorance and immature behavior of their teachers.
Oh yeah. I remember that. Once our sub for orchestra was the polo coach (please don’t ask why we had a polo coach).
He said, “I can’t carry a tune in a bucket and I don’t even know what most of you are holding, so grab a book or something and read. Your kind likes to read, don’t they?”
Umm… sure. 8-(
LOL at “Your kind likes to read, don’t they?” :) Jeeez.
Well, coming from the other end.
Around here unless the sub arranges with someone to cover them, they just get the luck of the draw out of the pool of subs. When I signed up they didn’t want to know what classes I might be better for, only what days I might work.
One of my friends has done high school level band a couple of times and she’s enjoyed it. I’ve only done middle school music (twice) and I’m not going back.
OTH, if I was getting that frustrated I’d be pushing the intercom button and sending kids down to the office. I believe if the sub sends someone down it’s an automatic detention.
Our “training” was all about using positive methods to control the situation – right.
Meg:
Good point. I think they do the same here. In the Age of Computers, :) I don’t understand why they can’t do a better job, matching subs w/assignments.
Also, I didn’t mean to criticize subs acrosss the board – especially as I’d rather do just about any other job than teach. :O
…though, I’d like to think that, if I were a teacher, I’d resign once I started losing control of myself in the classroom.
Yeah, this class is middle school beginning band :D
I was going to say something funny, but I’m still stuck on polo coach?
Polo?
After all, it’s just a babysitting service.
Nance
Nance:
It really is and so far most of the teacher’s I’ve subbed for look at it that way. I’ve lost track of the number of movies I’ve shown etc….
OTH, I did sub for a High School chemistry teacher (half day so I got to meet her) who when I handed her my card and background description was overjoyed to know I could handle high school level sciences.
Her original plan had been for a test, but she knew the kids would have questions and so had delayed it rather than have the sub have to answer them.
Oh well. On my worst days I send them to the office for someone to sort them out and on my best days I get to read a lot…and they pay me.
I’m not going to do it long-term (I think), but for this year it works.
LOL at “I’ve lost track of the number of movies I’ve shown” (Meg)
Do the movies have to be G-rated, as they do here? Girl still talks about having to sit through Air Bud once. :)
And, according to Girl, “it must be in their contracts that they have to tell their life stories,” which is made even worse when you don’t get the same sub more than once. :(
update:
The sub left a note for the regular teacher ratting the kids out. When the teacher confronted the children, they tried to defend themselves, but were told, “No Excuses.” Then they had to take turns confessing only the bad things they did.
Final score?
Sub – 0
Teacher – 0
Kids – 0
Music – 0
Hating School – Huge Blowout Win for all concerned
Really! So translated, in loco parentis means kids just get the same crap at school they could get at home?
“Wait til your father gets home” is a stupid loser move as any sort of education, at home or at school . . .
So two days were wasted. Great plan.
And, Meg, I meant the whole thing is babysitting. Not only when there is a substitute.
But I do not have a good attitude about the whole school thing. I even encouraged DD to stay home yesterday. She was exhausted and just needed to sleep.
She went back today and, apparently, missed nothing.
Nance
I should have included church in that too. The unholy trilogy of unreasoning, inhumane Authority abusing children.
2nd update:
On the 3rd day, at the beginning of class, one brave little girl asked the teacher, “Can we talk about how the substitute screamed at us?” At first, the teacher thought the girl was misusing the word “screamed,” but then the rest of the class confirmed what happened. Fortunately, the teacher was rightfully upset and promised to contact the woman.
Are you sure you mean “screamed?” You dumb kids couldn’t possibly know what actually happened, after all.
Good for the brave girl and the class for persisting. Now to insist on hearing what the teacher got when she contacted the sub. An apology would be too much to hope for, of course. . . .
Nance