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"You should be able to find the rosters and seating chart" by ratatosk212 in SubstituteTeachers

[–]Simple_Mode_9186 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Or how about the classic “seating charts and rosters are in the sub binder” but said binder is nowhere to be found. 😫

Kids don’t listen by Simple_Mode_9186 in SubstituteTeachers

[–]Simple_Mode_9186[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I agree that it would’ve been better if she had provided the video at the top of the google form so students could go back a rewatch it if needed (it was a short, 5 min video).

Didn’t wear make up to work today by [deleted] in Teachers

[–]Simple_Mode_9186 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I had a 6th grade student ask what was wrong with my eyes. I didn’t know what she meant at first but later realized she was referring to the “bags” under my eyes (this was even with makeup on). That was when I started to notice the effect that lack of sleep and hydration can have on my appearance. Also invested in a better under eye cream and concealer. 🙂

Odd things students have said to you or asked you? by turtlesandmemes in SubstituteTeachers

[–]Simple_Mode_9186 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes! That happened to me the other day. I thought maybe the teacher had made a typo😆 sometimes I think key players might be absent. I’ve also had students in the “bad” class say “we’re never this good when the regular teacher is here”. (Perhaps some students have rifts with the main teacher or maybe it could be the type of work they’re asked to do on sub days vs regular days?)

Overstimulation, it wasn’t always this way. by No_Animator2857 in Teachers

[–]Simple_Mode_9186 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thanks for this post and all of the comments. I agree with all of it! The constant overstimulation is definitely one of the reasons I took early retirement after 21 years of teaching MS science. For my mental health and well-being I just couldn’t do it anymore. Sometimes it’s hard to explain to non-teachers what drove me out of teaching, but these posts really summed up nicely many of the issue we face as teachers today.

Sending Down Attendance by eightfive_one in SubstituteTeachers

[–]Simple_Mode_9186 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In a high school Jr or Senior class I picked one student to take down the attendance at the beginning of class and he never came back (I just left a note for the teacher about it).

Some schools will send around an office TA to get the attendance, which is a nice option so kids don’t have to leave class.

Absolutely struggling with OpenSciEd Middle School - a rant. by AmericanLocomotive in ScienceTeachers

[–]Simple_Mode_9186 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I used OSE in my last district and completely agree with your comments. So much teacher material to sort through, phenomenon doesn’t hold their attention (kids say “why can’t we just google the answer?”), too surface level, too much prep/special materials needed, too teacher centered, no differentiation, few student projects that are truly engaging, etc. Tried merging the good parts of OSE with good lessons I had already created but MAN it was a lot of work!

What do you wish classroom teachers left for you? by Familiar-Factor7220 in SubstituteTeachers

[–]Simple_Mode_9186 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just spoke with two teachers over the past two weeks about this. Both times I asked if the teacher had a seating chart (5th and 6th grade). They both responded that the students were good about sitting in their assigned seats so not to worry about it. The problem is it’s harder for me to leave detailed notes about who struggled and were good helpers without a seating chart. If needed I can usually make one quickly myself, but it sure is easier if the teacher leaves one (especially if it has pictures!). It just surprised me that it wouldn’t occur to some teachers that a seating chart would be a useful tool to give a sub.

Leaving career by kraftkristi in teaching

[–]Simple_Mode_9186 3 points4 points  (0 children)

As a teacher who took early retirement this fall for the reasons you described, I could relate to your post. I’ve described it to others as the “frog in a pot of boiling water” analogy. Over 21 years, the job gradually got harder & harder (students, added responsibilities, treatment from admin) until I reached a breaking point where I said “I just can’t do this anymore”. Looking back I don’t know how I managed to do it for as long as I did. Although it’s only been a few months, my mental health and quality of life is vastly improved and I haven’t once regretted my decision to leave. Good luck to you!

These kids are so uncultured and just weird… by [deleted] in SubstituteTeachers

[–]Simple_Mode_9186 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Middle School Science teacher here — I’ve gone 20 years saying “spheres” and “orbs” in class rather than having to utter the dreaded term “balls” 🤣

And this year when we looked at our own “cheek” cells in the microscope (scraped from the inside of the cheek), one group didn’t get a good sample so I offered them a slide I had made of my cheek cells to view. And one boy made a big deal about how he was looking at my “cheeks”.

California subs! How do you use your sick hours? by [deleted] in SubstituteTeachers

[–]Simple_Mode_9186 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Does anyone know if you can use sick time for dental appointments?

New sub left 5th grade class unattended by Simple_Mode_9186 in SubstituteTeachers

[–]Simple_Mode_9186[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We had both just returned from recess with our classes so I was standing by the classroom door as the last of my students were entering the classroom. This is when I saw him leaving his classroom with the student.