And This is Why I Avoid This Area.

I do like to give schools the benefit of the doubt, especially if offered a primary job. The next half day job was a school in an area I try to avoid. Being in moms groups and just watching the news, I know there are issues. Usually though primary grades are okay. I hadn't worked much in the week prior, and I was leaving the next night for a road trip, so I really wanted the job (actually, I wanted the money from the job LOL). I did turn down a couple calls first. One or two of them were for Phys Ed. No thanks. I know there is often a co-op, student, or co- teacher but I'm not risking it.

I head over to the school. It's a windy day and because I'm not fond of the 401, this took me awhile to get there.  I followed another OT into the school, commenting on how we're doing the Supply Teacher Shuffle--looking down at our phones to remind ourselves of the teacher we're in for.  I am very familiar with the school layout from other schools, but it's still so weird seeing it with different people, things, culture. The kids in the office seemed nice. I asked them how they liked the school and they replied that they like it a lot better this year because of a new VP/P staff that actually lets them do events instead of automatically saying no.

I got to the class and it's a 3/4 split but the 4's were only a few kids, maybe four or 6. They would be going off to do French with another class and I'd have the grade 3s for a few periods. I read the plans and they said to read the IEPs for a couple students and there were things noted to pay attention. One of the students seemed like they had a lot of issues and I started getting worried. The class came in, I did attendance...and that one student had been suspended! In grade 3! With Restorative Justice in schools, it takes a lot to actually get suspended. I can't imagine what happened in grade 3 to get him suspended.

First up was to be a "Number Talk" about 3x5=15. I didn't really know what a number talk was. The plans said to show 4 (I think) ways to show it. The allotted time (including attendance) was 25 minutes. How do you spend 25 minutes talking about 3x5? There didn't seem to be any actual work to go along with it. I think I fluffed about 10 minutes then encouraged them to do some other multiplication questions. I don't think anyone did. There was some talk about math and a few kids tried to stump me.

The other kids came back and they were working then on health posters. Cut and paste. It got a little messy but work was happening. There was another staff member present, but I don't know who they were. I'm thinking an EA.

And then the kicker. After recess was an hour of Phys Ed. No co-teacher, student teacher, or co-op student. And not much left in the plans. Luckily it takes time to get back inside from recess, and I made them clean up their messes from snack time, so that killed some time. I've been in some schools, especially ones with a full time phys ed teacher, that run a very structured program. There didn't seem to be that here. I looked up the game suggestions and we played them. I noticed two boys were having a difference of opinions on whether one was "out". That other staff member was there, and a woman appeared, who also seemed to be an EA. I thought we got it worked out but right before leaving the gym to get back upstairs, one of those two students started having a meltdown. The woman was talking with him so I stepped back and focused on the class dismissal.

By the time the class was getting their things together, this kid was off the wall. I could hear him above all the dismissal noise in the hall. Then he came in the classroom, swearing "F*$k this" and F that, shoving chairs across the room, throwing a few things off the desks. The EA was shadowing him and not saying much, but letting her presence be known. I continued with my end of day duties.

As I was leaving the school I came across her in the hall. She thanked me, and I thanked her! I told her I mentioned it in the note for the teacher, but I wasn't sure what it had been about. She filled me in a little and I felt better that the school was on top of it (as far as I could tell). No one got hurt, and I get to go home and not think about it anymore.