I Did This Job?

According to my calendar, my next day of work was the very next morning at a school to the west. My mind was drawing a blank. I couldn't even visualize the school. Music? Friday morning? Really....

It's coming back. I guess it was another day I've pushed from my memory LOL.

I got there early. Watched two cars go in the one way entrance the wrong way.

The school was small, and the music room was actually quite large! No tables! Only for music! The teacher came in after a few minutes. I had been staring at the dayplan scribbles and was getting nervous because the materials that it said needed photocopying weren't there. She brought them in and went over the plan. No problem! Seems do-able.

First period comes and no students come. Mmmm.

Oh, the announcements say it's not Day 1. It's Day 5. According to the schedule on her desk, she has a first period prep. And the other classes are not the ones she told me.

I went to the office and had them call her out of her "New Teacher in Training" mentor meeting. Sorry, I'm not going to "wing it" when the teacher is IN the building.

She came rushing in, all apologetic. She came up with some other plans, one class would be kindies. Fun!

Well, it was interesting. A couple kids were a challenge! Oh boy.

There was a junior/intermediate class working on a project. It was noisey but whatever. It's Friday.

Then there was a grade 4 or 5 class. I had to go get them and one kid wouldn't get off their computer and come. I had to get a little demanding, though the other kids are like "He's always like that". Once in the class, he went straight to the electric piano and started playing. There's a sign on it that says "Unless you're Mozart, please ask before playing. And I know you're not Mozart because he's been dead for 200 years). I turned it off and asked him to not play, and join us. He turned it on. I turned it off. About three times. Then I unplugged it. And again. I asked him not to play, in a firm voice. He snarled at me and said to not talk to him. I said that's fine, but don't play it.

He started wondering around, pushing things off the desk, throwing papers, ripping stuff off the walls. There was an EA with him. I think it was an EA. She didn't really do anything though! She stood at the door and let him walk around the hall but once in my room, he was set free. I just tried to keep up. Finally they headed back to their class.

The music teacher came back and asked how it was. I said it was pretty good except for this last class. This teacher was new but she knew this kid was supposed to have an EA. If I had known right from the start that he needed extra support and had an IEP, I wouldn't have tried to push him at all!!

Not being told about IEPs is a huge concern for supply teachers. Though what good is getting the IEPs when we really don't have time to learn about them, and often we don't even know who the student is--flexible seating, rotary classes, no student photos...Some classes can have 6 students with IEPs of varying natures. It's a LOT.