Sub Adventures #15: High School Health in Washington Heights (Days 2 & 3)

Yesterday, there wasn't much to write about. I arrived on-time, most students were rowdy and didn't complete assigned work, and I became incredibly frustrated.

Today, I reset the tone and mood for the problematic classes. The first two periods were nearly empty as the juniors had left for their three-day college trip. In period one, there were only two students. In period two, there were none! So, I enjoyed an additional impromptu prep period. Period 3, 5, and 6 were my problematic classes (9th and 10th graders). For the past two days, they've been getting away with yelling, throwing paper balls and pens, touching one another, wandering the classroom, and not completing the assigned work. Not today.

I made sure to stand at the front of class, urging students to come in quickly and take a seat. When it was time to begin class, I shut the door and considered those students loitering outside late. I told them to find a seat where they would okay for the next three days because I'm doing a seating chart. Once everyone settled down, I went around and had students write their first and last names down. Knowing someone's name gives you a certain level of power over them. In the case of students, I could now hold students accountable for their behavior. After completing seating chart, I reviewed expected behaviors:

"The way you've been acting for the past two days? Not happening anymore. You guys know exactly what kind of behavior is expected in the classroom and I'm not going to accept anything else. So, no yelling. Cell phones? You know you shouldn't have them out. I don't want to see them or hear them. Keep your hands to yourselves. Stay seated unless you have a purpose for being up. And I don't want to see anything flying across the room. If I see any of this, you won't get a warning, I'll simply write you up and send you to the dean. Now, our task for today . . . "

Sure, there were still students who didn't complete the work, but their behavior was a lot more appropriate. I could now call certain students by name to bring attention to their behavior. And the fact that I knew their names made the students reluctant to misbehave.

By reestablishing my authority in the class and gaining control, I was able to get to know the students a little more and enjoy my time there. I expect the rest of the week to continue just as smoothly as long as I remember that consistency is key.

Sub Adventures #14: High School Health in Washington Heights (Day 1)

Day one of the week-long physical education/health assignment was pretty run-of-the-mill. Nothing too exciting happened. An article about "The Skeletal System" was left for students to read and summarize.

During the first period, the students were mostly concerned with an upcoming three-day college trip for the Juniors, but most of them still completed their work.

Second period had only eight students who started an intense game of "Keep Away" with one student's snackage. I confiscated the snacks in the name of "safe keeping" and returned them to the student at the end of the period.

For third period, there wasn't a lesson left, so I found something in the Health textbook that I felt the students would find interesting and be willing to do: Write a dialogue between two teens in which one wants to get a tattoo and the other explains the health and social risks.

I also had to reallyreallyreallyreally use the potty during third period. The pressure on my bladder was maybe a six on the pain scale. It was the longest 52 minutes of my life.

Things Not Mentioned in Teacher School Disclaimer:

Strategic bathroom breaks are a necessary skill for the effective teacher. Have three morning classes in a row? You may want to hold off on finishing that 16oz coffee. 

The teacher left her computer turned on and logged in. Score! I was able to check my email and begin a draft of this post during my prep.

Public Announcement:

There is a new phenomenon in high schools of students writing their Instagram/Twitter handles on classroom whiteboards.

Until tomorrow's adventure,
Fatuma

Sub Adventures #13: 7th Grade Math in Washington Heights

I returned to the same school from Sub Adventures #2. Having spoken to a teacher from the school at Wednesday's charter school career fair, it was a great opportunity to continue to learn more about the school and to network.

Friday's adventure was for 7th grade math. The teacher left math packets for the students to complete. The students mostly behaved and were on-task, except for a couple of knuckleheads.

A normal day of subbing, so there's not much to say, but here are some gems I found near the teacher's desk.

Here's a great quote I found hanging on the wall near the teacher's desk. I was struck by the pure truth in the statement.

Here's a Quiet bell that I can see being very handy in the classroom. The teacher even had it personalized with her name on the top of the handle.

(For anyone looking to buy me a present: HINT HINT.)

 

I found this gem after a bit of bookshelf snooping. Tales from Shakespeare by Tina Parker, ten of Shakespeare's most popular plays re-told as stories for a middle school audience. Excellent resource for introducing students to Shakespeare. Get them hooked on the amazing stories, before they struggle with the language and depth of the plays.

For Sub Adventures #14 - 18, I'll be returning to the same school, but this time for a week-long high school physical education assignment. It'll be nice to go to the same school each day for a change. Being able to wear sweats and sneakers for a week is just the cherry on top. (I'll be sure to enjoy it while I can.)

Sub Adventures #2: 6th Grade Science in Washington Heights

Once again, I was a sub for 6th grade science. This time, it was only a half day. As the school was located in Washington Heights, it was a much shorter commute for me.

The kids were pretty pleasant. A few of them did try to test me a little, but as soon as I informed them that I knew about "restitutions" and they could still serve detention the next day, they settled down. I appreciated the teacher's preparation of not only student work to complete, but seating charts and disciplinary system of the school. It was extremely helpful.

A great benefit of substitute teaching in general is the chance to visit different school and classrooms and receiving a quick glimpse of how they do things. It's an excellent way for an inexperienced teacher like myself to collect great ideas.

The teacher for today's assignment has a great classroom. It's well-organized and comfortable. I loved it so much that I might have crossed a line and snapped a few pics. There were a few great classroom ideas that I would love to potentially implement in my own future classroom.

My fave is this large pocket hanging organizer to store a month's worth of handouts/student work. I mean, how useful is that! It'll be a great way to plan/prepare work ahead of time as well as provide students with a place to find assignments from long ago.

 

The classroom has what's called a "Peace Corner." I'm assuming it's for disruptive students to be able to step away and calm down before returning to their seats and to work. I also got a kick out of the painted tree curtain to give the area the necessary peaceful feeling.

Lastly, the teacher writes the essential questions for a particular unit on a wall to remain up for the entirety of the unit. I think that's a great way to ensure students remain focused and continuously consider the essential questions.

I hope that I haven't breached any privacy with this post/pictures. I tried to make sure to capture the pictures in a way that wouldn't reveal the identity of either the teacher or any students. If I've missed something, please mention it in the comments.