TEACHER MEETINGS

This week has been interesting. Five teachers from the second floor and two from the first floor had to attend a teacher’s convention. I have no problem with this. Teachers should attend conventions and workshops that give them better strategies to become better teachers. The problem I do have is the need for substitutes.

Yesterday we did not have a sub for one of the eighth grade classes so we combined them. The seventh grade class did not have anyone for twenty minutes. I watched both seventh grade classes.

Everything went well—OK, one fight, a major disturbance on the first floor, a few noisy lines through the hall. Nothing we couldn’t handle.

Today everything went even smoother. Every room was covered, my class studied the Kentucky coffee tree seed pod, read a poem by Tupac, studied reading strategies with Langston Hughes, observed real fungi and mold in a walk around the playground (where we saw plant lice and a fence that a tree trunk swallowed), and did a vast number of other things.

Wow!

This is the third week and I can’t wait to get to my classroom. Everyday they show how valuable learning is.

Quite a change from last year.

But I need to let you know something. Tomorrow begins the Jewish holidays. I won’t be at school. Me and seven other teachers. Hope they have enough GOOD subs.

And I’m not worried. My class will be just fine. (Though I will worry about the sub next door who greeted me this morning with: “Thank God, you’re here.”)