I have been surprised of late that I still get called to go in to substitute positions. For those that don't know, I have spent the last several years substitute teaching for both Long Beach Unified School District and Kelly Educational Services. Summer school positions in Long Beach are quite coveted and competitive, and most of the substitute teaching is done by those that are full time teachers during the regular school year. So I don't get any work there.
However, apparently, several of the schools that Kelly Educational Services contracts with run summer school. I have limited the schools that I accept jobs from to those south of the 10 freeway which keeps me within about 25 miles of home. (I used to get jobs in the valley (San Gabriel Valley, a lesser known part of LA, at least to those outside of LA) but then I spent almost as much in gas as I made at the job.) Still I got a job today and it was within my limits so I took it.
It was litterally in South Central LA. Actually, I turned on South Central Street just before I reached my final destination. The school is inside a converted house, has exactly two classrooms, and is a continuation school. One of my first shocks was when I saw a hand metal detector on the counselors desk (you know the ones they batton you with at the airport if your buckle or hairclip is too big, no I don't wear hairclips and I take my belt off, but you get the point). Then I noticed the front door was locked before school and found out the students were searched before being admitted. Later in the day a student came in late saying he had been talking with his P.O. (that's patrol officer, not post office) and I found out the most of the students had P.O.s.
(I can just hear my various cousins gasps right now. I remember one who asked me in near horror once if Long Beach was really as scarry as in the movie "Freedom Writers". I haven't seen the movie, but I have lived three doors from the school where it takes place and, no, I never found it scary at all. The worst events were when we had to ask high school students not to smoke in our driveway (they complied) or when the half drunk college student came over to offer me a beer (I politely declined). Really it was just a neighborhood with people like any other.)
And the students in this class were really pretty tame. No they didn't hunker right down and get to work like I would hope. And I was a bit off my game so I didn't keep them as well on task as I would like. But there was never a point that I felt in danger and while I did send a student out for being disrespectful, it was more that I needed to make a point to the class than that that student was particularly bad. (In fact until that point she had been one of the more dedicated students, but I can't have students in my face telling me to hurry up either.) All in all it was a fairly successful day. I can't say that I feel particularly talented working with this group of students or that helping wayward students is where I feel my calling, but I was glad to do a small piece for one day.
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Hi, found your comments interesting. I finished sub teaching here in Clark County, Las Vegas. My first year and my last. I worked every day, some 230 days. Was in front of over 7000 students. I was so amazed at what I experienced. Absolute anarchy and chaos on most days. I taught mostly middle schools and man are they sorry people. The lawyers have succeeded in creating an environment that combines freedom of speech with freedom of behavior. One having Constitutional roots, the other some made-up legal theory that has been implanted into the minds of administrators and teachers as Constitutional in nature. and if you don't buy into that, how about a life altering lawsuit to convince one that no one's behavior will be abridged. Students here, are permitted to write up a teacher or sub. and they must answer to the complaint.Imagine a thug 7th or 8th grader making something up in a write-up in retalation for a classroom reprimand or referral to the Dean's office. I had several,because I expect people to act civilized and not like a barn animal, especially in a classroom. The schools have given in to the street thug mentality and being that most school types are feckless individuals have ceded the real estate to the thug. Because I would challenge this sub-human behavior in the classroom I was threatened, pushed, cussed at and generally maligned during a day.One kid got lunch detention for threatening to "bust me up". I've got hundreds of'em. Have a good day. Everett Smith (x-sub)
Duuude!!!! You are so much more jaded than me I have no idea what to say.
In my experience, yes middle school kids are the most difficult. I personally think there should be a special middle school credential and that teachers should be paid 5% extra to teach in a middle school.
However, I haven't seen the extremes that you did. Like I said, even in a class where every member had a rap sheet I felt most of the kids wanted to learn and were reasonably well behaved.
The system needs improvement, but just griping about how bad it is, doesn't help much.
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