Paid to Stalk...

Substituting takes me way out of my comfort zone. I have to go to schools I've never been to which risks me getting lost or looking stupid which I hate. I also can't plan ahead, which I also hate. A lot. So for my first substituting job I took one with low risks and it paid off. Well, maybe not literally since it paid less than a normal substituting job would but at least it was a good first experience.

For my first substitute job, I subbed as a resource aide. That meant that instead of being charge of 20-30 students for a day, I was in charge of exactly one student. A fourth grade boy who is autistic. And all I had to do was get him to work. This wasn't easy to do but it wasn't like I would get fired if he didn't work so I felt no stress, and no pressure. I quite enjoyed bantering with him and his excuse of "I'm tired" or him saying "I got it" when he clearly didn't have it. It was also fun making bargains like I'll write 2 words, and then you write 2, only for him to reveal that he had crossed his fingers when he had made that promise so it didn't count. Such a stinker!

But I think the best part of the job was getting to be his personal stalker at lunchtime, on the playground and during library time. I was told "Just watch him but don't hover." So I watched him at a distance, feeling like a horrible stalker because it was always quite clear I was watching him and following him. I definitely don't think I would make a very good stalker.

Another perk was that I saw 2 old students of mine who had moved to this school from Coronado (the first place I taught). It was fun to see one of my second graders now in sixth grade. She was crazy old looking which makes me feel old. I also saw one of my ELL students who didn't remember me at first and then was like "oh yeah, you were that evil teacher who made me leave my homeroom class all the time" Poor kid. I don't think he was as excited to see me as I was to see him.

In the end I was also able to pass out some business cards to the homeroom teacher so maybe some more tutoring jobs will amount from this!? I hope so because as good as this experience was, I'm still quite nervous to sub for a normal classroom and I would much rather tutor a lot than sub a lot. Right now I am at 4 students for tutoring but they are all only doing 1 hour a week so I will probably be stepping out of my comfort zone for a few days this week and future weeks until things pick up tutoring wise. Wish me luck!