The Sub Job that wouldn't end

It was the job that wouldn't end...

I got a call on Valentine's Day to work the afternoon for a third grade teacher (and friend) whose sister had just started hospice. She'd been ill for only a brief while, but the cancer progressed quickly, and it didn't look like she had much time left. My friend, Maryrose, wanted to spend time with her while she could, so she asked if I could stay on for a few days more. Ten days later, I was still there, when word came that her sister died, and she needed more time off for bereavement. Understandable. I was starting to bond with the kids, and was really enjoying my return to third grade.

I stayed on for a full month until Spring Break started, and let the students know their teacher would be back when they returned after a week off. Still, in the back of my mind, I suspected I'd hear from her while on vacation. Sure enough, on the way home, I checked messages while laid over at the airport, and had a message asking me to come back after Break. Maryrose wasn't feeling well herself, what with the stress of her sister's illness and death, being executress of the will, and caring for her now-orphaned nephew. In addition, allergy season had started, and she was having difficulty breathing. I went back on Monday, and the students were crushed to see me - they wanted their real teacher back!

A week later, I got a call, and learned that Maryrose had a heart attack! She'd had angioplasty and two stents and would be out another couple of weeks. I was in the groove by then, and was looking at this class as my temporary own. We had our routines and they'd gotten used to the way I did things. It was report card time, so I took care of that, and conferenced with parents. The classroom was feeling like my own.

I'd now been there for seven weeks. Maryrose decided to come back, sooner than I expected, but was anxious to be back at work. Again, I told the students it would be my last day, and they were sad to see me go, but thrilled that their "real" teacher would be returning on Monday.

You guessed it; I got a call on Sunday night asking me to return. She'd had a relapse and had been back in the hospital. I returned the next day, dreading the looks on the students' faces when they saw I was there - again- instead of Maryrose. A brainstorm! I printed Maryrose's face - life-size - and made a mask. When the students walked in, I held it up in front of my face. "See, I told you I'd be back today!" Their looks of disappointment turned into laughter and we returned to our routine.

Two more weeks passed. I decided not to make any more promises about her return. It was too hard on all of us. My life had been on hold for weeks now, and the students had been jerked around too much, too. We'd just play it by ear.

Finally, her doctor released her to come back half-days, so I started working afternoons only. The kids were happy because they got Maryrose back and got to keep me, too. We were well-bonded after nine weeks together. It was gonna be hard to let go.

Three weeks of half-time, and a field trip later, my last day truly arrived. The kids had gifts, cards, and good-bye letters for me, lots of hugs, and a few tears. After twelve weeks, they'd come to think of me not as a sub, but as their "other teacher" - and so had I. I'll miss them, but I'm glad to be moving on, and to have my life back. I start performing with my choir soon, so it's time to re-prioritize. Perfect timing!

A Sub Job Awaits

Our summer was exciting with travel and company, but I was ready for a bit of down time. That was not to be had. On Monday of this week, I got a call from a teacher at Ridgewood saying I'd been approved for her leave, starting next week! Jeff left the next evening, and I took Wednesday to do nothing at all. Thursday I met Julie at school to get the classroom set up, and today we all met to plan the first two weeks of school and review classroom policies and procedures. We discussed the overview of the 12 weeks I'll be there; amazingly, my head didn't explode. I've learned to take things one day at a time as a sub... I start Monday for inservice week, and school starts with students the following Tuesday. No rest for the weary!

I'm actually subbing for two teachers who job-share. Julie will spend inservice week and the opening week of school sharing the day with me. After that, I'll have the classroom to myself for a month. Then, Julie and I will job-share the remaining 5-6 weeks until Damiana comes back. The beauty of the shared weeks is that I'll work 2 1/2 days, leaving 2 full days to pick up other jobs - or not - as I so choose.

Honestly, as tough as teaching jobs are to find these days, I'm happy for whatever is offered to me. Fifth grade is not my favorite (I think I like third the best), but these students are the ones I taught in third grade, so I'm excited to see them again. This is the team I worked with for six weeks last year, so I have a bit of a handle on their curriculum and management routines. It should be a flawless transition for me, the students, the teachers I'm subbing for and working with, and the parents, since we all know each other so well.

I must say that I'm very grateful to the staff at Ridgewood for taking such good care of me. I was an aide there for a year and a half, then, having jumped through the necessary hoops for licensure in Oregon, taught there as a temporary teacher for a year until the economy started to go sour. Since then, permanent jobs have been scarce, but they've kept me busy with sub jobs both long and short, and I worked more last year than most subs I've talked to. I do feel lucky to be working from day one this year, when so many subs are still wondering if they'll get any calls in the month of September. I'll take the rest of the year as it comes...