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Home : 2001 : July : 10

survey
By Dave

1. After our original orientation meeting where they did fingerprinting and told us how to work the automated system we were allowed to start subbing. But then we had to attend a training session about a month later where
we learned some basics of classroom management, as well as how to liven up boring lesson plans. Because it was required, we did receive pay for the training session.
2. No. This is mainly because I learn by doing, and I think five days of experience would be much more beneficial than five days of observation.
3. I think our system is run great, nothing seems to need major changes (except

I wish the pay were better). Though Steve's ideas were good.

4. So far I've only done elementary school (all grades). Towards the end of this last school year I would create my own seating chart, then at random times I put checkmarks next to people who were quiet and doing work. Every couple checks they get a lollipop ($4 gets you 200, so it's a good deal). After a little while, all it takes is for me to go to the desk and get a pen in my hand for almost everyone in the class to quiet down and get to work. Next year I'll probably try to get some more creative prizes for the people get lots of positive checks.

5. Behavior of students. Though I seem to be learning how to control it a lot better than at first (I'm still relatively new)

6. Lack of money

7. Two of my best days (one of which was my first day) have been at one particular school, and I believe it is because of the way the school is run. Just sitting at my desk before school started, it seemed that every teacher that walked by, and the janitor, came in to meet me. Then when there were no lesson plans (besides the generic emergency plans a teacher was nice enough to find for me), the two other same grade teachers spent their morning preparing work for me to teach (and it was actually stuff I got to teach, not just hand out busy work like I usually seem to do). Then there is the behavior, which probably because of the nice teachers who don't need to run the school like an army base, is excellent; better than any other school I've been to, including the other schools almost right next to that school (which weren't that great, as this isn't the best area of the county). Plus, if there are behavior problems, there is a schoolwide discipline system that seems to exist in every classroom, so us subs don't have to figure out a new teachers system every time we go to a different class. Then there are the little things like the secretary who is nice enough to sign us in herself, and who even checked up on me one day to make sure all was OK when I had a music assignment the 2nd half of the day, since the other teachers would all be in classes.
I just wish more schools were like that.