never saw what you saw

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Home : 2002 : October : 30

never saw what you saw
By sj

I subbed for several years, motivated by both choice and need, and was certified and experienced the entire time. I never experienced any of what you two have described, or if I did I didn't interpret it the same way. I
took "Who are you today?" as a friendly attempt at making conversation, not a put-down. I didn't expect to be included in conversations because I knew I was an "outsider"--such is the nature of being a sub. (As they say, "It goes with the territory.")I tried to do what the teacher I replaced wanted and leave the room neater and cleaner than I found it because I remembered that usually

when I was absent I felt too crummy to clean desks or straighten books, etc. I marked papers if the answers were definite, but never wrote a grade because I knew the teacher needed to make that decision. Teachers liked coming back to a cleaner room and a detailed explanation of what I'd done the day they were out, so they requested me again. I was eventually offered a job as a result of a subbing position because the principal noticed that I didn't mind staying later to straighten up or do the little extras that the regular teachers were too busy or too tired to do. I didn't consider myself a "real teacher" during that time because I didn't have a "real class". I didn't figure my degree made much difference to anybody as long as I did a good job, so I focused on doing a good job. You don't get a good reputation because you have a degree--you get it because of what you do. From my years as a teacher, I'd say the degree only matters to the people who think they need it to gain the respect that they could have earned just as easily with a good attitude and hard work.