I was subbing at a local middle school on Monday. I don't sub very much at middle schools or highschools compared to how often I am in K-5 buildings. This can be explained in a joke or with a more detailed explanation. I will do both.
The Joke: They don't pay me enough to sub at Middle Schools, and too much to sub at high schools.
The Truth of the joke: Someone told me once that the key to working with middle schoolers is building relationships. It is very difficult if not impossible, to build relationships with middle schools when you are a sub and you changing classes every 40 minutes. The reason why I think I'm over paid to teach at High School is that compared to elementary, where you are generally teaching for the majority of the day, and middle school, where you are herding disinterested and disrespectful cats in 45 minute intervals, you are basically taking attendance, announcing the assignment and reading a book.
For the 3 years prior to this school year, I spent the majority of my subbing at middle schools. This was entirely as a long term sub, or a building sub. Both of those positions involve getting to know the students and them getting to know me. As a result, I was able to do far more teaching, far more relationship building and slightly less cat herding.
Monday, I was subbing for a teacher I used to work with at the middle school I was working the last 3 school years and I have subbed in her resource room 3 or 4 times already this year. As a resource teacher, I either co-teach with another teacher or teach smaller classes of 5-8 students. I also get to teach Math, which is one of my passions.
But that's not why I brought you here today, (I know 5 paragraphs of intro, and not even my point. What can I say I'm a professional communicator.)
Today, I am here to share with you a video from the Social Studies class I co-taught on Monday.
