To make a few things crystal clear: my feet hurt, my back hurts and substitute teaching is hard work. Period.
I got called this morning at dawn and found myself two hours later in front of a classoroom of eager second graders. This was the first day I was even eligible to be called, so I wasn't really expecting a call so soon. I enjoyed the day; it was tough, but it was satisfying and I felt like I made a difference in a way that I never felt from the distant seat of mid/upper nonprofit management. I have been hungry to get my hands dirty and really do something for a long time.
Within the first ten minutes I was fielding everything from " I have a tummy ache" to "Can I get a drink of water?" to "Can I share my new toy?" to "Here are the school supplies I was supposed to turn in...." Yikes! The class and I sort of made it up as we went along and I was asked to come back, so it can't have been all bad.
The confidence booster for me is that this whole thing is BRAND NEW. I have never been in front of a classroom before, and it is freeing to step out of my familiar world and try something radically new and different.
I look forward to getting better at teaching, but I will be just fine if they don't call me tomorrow - as long as they call me the next day!
I'll keep you posted.
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