Working Girl

My first paycheck came today, which makes me officially a teacher (sort of). I have only "taught" in a few classes so far and some I have left feeling like I made a difference in some kids' days.
One fourth grade class had art on the day I was with them and four kids chose to give me their angels. I told them all that their mother's would love these little treetop cherubs as Christmas gifts but all four kids on separate occasions gave them to me. I haven't had the heart to dispose of them. Avery has one little white paper angel and one little brown paper angel on her dresser, as does Reagan. The last classroom I worked in was a really rough group. This is why "taught" is in parenthesis. I felt like 40% zoo keeper, 40% prison warden and 20% insane woman who doesn't need the $10/hr nearly enough to stick it out for the half day I was in the classroom. After a few venting sessions with friends and family and a few prayers, I decided that the classroom was excited about Christmas break, along with my knowledge and sympathy that not all home atmospheres are ideal, I would happily go back to that class and show them the "tough love" I had on Thursday morning. That would include marching the little boy who sent a tiny girl flying into the dry-erase board to the principal. Only next time, I will send him on the first offense, not the second. As a side-note, the tiny girl wasn't innocent in the situation either.
En route to all of my subbing jobs, I turn off the radio and ask God to calm my nerves and give me the confidence to be what the class needs for the time I am with them, as my only experiences have been in "bad districts" these kids need far more than an adult to hand out worksheets and help them through the work.
So, after my first four experiences, and my first paycheck, I am quickly learning that each day as a substitute takes on an entirely new entity. I am a creature of habit and don't like to start new things so this, along with my tendency to be a push-over will be my challenge in starting this new path in life. I am going to stick with it though because even at the end of that roughest morning, where one child left the room, one was sent to the office for pushing a girl, one threatened to beat me up, one had to go to urgent care for a split eyelid, and most of them just chose to ignore me, I still felt like the positive attention I gave to each of them might have made a small difference in their day (and a very minuscule difference in my children's' college fund).

Substitute teaching, it's not just a job. It's an adventure!!!