As some of you may have known, my wife has been pregnant for the last two or three years (so it seems). Well, this Wednesday, she gave birth to our second son, Mason Christopher Thomas. He is a lovely boy with a healthy set of lungs. The boy can scream.
I only had one day of leave earned but I took three. Two will have to go unpaid. My real lesson came in getting everything ready for my substitute. I found that teaching a technical education course is a bit challenging when it comes to time off. Most subs are not equipped to teach your subject so you have to have specific assignments ready for when you may be out. I put together a project that the students could work on that incorporated many of the lessons we had covered recently, however I'm sure there were still items that needed an experienced designer to address. I think that unless you leave a more generic lesson, you may be required to "revisit" the lesson you left to be accomplished. My collegues say that they will sometimes leave work that is to be turned in whether the students finish or not. I don't know how I feel about that. Another told me I shouldn't leave a quiz because the students will cheat. I am still coming to terms with that one as well.
All in all it has been a beautiful experience. I called to check my classes and they seem to have been behaving well. I noticed my wife had a form in her sub-folder for the sub to fill out letting her know how the class behaved and if there were items she could improve for the next sub. I like that and I plan to incoroporate it into my folder next time. Thanks for sitting through my ramblings. Adios.
This site is a class blog space for new Career and Technical Specializations and Heathcare Science teachers enrolled in the New Teacher Institute (NTI) at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.
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2. Show respect and consideration of others when posting and commenting. This includes individuals, students, organizations, political parties, colleagues, etc.
3. Check all posts for spelling and grammar errors before posting.
4. Protect the privacy of others. Gain permission from other people before you write about them. Avoid sharing someone else's last name. Use job titles or pseudonyms when writing about experiences with your co-workers or students.
5. Watch your language. Use politically correct and non-offensive language.
6. Make sure you write about things that are factual.
7. Keep your postings education-oriented. Avoid discussing plans for the weekend, etc.
FINAL BLOG POST - OUR "DAILY TRIPLE" (DUE 12/1).
This week I would like you to use your imagination. You have just won the lottery and will leave your teaching post immediately to travel around the world. As you leave your keys you meet your replacement. You are asked to give this new teacher just ONE piece of advice. What would that be, and why? Enjoy your world expedition!
Blog Post - Week 7
This past week in my own teaching I felt a little disconnected which prompts my question to you, "What was the moment (or moments) when I felt most disconnected or disengaged as a teacher - the moment(s) I said to myself, I'm just going through the motions here?"
Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 6
For the past couple of weeks you have experienced asynchronous online learning (doing modules by yourself). Previously this semester you have experienced synchronous online learning (all together in the Collaborate room). Which do you think is more effective and why do you think that? Which do you like better, and why?
Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 5
This week we have what we call "open mic." You can write a post about anything related to your teaching that you would like responses from your classmates.
Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 4
Here is this week's question: "What was the event that most took me surprise this week - and event that shook me up, caught me off guard, gave me a jolt, or made me unexpectedly happy?"
Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 3
Please write a post about the following question, "In thinking about my past week teaching what is one thing I would do differently, and why?"
Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 2
Please write a post about the following question, " In thinking about my teaching activities this past week, of what do I feel most proud? Why?"
Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 1
Describe something you used in your program in the first weeks of school that you learned in the summer NTI program. How did it work? Did it get you off to a stronger start than last year?
2 comments:
Hi Kennis,
Allow me to share your pain! I'm not going through the pregnancy thing. I've been there, done that, and wrote a book about it.
Last week, I was faced with a family illness that required me to leave the state for three days. I felt that I was very prepared for the substitute. My folder was complete. I phone the "subfinder" line in my county and arranged for a substitute as I had been instructed. I phone in the day before and confirmed that a substitute had taken the assigned job. To make a long story short, I felt comfortable leaving my classroom.
On Friday afternoon, I decided to phone the school to check with my partner teacher to see how the substitute and the students were progressing. To my shock, I was informed that my partner teacher was not available because she was covering another teacher’s class. I informed the front office of my name and ask the looming question, “did my sub show up?". I cannot describe the emotions that I experienced when she replied no and informed me that my partner teacher had been conducting a class load of approximately 60 students for nearly 7 class periods.
The moral of this story, I will never use subfinder again without contacting the individual that has secured the job to ensure that the class is covered.
Congratulations, PaPa!
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