Rumor Has it...

...that subs in our district might be getting a pay increase next year!

This entire year, the sub line has been busy. I have had to make sure to take myself off the list the night before if I wanted a day off. I have come to hate that phone call at 05:30am. If I don't have an assignment by the time I go to bed, I'm off the list.

Add that to the two weeks off mid April for a beach vacation and you can understand my availability status has substantially declined this year.

The day after we got back, I took a 6th grade job that included recess yard duty. It was during recess, while talking with a teacher I've worked for several times, that she informed me of the news.

"I hear that you're getting a $15/day raise next near."

It seems that the "sub shortage" this year has prompted the teachers' union to petition for the increase to attract more subs from the neighboring districts.

"It's been crazy this year. Every sub seems to be busy or dropped out of the sub pool this year. We had to cancel some planning meetings and cover for each other it was so bad."

I hope it works but I also assume that this will be the first thing that the district negotiators will want to redline in the new teachers' contract.

April Fools...

It didn't occur to me the significance of the date until I entered the school office to see an aide worker's desk covered in tin foil.

The office informed me that the entire 6th grade had subs today while the teachers were out for some kind of training. That explained the 4-5 faces in the teachers' lounge that I didn't recognized. With door key and attendance sheet in hand, I went to the pool of 6^th graders hanging out by their classroom doors.

As I approached the pod several 6^th grade students recognized me and started interrogating me for which teacher I was subbing for. So, of course, I couldn't resist a bit of fun for the holiday.

"Actually, I'm subbing ALL the 6^th grade classes today. The school couldn't find enough subs so they asked me if I would sub all four classes. We'll open all the pod doors and have one giant 6^th grade today!"

I was sure they wouldn't bite but to my surprise, the news spread like wildfire. Now I had a crowd of excited 6^th graders pelting me with:

"For real?"

"That's awesome!"

"What are we gonna do first?"

Don't they realize what day it is? I guess not. One girl was so excited that she wanted to go in early to help out. That's when I decided, I better let them in on the joke.

I told her she had to wait until I filled out the top part of my status report before I unlocked the door.

Name: Mr. Homework

Grade : 6

Date: .....

me: "Darn! I get confused sometimes. I forgot the date today?"

girl: "It's Wednesday, April 1^st"

I let it hang in the air a bit and when it didn't seem I was going to write that down, her eyes went large and she started laughing.

When her friends wanted to know what was so funny, all she said was "April Fools!"

Yep. Got'em all!