Replacement For the Replacement…

Last week was spring break and the first three days of this week was spent recovering from a hacking cough that I’m sure wouldn’t be appreciated in the classroom or anywhere near the teachers lounge.

It’s going to be a light paycheck this month.

Still, I hated to turn down those multiple class offers for Mon/Tues and Wed but that’s one of the “perks”, if you can call it that, of being a substitute teacher.

I don’t have to make arrangements for a replacement in my job since I am one.

(I just reread that last sentence and it sounds a bit circular, doesn’t it?)

And …no assignment for tomorrow as of 08:00pm tonight.

Complete Lesson Planning…

My 6^th grade assignment did not start very well yesterday. I couldn’t get in the classroom door. It was the right key but door simply would not open.

“Oh, yea. We forgot. You have to give the door a bit of a shoulder/bump action while turning the key. Go out and wait by the classroom and we’ll have the custodian help you get in.”

Now that I’m in the classroom (…and after testing my prowess practicing the shoulder bump door opening procedure to make sure I could actually replicate the result for the rest of the day), I found my lesson plan.

Now, I’ve experienced all manner of lesson plans from the no lesson plan, the tiny lesson plan, the giant plan, the Hi-Tech plan, last minute plan and everything else in between.

I’d have to say that this might be the most complete detailed plan I’ve ever come across. Nine pages long and I didn’t even get to the daily work until page 7.

The last three pages of the plan dealt with what I would consider the “working guts” of the lesson plan.

The first six pages dealt with all manner of emergency drill procedures, procedures needed to address the medical issues with the twelve (of 31 total) students in class with allergies, EpiPens, learning, behavior, physical disabilities and what to do or who to go to in the event I needed help.

It even had instruction on how to “open the door”!

That particular page would have been especially helpful if it had been taped to the outside of the door this morning.