A Day in the Life of a Substitute

       The greatest part about subbing, is that I get to be a part of the kids lives. I get a pulse for this community I love, in a very up close and personal sort of way. Honestly, the best way for you to know what our city is like, is for me to tell you about some of what takes place in my classrooms


       A day in my life substitute teaching is always interesting. This week I was in a middle school I sub at a lot. It's in downtown Hammond.
      I enjoy this school. It has a reputation, as many of the schools here do, of being bad. I'm never really sure what "bad" means when ascribed to schools and communities.
      Sometimes when people say it, they mean that it's rough. That the area or school can be dangerous, with violence and drug use. Sometimes people mean that the level of education isn't up to par with other schools. They mean test scores are lower, and drop out rates are higher. More often than not, I've discovered, that people usually toss the word around with very little understanding of what it means, or very little experience or knowledge of the school or community.
       I take reputations of areas and schools with a grain of salt, so to speak. Because they tend to be a very poor way to judge anything.
       The middle school I was in this week, as I said, has just that sort of reputation.
       Each class starts out the same way, I have the students walk in, and check to make sure they are in uniform. I take attendance and introduce myself. Then I give them their assignment.
       Once they are given their assignment, the fun really begins. I help students with work, and review the rules, 500 times, because middle school students have about as much energy as 4th graders, but they don't get recess.

      The other day a group of girls were talking. The conversation went like this.
Girl 1- My dad is a vegan, and I always have to clean up his gross dishes of beans.
Girl 2- Your parents still together?
Girl 1- No girl! Who stays married these days?! Seriously, I don't know anybodies parents who are married.
Girl 3- I know mine aren't!
Girl 2- I always tell my momma I'm going to move in with my daddy. She says "there's the door".
Girl 1- My momma says the same thing!

      After class I had a little boy still sitting at his desk. I could tell he was crying.
Me- What's wrong?
Student- (puts his head against the doorway sobbing)
me- Come over here. I can't fix the problem if you don't tell me what's wrong.
Student- (walks over with tears streaming down his face)
me- ok, what's going on?
Student- They always pick on me.
Me- what were they saying?
Student- They called me a coward, and told me I was scared because i wouldn't hit a girl."
Me- Why won't you hit a girl?
Student- Because it's disrespectful.
Me- Do you think you are a coward?
Student- No. I just think it's wrong to hit someone, and they just keep picking on me.
Me- If you know you aren't a coward in your heart, don't worry about what they say. I think it's far braver to do the right thing sometimes. Cowards hit girls, brave people stand up for what's right even when it's hard.
(me trying not to tear up) I think you are brave and kind, don't let them tell you any different.
Student- Ok, thanks.

     A different conversation with some students
Student 1- Ms. Cansler I think you are the nicest teacher, can you be our permanent teacher.
Me- I can't.
Student 2- Why not?
Me- I have another job?
Student 1- What's your job Ms. Cansler?
Me- I'm a pastor
Student 3- You a girl pastor??
Me- Well I'm a girl, and I'm a pastor, so yes.
Student 1 and 3- You go to church Ms. Cansler?
Me- Well since I"m a pastor, yes I go to church.
Student 3- I go every sunday and wednesday. Sunday for worship service and Wednesday for Bible study.
Me- We only have Sundays, because we are a new church.


       These are just a few glimpses. Lots of things happen every day. Some heartbreaking. Some victories. However, I wouldn't describe these places as "bad" ever.
      The school's I work in are filled with exhausted teachers who do their best, in an area where many parents have given up at getting their kids to even go to school in the first place. The high school where I work the most has a long list of expelled students, and sometimes I take attendance based on who is present, vs. who is absent, because that list is shorter. These teachers try to give them hope, help them to see life beyond these few years, while many of their students become parents at the age their parents had them.
     These schools definitely have their issues, but ultimately they are filled with students who long for love. Who need some direction. Who try their best. They aren't different from kids anywhere else, just that their zip code happens to be different. Just that they have things stacked against them a little higher than others. I have kids who run up to me and give me hugs every time they see me. I have a student who told me all about her dream prom dress and about going to college, and what shoes I thought she should get for prom.
      No... they aren't bad. Much like the world around us, the image of God is there. It just sometimes takes a couple looks to see it. I'm blessed that I get to be the one to take the second look.

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 31, 2015. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response.

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