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Post by elaine on Sept 25, 2021 0:33:24 GMT
I’m exhausted and have a body full of sore muscles! I knew it was going to be hard, but didn’t anticipate the sheer number of steps chasing down students.
I finally was able to jump through all the hoops to be able to have the privilege to be a substitute teacher for our school system.
Monday morning (around 10 am), I finally finished entering my info into the online sub system and was immediately assigned a spot at a local school. I assumed it was for next Monday, since the school day was underway. When I double-checked online and saw that it was for Monday 10/20, I called the school to ask about the assignment. The school checked and said that teacher was already back in the classroom and could I come in to help in the ID classroom?
I’ve worked in an ID classroom all week. 5 students, only 2 who are limited verbal, 3 completely non-verbal. I am really good with these kids, because it has been my life for 20 years, but not what I want to do professionally. I’ve taken other assignments for a couple of days next week and future weeks because I need to work with neurotypical kids. The principal stopped me in the hallway today and begged/pressured me into working in this classroom for the next month (at least) and told me to cancel the other assignments I’d already accepted.
It is so hard to say “no,” but I just can’t only work with this population. Dh and I decided that a good balance would be for me to split my work between typical and the ID classroom; that way I can meet my needs and also give back to other parents and the community. All for less ($14.79) per hour than I could earn for flipping burgers or bus driving. The kids are worth it though! 😀
(I’m hoping to get my COVID booster this weekend!)
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peasquared
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,448 
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Post by peasquared on Sept 25, 2021 0:37:39 GMT
They are so lucky to have you! I aided in my kid's school a couple of years and it is hard work, both mentally and physically. The kids are worth it, though, as you said. Thank you for all you're doing. I hope you feel appreciated every day!
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moodyblue
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Posts: 6,175
Location: Western Illinois
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Jun 26, 2014 21:07:23 GMT
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Post by moodyblue on Sept 25, 2021 0:39:03 GMT
Substitute teachers are hard to get! And good ones are precious. I’m sure you’ll be able to work as much as you want to. I do understand how working with neurotypical kids would be good for you - but be prepared for them to want you in the other rooms. It isn’t easy to find people who are good in the more challenging situations.
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Post by christine58 on Sept 25, 2021 0:47:15 GMT
What is an ID classroom?
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Post by bc2ca on Sept 25, 2021 0:49:15 GMT
Best of luck with this new venture! I'm sure you will be in hot demand.  |
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Post by elaine on Sept 25, 2021 0:53:51 GMT
Intellectually Disabled. What used to be called MR (mentally retarded, which is a term that IS NOT used in education any more). My younger son (now 20) is ID, along with his autism. His IQ is around 40 and he will never be beyond around a 5 y.o. intellectually. So, we are talking about children/people who will never function or live without significant support. Many don’t have any verbal language - like 3 of the 5 in the classroom I’ve been in this week. The other 2 have language that is equivalent to a 2 y.o.’s even though they are in fifth grade. |
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Sept 25, 2021 1:05:42 GMT
I am so impressed by you. Even with your own health issues the challenges of your boys' situations, you always find a way to make such a difference in the lives of others. I guess I'm just sitting on the elaine fan club bench. |
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Post by ~summer~ on Sept 25, 2021 1:15:02 GMT
Wow good for you. I went back to work after ten years off so I know what an adjustment it is. I hear there are huge shortages for substitute teachers. I hope you stand your ground and work in the classes you want to. I’m sure you are a huge asset.
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Post by femalebusiness on Sept 25, 2021 1:21:29 GMT
I am so impressed by you. Even with your own health issues the challenges of your boys' situations, you always find a way to make such a difference in the lives of others. I guess I'm just sitting on the elaine fan club bench. Exactly, only you said it so much better than I could. Good for you elaine. |
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Post by leannec on Sept 25, 2021 1:51:21 GMT
Wow! I'm a teacher and couldn't effectively help high needs kids like that ... you are awesome!  I went back to teaching after 10 years off just over three years ago ... it was HARD! I subbed the first year and I loved it ... but I got paid my full teacher's wage (long story) so that was good thing ... your wage is insulting  After that I was placed in a very challenging school ... this is now my third year and it is still HARD! I am tired! That never goes away  I hope you are able to find a balance  |
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kate
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Posts: 5,517
Location: The city that doesn't sleep
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Jun 26, 2014 3:30:05 GMT
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Post by kate on Sept 25, 2021 1:56:11 GMT
that way I can meet my needs and also give back to other parents and the community. All for less ($14.79) per hour than I could earn for flipping burgers or bus driving This brought tears to my eyes. God bless you. It's true that subs are hard to come by - my school is a cakewalk for most subs (small classes, 2 teachers per room, delicious free food...), and still we're having trouble filling absences. I'm sure you are pure gold for any school right now, and even more so for a school with an ID class! Move over, Spongemom Scrappants and femalebusiness - I'm joining you on the elaine fan club bench! |
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purplebee
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Posts: 6,731
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Post by purplebee on Sept 25, 2021 2:16:00 GMT
Another Elaine fan here. Wishing you joy and satisfaction as you share your skills and kindness with your ID students, and every other student that is lucky enough to cross paths with you! 💜💜💜 You rock!
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Deleted
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May 11, 2024 17:04:32 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2021 2:43:01 GMT
I know your skills and experience are valued in that ID classroom. But in limiting yourself, you’ll be giving them a “better” you because you won’t be so tired and burned out. It’s exhausting. There’s nothing wrong with limiting yourself.
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Post by scrapmaven on Sept 25, 2021 3:01:39 GMT
The first rule here is to take care of yourself. As much as the principal wants you for that class, you must do what is best for you. Would you ever want to do counseling in the school system? Does your psych degree permit that?
Those children are very lucky to have you in their lives. I'm guessing you're an awesome sub.
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Post by quinlove on Sept 25, 2021 3:35:50 GMT
Why does this not surprise me at all ! You are an asset to that school - and to all of us here. 😊
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Post by malibou on Sept 25, 2021 6:10:19 GMT
I'm so not surprised that you did so well in the ID room that the principal wants to keep you there. Way to go on setting boundaries. Everyone deserves a bit of Elaine in their classroom.
Thank you for all you continue to do to help others. You are a shining example of what we need more of.
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Post by Basket1lady on Sept 25, 2021 10:03:08 GMT
Thank you for being such a valuable part of the community!
And I agree—it’s exhausting being out of the house all day. Last week, I had 2 days of French class, I’m running an ESL group on base, the hedge trimmer guys were here, we had a huge festival on base, and I ran errands. I slept hard every night!
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J u l e e
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Posts: 6,531
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Jun 28, 2014 2:50:47 GMT
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Post by J u l e e on Sept 25, 2021 11:19:12 GMT
I am so impressed by you. Even with your own health issues the challenges of your boys' situations, you always find a way to make such a difference in the lives of others. I guess I'm just sitting on the elaine fan club bench. I was trying to think of what I wanted to say as I was doing my job and reading the whole thread! I can’t think of how to say it better than this. You are an excellent human, elaine. |
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Post by monklady123 on Sept 25, 2021 12:12:52 GMT
Welcome to subbing! Yes, our pay sucks. I like subbing though and thankfully don't have to try to live on just what they pay us. I'm not surprised that the principal cornered you and wanted you to stay in that class. There is SUCH a shortage of subs everywhere and if they can find a good one they'll try to keep you. This is one reason I mostly don't go to other schools...I stick with the one where my kids went which is three blocks from my house. The minute I go to other schools I get other teachers who want my information, and I'll get requests directly from the school. At my own school I get teachers chasing me down the hallway when they see me. It's nice to be appreciated I guess.  My school doesn't have any classes equivalent to what you're describing as ID. Ours are called MIPA (the "A" is "autism" but I forget what the other letters stand for) and we have "mini-MIPA" which is pre-K and K. Then regular MIPA which is 1st-5th. Mostly the kids stay in the one room all day, but if they are high enough functioning they try to bring them into a regular classroom with an aide for some of the day. I usually don't sub in the MIPA classes because we've had absolutely zero training on how to work with those kids and I'm afraid of making a mistake. I know routines are important to kids who are autistic and I'm always afraid of doing something that goes against that routine. I did sub a couple of times for the teacher in our mini-MIPA class and of course the two assistants ran the class and I just did what they asked me to do. lol. It went okay but it was a long day. I wish I had more training for how to work with non-verbal kids (most of them at that time were). Anyway, once you get started you will be in HIGH demand and could work every day all day if you choose to. I choose not to, lol. Especially with Delta... I do worry about it even though I'm vaccinated because of course no kids in an elementary school are eligible for a vaccine yet. |
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Post by mikklynn on Sept 25, 2021 12:19:38 GMT
I am not surprised they love you, elaine. I am so proud of you for setting your boundaries with the principal with your need to work primarily with neurotypical kids. You do what you need for YOU. |
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cakediva
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Making the world a sweeter place one cake at a time!
Posts: 7,431
Location: Fergus, Ontario
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Post by cakediva on Sept 25, 2021 12:21:24 GMT
I am so impressed by you. Even with your own health issues the challenges of your boys' situations, you always find a way to make such a difference in the lives of others. I guess I'm just sitting on the elaine fan club bench. I agree with femalebusiness as well - you said this better than I could articulate. So happy for you! |
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Post by Merge on Sept 25, 2021 13:09:01 GMT
So happy for you! Thanks for subbing even though the pay is crap. And a sub who does well in a self contained special needs classroom? My goodness - you are worth your weight in gold.
Totally understand about needing to work with a variety of kids, though. One of the things I live about my job is that I get all grade levels and all learning types, including the special needs Pre-K. Variety is the spice of life!
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Post by christine58 on Sept 25, 2021 14:04:25 GMT
Intellectually Disabled. What used to be called MR (mentally retarded, which is a term that IS NOT used in education any more). My younger son (now 20) is ID, along with his autism. His IQ is around 40 and he will never be beyond around a 5 y.o. intellectually. So, we are talking about children/people who will never function or live without significant support. Many don’t have any verbal language - like 3 of the 5 in the classroom I’ve been in this week. The other 2 have language that is equivalent to a 2 y.o.’s even though they are in fifth grade. Here in NYS ( I am a Special Ed teacher) ID isn’t a term we use nor MR. I completely understand why you would want to work in a different setting. Thank you for subbing. My district has repeatedly asked me to sub (retired 4 years ago) and I’ve refused. My entire teaching career was spent with kids with mental illness and I’m done. |
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Post by elaine on Sept 25, 2021 14:38:48 GMT
Gosh, thank you everyone for your kind words! ❤️ I feel like I get as much as I give to the kids. 20 years ago, I never thought that I would have a period of time when I didn’t work outside the house. It was a hard year for me when my younger son’s behavior and needs became too challenging for me to keep working. When it finally became possible for me to work again, no one is/was interested in hiring a professor who had been out of the market for 8 years. But, I love teaching, so decided on K-12 because there is such a need. Eventually, I will try to take the VA coursework to be a “career switcher” and get my teaching license, but will sub for now. The first rule here is to take care of yourself. As much as the principal wants you for that class, you must do what is best for you. Would you ever want to do counseling in the school system? Does your psych degree permit that? Those children are very lucky to have you in their lives. I'm guessing you're an awesome sub. Psychologists in K-12 do mostly assessment/testing and report writing - things I can do, but not interested in having be the only thing that I do. I may look into being a school counselor, however, especially middle and high school. I’d find that satisfying, even though the school counselor also usually has a ton of paperwork (maintaining student files, managing college applications, etc.) in my school district. Welcome to subbing! Yes, our pay sucks. I like subbing though and thankfully don't have to try to live on just what they pay us. I'm not surprised that the principal cornered you and wanted you to stay in that class. There is SUCH a shortage of subs everywhere and if they can find a good one they'll try to keep you. This is one reason I mostly don't go to other schools...I stick with the one where my kids went which is three blocks from my house. The minute I go to other schools I get other teachers who want my information, and I'll get requests directly from the school. At my own school I get teachers chasing me down the hallway when they see me. It's nice to be appreciated I guess.  My school doesn't have any classes equivalent to what you're describing as ID. Ours are called MIPA (the "A" is "autism" but I forget what the other letters stand for) and we have "mini-MIPA" which is pre-K and K. Then regular MIPA which is 1st-5th. Mostly the kids stay in the one room all day, but if they are high enough functioning they try to bring them into a regular classroom with an aide for some of the day. I usually don't sub in the MIPA classes because we've had absolutely zero training on how to work with those kids and I'm afraid of making a mistake. I know routines are important to kids who are autistic and I'm always afraid of doing something that goes against that routine. I did sub a couple of times for the teacher in our mini-MIPA class and of course the two assistants ran the class and I just did what they asked me to do. lol. It went okay but it was a long day. I wish I had more training for how to work with non-verbal kids (most of them at that time were). Anyway, once you get started you will be in HIGH demand and could work every day all day if you choose to. I choose not to, lol. Especially with Delta... I do worry about it even though I'm vaccinated because of course no kids in an elementary school are eligible for a vaccine yet.  Yes, I am very fortunate that we have my husband’s military retirement coming in. 😀 It isn’t enough to live on, but my subbing will help supplement it. In terms of schools, I took that job, even though it is 20 minutes away, because I just wanted to start working. Now that I am more familiar with the system, I am trying to stick with our local ES, MS and HS that my boys went to. The ES teachers at the local school have started emailing me - I spent a lot of time in the school when my boys were there. Next week I’ll spend two days subbing in the middle school (family consumer science one day and history & social studies the other day) with two days in the ID classroom that I started with. My plan is to work 4 days per week, and to spend 2 days in neurotypical classes and 2 in ID/Spec Ed classrooms. It is interesting how school districts name these classrooms. FCPS has changed the names in the 18 years my boys were in the system (younger ds will go to school until he ages out at 22). For many years they were either Cat B (moderate issues) or Mod (severe) classrooms. Now we have Spec Ed classrooms and ID classrooms. I have to learn all the new labels. 😀 I am getting my Pfizer booster shot this evening at Walgreens! I was able to easily get an appointment online - my cancer treatment qualifies me to go ahead and get it. Given my breakthrough shingles, even after getting both doses of Shingrix, it is apparent that my immune system may need extra help to mount an effective response to vaccines. Wow! I'm a teacher and couldn't effectively help high needs kids like that ... you are awesome!  I went back to teaching after 10 years off just over three years ago ... it was HARD! I subbed the first year and I loved it ... but I got paid my full teacher's wage (long story) so that was good thing ... your wage is insulting After that I was placed in a very challenging school ... this is now my third year and it is still HARD! I am tired! That never goes away  I hope you are able to find a balance  I remember you going back to work - you are awesome! This morning, my feet and body feel like I ran a half-marathon last week. 😂 |
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Post by elaine on Sept 25, 2021 14:51:46 GMT
Intellectually Disabled. What used to be called MR (mentally retarded, which is a term that IS NOT used in education any more). My younger son (now 20) is ID, along with his autism. His IQ is around 40 and he will never be beyond around a 5 y.o. intellectually. So, we are talking about children/people who will never function or live without significant support. Many don’t have any verbal language - like 3 of the 5 in the classroom I’ve been in this week. The other 2 have language that is equivalent to a 2 y.o.’s even though they are in fifth grade. Here in NYS ( I am a Special Ed teacher) ID isn’t a term we use nor MR. I completely understand why you would want to work in a different setting. Thank you for subbing. My district has repeatedly asked me to sub (retired 4 years ago) and I’ve refused. My entire teaching career was spent with kids with mental illness and I’m done. Thank you for your work! They used to call this type of classroom “Mod” (for moderate disabilities, even though they were the children with the most severe disabilities) in our district, but the change was made to ID sometime since I last worked for the school system 8 years ago (at the Spec Ed Parent Resource Center). So, I don’t know the reasoning behind the name change. We don’t use the MR label either and haven’t for 14 years or more. I know, from the parent side, the utter relief when you put your child with special needs &/or severe behaviors on the school bus and you are given the gift of 7 hours of someone else caring for your child, allowing you to catch your breath and do things like grocery shopping that you literally cannot do when the child is home. There were some days that it was all that I could do to make it to that time that I could put ds2 on the bus. I want to give that respite to those parents, and I also need something additional in my life. I have lived that life a long time. It *is* exhausting. Again, thank you for working with those kids and know that you made a difference in many lives. |
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Post by elaine on Sept 25, 2021 14:53:14 GMT
So happy for you! Thanks for subbing even though the pay is crap. And a sub who does well in a self contained special needs classroom? My goodness - you are worth your weight in gold. Totally understand about needing to work with a variety of kids, though. One of the things I live about my job is that I get all grade levels and all learning types, including the special needs Pre-K. Variety is the spice of life! We had music twice this week and I thought of you! ❤️ The kids love music so much. |
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AmeliaBloomer
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Posts: 6,842
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Jun 26, 2014 5:01:45 GMT
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Post by AmeliaBloomer on Sept 25, 2021 15:07:40 GMT
You got through that stupid sub qualification juggernaut, huh? That alone is impressive.
Congratulations. Color me not one whit surprised that principal is wheedling. Stick to your guns. You want neither (the opposite of) a busman’s holiday nor premature burnout.
That said, you might consider some other self-contained sped classes, like cross cat. And a lot of formerly-Resource-pull-out teachers now, instead, work in a push-in or co-teaching model. Then you’d get the whole magillah!
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