I went for a roving sub position in elementary today. Each teacher had a 1/2 hour meeting with the principal, some of which went longer. It was crazy. Every grade K-5, some were very simple, but it was exhausting! Never in all my years have I roved in more than 6 classes.
I can't imagine how I could handle 12 classes and remain sane! I went in the other day and went from class to class I think I visited 4 - and at the end of the day, I was like NEVER again will I accept this. Getting to know the kids and reading the plans (if they are any) is too much when its done multiple times throughout the day. On those days, I feel like there is no respect for us - as we are thrown around.
I like it! I like the fact that I'm only in the room an hour. If there are misbehaviors I only have to deal for a short time, and that's only time for one or two subjects, which they have to keep simple since I don't have time to read many instructions. No supervision. I've never done 12 though! I have done 6, I do it once every two months.
I find being on time is most difficult. When the teacher is even a little late coming back from the meeting, you know the next teacher is likely standing in her doorway ready to get her meeting started. But the meeting till the current one leaves. Since most of these classrooms have assistants, if the teacher is late, I get the assistant reading a story or two, and go on to the next one on my schedule, on time. When that teacher shows up at the office, the late teacher will leave. If there is no assistant, I ask the teacher what she wants me to do if her meeting runs late, and I will buzz the next teacher on my schedule to let her know.
At the highs chool. They were giving tests to all the juniors and I had to cover in 15 min blocks. There were already proctors in the rooms and I was told I did nt' have to be involved in the testing in any way I was simply there as a matter of state law ratios. So I went room to room reading my book I had brought. It sounds easy but actually I didn't enjoy it much or my book so I wouldnt' want to do that often. lol
The secretary had told me not to worry about the teachers being late, just go to the next class as each teacher returned. One teacher was gone an hour, meaning I missed my scheduled break, though I made sure to take my time to use the restroom and eat my snack. Lunch was also cut short. It wasn't bad, just tiring!
I did a 12/12 last week. Boy was I tired! No breaks, no lunch only lots of thinking on my feet to 5 different grades on 2 floors. It was a great day though. Lots of variety and no dull moments. I do the "floater" gig quite often as I really like the changes within the day. It does not, however, give me a chance to really teach much in a 1/2 to 3/4 hour. The secretary does appreciate me though and I am the "go to" person who doesn't mind being picked on all day. I do get call backs for this once in a while torture.
Whoa!! I have been a floater before but never in 12 different classes... I think I have done 6 in one day and came home exhausted. Sometimes, I like being a floater, it makes the day go quickly, but I don't do it too often because it is exhausting. Put your feet up! You deserve it
when I had a student teacher (oh yes...now you get to be a sub at the drop of a hat). My principal was meeting with teachers for the yearly eval and I was in each room for 1/2 hr. It was fun but also exhausting! I slept really well that night!!!
I was a roving sub for 18 classes in one day last year. Most were VERY short. Some classes as short as 15mins none more than 30mins. I even had time for a long lunch. It was kinda fun.
The school was required to audit each teachers proof of dependents for medical insurance coverage.
I do roving usually once or twice a month. We have a centralized elementary school here with 8-10 classes of each level. I usually fill in 20 - 40 minutes each classroom. I don't mind since most of the teachers leave just a little activity to keep us going through that time.
What I DO mind is when the teacher leaves me something crazy - like the time a Kindergarten teacher left me to put sparkles on the projects of 15 students - individually with each child. So I had to keep the class of 5 year olds going and on task plus work smearing glue with my finger and the student's - then get it all cleaned up - All in a half and hour - sighhhhhhh!
I was on a "float" again today. Thank goodness, it was only 3 different classes. The only problems arose when the regular teachers were in the building and in and out of the class. I found out how territorial they can get. I was giving a test to 4/5 graders. I kept them going and put a time limit on the completion of the test. Most had been done with it, easily 15 minutes before I started saying, "Only 5 more minutes". The regular teacher had come into the room just as I said this and I thought I had committed a mortal sin, for putting a time limit on this open book test. I complied and the rest of the class, got nothing done for another 30 minutes or so. I left at that point, so I don't know if the class spent the entire rest of the day, waiting on kids who had no more completed answers than they did back at the 5 minute warning. That kind of ticks me off when I take over the class and for the time I'm there, I accept the responsibility for the class, but I run the show. Boy, it didn't happen today. This was extremely frustrating to say the least.
So I finally experienced being a floater and mine happened to be for 10 teachers but I changed room 12 times. They had IEP meetings so whenever one would come back I would go to the next. It wasn't too bad but I prefer staying in one room all day!
11-03-2009, 10:05 PM
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