Substitute Teacher

Seems like people around here wear many hats.  With a smaller population, you could say there are fewer resources to draw from, but I think because there are fewer people, the talents of those who are here are given more opportunity to shine.

In addition to my Financial Counselor job in Chester, I am also an occasional substitute teacher at the local high school.  I don't purport to have any skills, talents, or native ability at teaching, and I certainly don't have any training, but that's the beauty of a small town-- any of us who shows an interest can have an opportunity to help.

I offered to add myself to the sub list for North Star Schools back in August, before I knew I would be starting work in Chester three days a week.  At that time, I thought it would be my only source of income, in addition to the farming and ranching Jeff and I have.  Once I started working in Chester in September, the days I was available to sub were reduced to just Mondays and Fridays.  With that, I have subbed four times at the high school.

The first time I subbed was for a Teacher's Aide/Supplemental Instruction teacher.  I basically supervised study hall for 8 periods.  The kids were good and kept to their work for the most part.

The next time, I subbed for the Shop and PE teacher.  That was kind of fun-- I enjoyed leading a few PE classes, and I found Shop to be really interesting, too.  I walked around and touched base with different groups of kids. One group was working on welding, another on deconstructing an engine, and the third was painting a new podium they had built together.  I think at first they thought I was patronizing them by asking questions about what they were doing, but then they seemed to realize that my knowledge for shop-related activities is very minimal, and I was actually genuinely interested.  Once they saw my interest, they were quite enthusiastic to explain what they were doing, which was neat.

The third time I subbed, I was in for one of the Math teachers.  Again, this subject is not at all an area of expertise for me, but this teacher had left assignments for the kids to work on, and for the most part, they were respectful of me and each other.

This past Friday was my fourth sub day. This time I was in the Kitchen.  Yes, I was a lunch lady!  I spent my morning frosting maple donuts for breakfast, then filling small cups with peanut butter and salsa, to be used at lunch.  I also prepped the salad bar. Then, it was lunch time and the rest of my shift was spent washing dishes.  I usually enjoy cooking, so it was interesting to see what cooking on a much larger scale would be like.  The best part of my day, however, was when the kids would return their trays to be watched.  Almost all of them said Thank You when placing their trays on the counter.  I really appreciated how courteous they were!  I said You're Welcome and Have a Good Afternoon to as many of them as I could on their way out the door.

I have been thinking a lot about my job in Chester lately. It's certainly not going to be viable in the long run. So, I am already thinking of different occupations I can have, and maybe it's enough to just be on the farm, helping out.  Additionally, subbing is giving me great insight into whether or not I may want to get a teaching degree and work at the school.  At this point, we are liking what little income I get from my job as well as the health benefits that come with it, but it's never too early to look toward the future.