Back to School

After being out of the classroom for a year and a half, I went back today to sub for a teacher friend. I have to admit that 20 years as a classroom teacher under my belt didn't keep me from being a little nervous. I know full-well what subs go through. I've heard the stories from the students and the subs and it's tough on everyone. I had a brief sub experience. It actually came several years into my teaching career. I was unable to start the 90-91 school year because I was on maternity leave, and my class was placed in the capable hands of a certified longterm sub. What I didn't realize was that the students saw her as their teacher. They didn't even know me. So when I started in mid-October, I was basically the sub. I can't count how many times the kids told me, "That's not the way Mrs. So and So does it." I barely knew Mrs. So and So, and I have to tell you, I didn't like her. She had sabotaged me! I know that's a little unfair, but you have to remember, I had a new baby, I was still a little hormone crazy, the students hated me, and I felt perfectly justified in blaming all my problems on Mrs. So and So. Things did not get better. However, heaven finally dealt me a card I could play. In December, 2 months into my prison sentence, I saw an interesting little tidbit on the Atlanta news. A convenience store had been robbed; that's not the interesting part. Get ready...here it is...the clerk being interviewed on TV was none other than expert teacher Mrs. So and So. The next time my class hailed her as the Classroom Queen, I threw that out there at them; their precious one was out of the business. And suddenly, I was back behind the podium, Mrs. So and So was safely out of the way selling lottery tickets, and once again I was Queen!