Substitute Teachers Lounge

Substitute Teacher: Babysitter, Interactor, or Mesmerizer?

October 30, 2021 Greg Collins Episode 128
Substitute Teachers Lounge
Substitute Teacher: Babysitter, Interactor, or Mesmerizer?
Show Notes Transcript

What are tips you can use to substitute teach, whether your style is babysitter, interactor, or mesmerizer?

Greg:

Ah, that's a clip from one of my favorite songs of all time and it makes me think of this as a substitute teacher. Are you a babysitter and interactor or a mesmerised? Regardless, we've got some information for you today. Alright, it's Greg Collins, welcome to This Week substitute teachers lounge, I think we got an interesting topic. It is based on a poll posted this week on our substitute teachers lounge group page that, again, is growing everyday, I hope you get to be a part of that it's easy to find substitute teachers lounge. I'm going to look at it right now. And share with you the poll asked, and then I'll let you be thinking Are you a babysitter and enter actor or a mesmerised her? And I'll tell you, I'm going to define those for you right now. And I'll as I read these topics, be guessing how you think our voting has gone so far. Here was my question. He was the poll I created on the group page. As a substitute teacher, do you prefer the first one, work assignments organized enough that I basically just have to babysit the students? That was the first choice. Be thinking about that, see if you fall into that category, and we'll talk to you here in just a moment, and be thinking about what percentage of the boat you think went that way. The second one, work assignments that are organized, but still require me to play an interactive role with the students. We'll call that the interactor. Okay. That is where they work assignments are very organized, but maybe you do have to read to them a little bit. Maybe you have to explain some math, maybe you have to go over the regular teachers key and help explain some to them. That's the interactor then the last one. This is work assignments that don't take the entire time for the students to complete so that I can do my own stuff, too. That was the third choice that would be the mesmerize, or where if you run out of things that the teacher has left you, you're prepared, you know some things you can do to maybe mesmerize or surprise the students or get the students to ask how do you do that? That's the mesmerize are. We're going to go through all of these. So be thinking now and I'll tell you the results of the vote. Are you a babysitter, an inter actor or a mesmerised? Now, me, I'll tell you which one I voted for. I voted for the mesmerize or category work assignments that don't take the entire time for the students to complete. So I could do some of my own stuff. I like doing that. That's why I always keep some stuff in my back pocket. We'll talk about that here in a minute. The number one vote getter was work assignments that are organized but still require me to play an interactive role with the students that was by far, that's the interactor. That was by far, far, the number one voted for choice, that choice received 85% of the vote. So I like that a lot of you like to go into the class and not just sit there. But being activated. You know, the teacher leaves you nice prepared things that's going to take the whole class, but it does require you to interact with the students. So you get to know them, they got 85% of the vote. In second place with 10% of the vote is the one out voted for work assignments that don't take the entire time for the students to complete so I can do my own stuff. That's kind of my personality. I like to be able to do that like to debate I like to joke around I like to do magic tricks. I like to do all kinds of stuff like that. Tell extra stories that really maybe have nothing to do with the class. Or maybe they do have something with the class. But that is the one I voted for that receive 10% of the vote and down at the bottom and the one we'll start with first is work assignments organized enough that I basically just have to babysit The students that's getting about 5% of the vote, go over to substitute teachers lounge group page and chime in their vote on that topic. We're gonna talk about the baby sitter first. Now, you're going to say, Greg, do you think wanting to be just a babysitter is wrong? And I'll answer it like this. That would be wrong for me. I can't really say whether it's wrong for you to not, I think it's based on each teacher's personality, what they are comfortable doing. The classes, they're comfortable teaching, maybe you're even I didn't even think about that until we were talking about it. Now. Maybe you're a babysitter in one class because you're more uncomfortable with the topic or the class even. And then maybe you're in interact or in another class where you feel very knowledgeable where you feel very comfortable with the group you're teaching. That makes you an interactor in that group. And then maybe you're so comfortable that you'd like to inject certain ideas. So I guess really, you could go through all three of these categories in the same day. Let me talk to you babysitters first. Now, granted, if you did a word search, and by the way, there's a lot of these episodes are on transcripts. Now, if you'd rather read it that way, or if you have difficulty hearing the episode, they all have transcripts. Now if you go to the tab that says transcript, you can see those and read it. But you've heard me say if you search for the word baby sit, I don't think I have said a positive thing about a teacher who babysits the students since this podcast has begun. Now that's a little unfair, because there are legitimate reasons or legitimate people that they're just more comfortable with. And in this category, can there be negative babysitters, and positive babysitters? And yes, they there can, you know, probably the thing that is the is you have to babysit the student is maybe when the teacher left you a test to hand out. Obviously, if that test takes the entire period, you can't do much more than babysit those students. But even outside of that, if you're in a situation where you're going to be the babysitter, you're going to go in and just sit while the students do their work. Now, this has become more popular in the last two years. This is October 31, Halloween 2021. When this episode comes out, we've just gone through several months of coding COVID protocol of various different levels. In fact, I'll mention right now that our school board has now decided our rates are so low have dropped so much in the COVID arena, thank goodness for that, that as of November 8, we will make mask optional in the schools where I substitute teach my choice, I'm going to go without a mask. I don't plan to offend anybody. I never have I've never spoken up either side, there's times over the last 12 months that I want to have a mask on all the time. There's times when I thought enough was enough. But either way, I respect you for what you believe. But that's what changing in our area, the babysitter, the teacher that likes to just go in and babysit. That's okay. But let me give you an example of what not to do. I've shared this before. But this is such a strong example. Even the students that weren't in the class heard about this, there was a substitute teacher that once came into a class, turn his back to the class. He told them that their work was on Google Classroom. And that's that was my point. A lot of works on Google Classroom. Now maybe you can't do much more than babysit. But in his case, he sat down in the teachers chair, turn his back to the students put his earbuds in, listen to music and didn't interact with them at all. And there were some teenagers that walked by the classroom doors. Our doors have small, vertical narrow windows in them. There's ways we can cover that up if need be. But most of the time we leave that open and you can walk by and see the students and the teacher inside. And they noticed that the teacher always had their back to the students so they told the principal, so the principal went by knocked on the door substitute teacher never turned around. Obviously principal had his own key to the door. So he walks in, calls the substitute teacher by name, never turned around, he proceeded to walk over to the desk, bang his fist on the desk and with his knuckles until he finally got that substitute teacher to turn around. Now, as I understand the substitute teacher didn't act embarrassed, he just turned around and gave him the look like, Yeah, well, I don't know what the principal said to him. Don't want to know, they did let him finish the day, but he hasn't been asked back. So that is the evil babysitter, please don't be like this. Even if you're a substitute teacher, even if you're just using it as a stepping stone. Even if you're just going to do it for a few days, you owe it to those kids, to be a proper babysitter style be setting there, they need to know that you think they're important. If even if you're a babysitter, I would encourage you to always get up and walk around, who knows, you may be able to help out with something they're doing on their work, something there, maybe the problems they're working on, maybe you'll see a story they're reading, and you can relate one of your stories, and all of a sudden, you're moving from a babysitter up to the next level up to the interactor. And you're interacting with the students. It's okay to be a babysitter, if that's who you are. That's not me. But everybody doesn't have my personality, you know, from this podcast, that I've got a strong, outgoing, joking around personality. And I that's just who I am. Everybody's not like that. I understand. But at least if you fall into the babysitter category, make sure that you are at least there for your students, and they know that you care about them, and that they're comfortable and coming up and ask you a question if need be. Alright, the inter actor, you know, this, like I said, this got 85% of the vote. By far the majority of our substitute teachers fall into this category. Now, maybe that's a little bit of a misnomer, because let's face it, you guys that are listening to the podcast, you wouldn't be here, if you didn't care about substitute teachings, the ones that don't care, they're not looking for a podcast. They're not looking for ways to improve, and interact or wants to get better all the time. Here's what I picture and interacted to be, I don't care. If the assignment is all Google Classroom, I don't care if the assignment is all paper on their desk, but figure out ways to interact with those students. Sometimes you're forced into it. I know that I've had to read a Robert Frost poem before, I think it's called trees. And those of you that's actually a fairly popular poem. Those of you that, know that poem know that it's, you know, it's symbolic for death. And I was doing that in a sixth grade middle school class one time, and I was reading it to them, and we got to talking about the interpretation, the teacher had wanted me to read it to them. That teacher knew me, I assumed that regardless of who the substitute teacher would have been that day that she would have still requested them to read it, maybe not. But I get the impression that whoever would have been in there would have read it to them, we read it. We talked about what it meant, how it symbolizes death. And it really led to a great conversation because they ended up talking about cremation and funerals, and how maybe some people that are cremated one at their passing to be a celebration of life, and all those kinds of things. And it was really a beautiful conversation. If I didn't choose to interact with those students. You know, maybe the babysitter would have just said, All right, each student read a paragraph or a stanza, whatever you call it in a poem, a verse. You know, maybe they would have had them read it and interactor reads to them, discusses with them leads the discussion, you know what that means? That means that maybe you're a discussion starter, you throw out some points that will make the discussion important. And those kids will love you for you or all of a sudden interact or you are talking to them all the time. Even if the assignment is not based that way. You can walk around, see what they're doing and insert your stories, your help wherever you need be. One of my favorite stories, if you've heard about the Triangle factory fire. You know, it was really the catastrophe in this country that led to all of our fire code, things like doors that open in a safe way, and safety locks and all those kinds of things. It's an interesting study. I've actually read a book since then about that. So, the triangle fire, we read that one day and an eighth grade class, and we really had a good discussion about how it changed the country. That's what the inter actor does. They get involved, they interact with those students, these students need you. And it doesn't change. You know, what there's been a lot of good discussion on our, again, our substitute teachers lounge group page on Facebook this week about some that are stepping out of their comfort zone. And I just read one where they're used to teaching middle school and high school, and they did have one of those available on one day, and they took a second grade class, and they were really nervous about it. But then post it after they got back from it. It turns out, they had a little bit of help, because there was a co teacher in the class, but they really thought it was refreshing. And I tell all those people that teach elementary school, including my wife, who's now retired, that, man, I admire you guys so much, because I don't think I can do it. High school, middle school, those are the levels that I want. And most people would tell me, I don't want to teach though. So there's different parts of us everywhere. We all like to interact. I like to interact, I think with the older students, because you can have really interesting juicy conversations about the country about things that come up in maybe civics class, or maybe you're talking about world history and some of the wars we've been involved with, they have opinions about those, and I love to hear those. So 85% of the people that voted in the poll put themselves in that category, the category of an inter actor, where they read to the students, and interacted with the students, and shared stories with the students and everything they could possibly do to get closer to those students as the periods progressed. Then the last category, the mesmerizes, 10% of those out there. I hesitate to say that I'm in that category, because I'm not sure I've ever mesmerised. Anyway, I just wanted to use that word because I thought it was catchy. And I was putting together a playlist I was dating playlist on my phone last night, and I was playing that song that you heard at the beginning of the show. And I said, Man, mesmerised That's a cool name I'm going to use that I would say a mesmerize or is an interactor plus. And I mean it by this, you've always got topics in your back pocket. It's one of my favorite phrases to say you've got activities in your back pocket, that your symbolic back pocket, that you're you not only have to fill in time, if the material doesn't take the whole class, you not only have that, you want to share that you're hoping that there's time left at the end of the class so you can do your own stuff, you can show the kids some interesting things. Maybe related to the class, you know, I'm a big Kahoot fan. So you'll always be able to find a Kahoot based on the topic you're talking about, that's already been created and is out there for you to play with the students. But then there's other things you can do, especially in a math class, there is a magic magic math trick, I guess I'll say for lack of anything, any better way to describe it, that every time I do it in a class, they are mesmerized, they really, they can't believe that I did what I just did that I predicted something that I just predict it. There's no good way to describe it to you, other than maybe creating a video so I think I'll create a short video on how to do it. And I'll have it on there sometimes next week. Basically, here's how it works. I tell the students to give me a four digit number I write it down on the whiteboard in the classroom. I then write a another number of my own on a piece of paper folded up and hand it to a student. Then I give them another pick another student to give me another four digit number they do so then I write down a four digit number my own. Then I have them pick one more four digit number, and then I write one more four digit number. Okay, so you've got five four digit numbers. I'd do this quick, so that there's no way that I could be adding them up in my head, then I tell them to get out their phones, get out their calculators, add all five of those four digit numbers up, they do. And then I have that student open the piece of paper. And the number I've written down at the beginning, just after the first number, is the number that those five numbers add up to, I'll create a video I'll try to have it on the substitute teachers lounge, Facebook group, by maybe Tuesday, we'll see how my time goes. This is the state tournament volleyball weekend, Kentucky this week. So I'll be tied up with that some. So let's talk about those mesmerizes. You've got some stuff, some jokes, some funny stories about you, or maybe even stories you make up that you insert your own names into. So it seems like something that you experience, that's okay. But you're going to share all those, you're going to do things that mesmerised those students. They're going to say, Man, that was a great story. You know, the class that I taught at the beginning of the year, seven weeks, that was a biomedical class, I run into those students all the time. And, and I say, you know, how's your class going? Are you finally learning something, I don't feel that I taught you very much, or that I was knowledgeable enough to help you with that topic. And they said, Mr. College, we are learning a lot more now. But they say we really miss you. In that class, we like the way you interacted with us. And the current teacher does too. But I'm probably more about a sarcastic Joker and I, I share tricks and jokes in the class, I try to come up with ways to mesmerize the students, there are a lot of you that are out there to me that that Facebook group, again, share the stories that you share with each other, maybe we can, I would love to have enough story share there that we could make an episode just about your ways that you mesmerized the students, the tricks that you use, the stories that you shared, the different ways that you not only interacted with them, but things that you had 10 minutes left at the end of the class, and you will able to share. Now I'll be honest, when I first started substitute teaching, I did a lot of debating. And it's funny, what the only reason I got into that is because my first class, the teacher had some little student weekly magazines up front. And there was a good debate topic on there about whether your parents or your guardian should be able to use live 360 and trace you everywhere that you go. Interestingly enough, the majority of the students said yes, I've taught that I've shared that topic with our students everywhere. I continue to do it. It's a popular topic all of the last three years. So I got into debating that way. I like to have a few minutes at the end of class where they can debate each other. I like to have them maybe sometimes I'll hand out a survey and say happy? Well, if you had to create the perfect substitute teacher, how would you do it? What would you tell them you would prefer them to do? What would you tell them you would prefer them to not do knowing that not making you do your work? That's not a possibility. But I always like to improve myself as a substitute teacher and get it in print. And those kids talk about me they see you know, they they're glad to have Mr. Collins in the class today. They know I'm going to try to do something interesting after they get their work done. So whether you're a babysitter and interactor or a mesmerised. There is a place for you in substitute teaching. I hope all of you take this episode and learn not just to ignore the students but regardless of which type of substitute teacher you are, be the best one that you can be