random encounters

"Who would I know here?" I asked myself, as I walked past the windows towards the office of an unfamiliar school.

But my name was called out again...

I looked up, as someone behind dark glass windows frantically pushed one open into the falling snow.

Ah, it's C---- one of my old classmates from PSU. And now it's coming back to me--this is the school she told me she was at on a long-term assignment. Finally my not-fully-functioning brain makes the connection.

I go into the office and find the sub folder, then go look for her. Usually the only person I run into while subbing is another classmate, B----. This is an unexpected treat.

This, if anything, is a lesson on having an open mind while subbing. I'm gradually learning that as time goes by. While I would strongly prefer not to be driving all over town; while I would like to not venture over to the mysterious and foreboading "west side" (where I tend to get lost frequently); this is something I need to get over. This is a lesson that sometimes you should take a chance and try new things. I, of all people, needd to get out more. It really won't hurt me to break free from the comfortable and familiar. Usually the results are positive.

I took this Friday job that came in on Thursday evening because I was feeling lazy. I've been feeling lazy all week, and all I wanted on Thursday night was not to have to get up at 5am on a Friday morning. So I took this easy-sounding (except for the commute) paraeducator gig at a middle school. Sure, I probably could have landed something more lucrative if I was willing to wait until Friday morning, but I just couldn't bring myself to go for it. So I took the first thing that came across my desk.

I'm glad I did too. The day had a lot of my favorite ingredients for subbing. I actually got to do some instruction. I got to help people work on their English assignments. I got to work one-on-one with some ELLs. I got to work with some really nice adults too. The kids were awesome. I picked up some good ideas (using your eSIS printouts as sign-in sheets and having the kids do their own weekly attendance), and some organizational moves. I ran into two familiar faces: a classmate, and a kid I know from Beaverton (I thought it was cute that he said hi). And did I mention the kids were really nice and helpful (I only had one kid all day who was rude to me)? (One thing I've noticed is that even as a sub, kids are often surprisingly helpful, but the kids at this school were more helpful and considerate than average). So anyway, you could say it all worked out pretty nicely. The only bad thing that happened all day is I kept getting lost because it was a really big (and confusing) school.

Believe it or not, subbing is often pretty fun. And today was one of those days where it was mostly fun.