Just a note to address the gap in posts. For the last nine weeks, I’ve been doing a long-term substitute gig at the middle school where I taught for six years, and which my kids attended. It was fun being back in the middle school classroom again for a while! I taught about weathering and erosion (for way too long), fossils, geologic time, and genetics.
I was covering a maternity leave for the 6th and 7th grade science teacher. It was in the room next door to my old room. I had been away for about four years, and my colleagues caught me more than once trying to go in the wrong room! Old habits die hard.
I began to think of myself as the Substitute Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, because of the history of this particular classroom. In 12 years of existence, 13 different people have been the teacher (or long-term sub) in this room. They left for a lot of different reasons — moving away, “resigning,” changing schools, getting a better (for them) assignment at this school, and now motherhood. The new mom intends to come back in the fall, though, which will be a new record tenure. I was glad to do my shift, and glad to have choices. I don’t know what it is about that room. It brings change to anyone who teaches in it!
Photo: Pottermore
Hopefully, I’ll get back to writing soon!