First Year Teaching Placement: Day Four

          Today was more slow than the other days, and a little boring? I don't want to say that it was boring, but it was definitely less eventful than the other days, and I was feeling particularly tired (I mean it's Thursday, I'm allowed to feel tired right?) Anyway, we started the day off with a science discussion about water conservation and ways to save water. Then the students were sent to their desk with the task of inventing their own water conserving products, and I saw some funny things like car washes and showers that reuse water, and mind-powered T.Vs, and the most hilarious one was a toilet that creates flags every time you flush it, haha! That kid is obsessed with flags and soccer and anything of that sort clearly. Next was Roots of Empathy and I don't really know too much about what that is, all I know is that a lady comes in and speaks to the children about mindfulness and that sort of stuff. The teacher doesn't seem to like her and neither do the students because she's "mean" apparently and she is demanding, but I didn't get to witness her teaching so I can't really form an opinion. But during the time I talked to her, she seemed alright, and she told me that her daughter goes to the same university as me for commerce, but yeah. Cool I guess? I don't know.  So during that time I just went to the staff room and printed, cut, and stapled stacks of paper to make little booklets which was a repetitive task but oddly relieving. (Maybe because I was finally able to sit down for once, haha)
        Now it was lunch and the teachers had a union meeting which I wasn't allowed to sit in on so I sat by myself in the staff lunch room and when I finished I just stapled the rest of the booklets and went back to the class. And while I was stapling and stuff, the other substitute teachers were talking about, get this, public transit for like half an hour! I couldn't believe that they had formed such opinions about that and they just kept going on and on about it, and I was like so that's what teachers talk about. Also, my water bottle spilled in my bag today so that sucked because it made all my stuff damp. Ugh.
        After lunch it was library so I helped a student pick some books about drawing and a cookbook which was fun. I like when the students can approach me and ask for my help because it makes me feel important and wanted, and that they actually like me. After that I watched some students watch a YouTube video about Shopkins (these little animal toys) which was interesting. It's like a big thing in elementary school, and a huge deal. Like all the kids are collecting them these days. Last period was prep so I watched Miss. Anderson and another teacher plan for the rest of the year and it was literally like how I make lesson plans for swimming. Except that they have vague instructions and expectations from the outline and they have to make their own ideas and subjects to teach. But nonetheless it was very similar to what I'm used to doing, so that kind of surprised me. Also, she showed me her book that she published about her quadriplegic brother and that was quite sad, but it really showed a lot about herself and how they overcame this problem and live a very positive life, quite inspirational actually. Yeah that's pretty much the day, not too eventful, but tomorrow should be fun because we have a guest coming in for wood shop. Yay!

Until next time!
Suzy Zhang