A Recent Choice

I was called for a two-day substitute assignment in a kindergarten classroom this week.  I was a bit skeptical about taking a job during the first couple weeks of school, but I figured that beggars can't be choosers.  Those two days were very long days.  I spent most of the time putting out fires brought on by lack of social skills.  After that experience, I decided that I am not going to take any more jobs, regardless of grade, this week or next week. 

I made this decision for three reasons.  First, coming in as a substitute is a change, and it doesn't matter what age kids are, they don't deal well with change.  It doesn't matter how detailed the substitute plans are, I can't do things exactly the same way their teacher does things.  Throwing change at them during the first few weeks of school while they are still adjusting to a new routine will not end well.  Secondly, because I'm a change, I want to keep as many things the same as I can, including the behavior/discipline plan.  Regardless of whether I'm comfortable with it or not, I have to stick with what the teacher has set up.  Again, that won't necessarily end well.  Third, I don't know the students.  That is true for the whole year, but it's even worse at the beginning of the year.  The teacher may not know his/her students well enough yet to give a heads-up about possible behavior issues that I might encounter. 

Even as I'm writing this, I feel like it's a justification for being lazy, not working.  I know these are decent reasons, though, and I'm choosing to not make my life miserable.  I need the assignments to pay the bills, but I also don't want to develop an ulcer by the time I turn 30.