Today

I've been substituting in Middle School for a couple months now. It can be awesome, rewarding, and really challenging, in a good way. Other days, like today, it's really hard and frustrating. I had a kid 2nd period and he was a really bad kid. It started with the typical disruptions; not completing his work, talking out of turn (nonstop), wandering the room, annoying other students, etc. This is when I moved his seat to the front to "isolate" him. He believed I had done this for no reason, and that the teacher must have left his name on the list of "kids to watch out for" and this was the only reason I had moved his seat. I explained he was very wrong, there was no list, his name appeared nowhere, and the seat relocation was a direct result of his behavior. After going back and forth a couple times, asking him to please stop moving the desk, to leave it where I had put it, to please get to work, to please be quiet, the other students finally started chiming in asking him to "just stop". Then he started making remarks to and about me, in front of the class. "You're a miserable person and I bet 100% of the people you've ever met or friends you've ever had absolutely hate you." This I wasn't going to take. I'm a pretty strong person and I take a lot of crap from these kids on most days. Thankfully I didn't cry. Maybe I was being too sensitive and taking it too personally, but that's just disrespect. I like to think that I'm a relatively "cool" and "easygoing" substitute, most of the time. I'm only 11-14 years older than the students, I avoid frumpy teacher outfits at all costs (I do think appearance matters somewhat because we are their role models), and we even have some of the same interests, SOME. Oh, and my last name is "Ireland" and they pretty much think it's the sweetest thing they've ever heard. "Are you from Ireland?" I need a witty response to this question that comes at least 4 times each day. Anyway, off topic. But that was the morning. I got worked up, started sweating a bit, but eventually went on with my day. Then comes the afternoon. I'm on hall duty and a student (special needs) comes busting out the door from a classroom across the hall. His teacher is essentially wrestling to get him back inside. He gets loose and I can see at this point being the younger, more agile "adult" in the situation that I should probably step in. He's off so I therefore burst into a full jog after him, the other teacher sort of hobbling behind us. He's getting faster, and faster, at this point thinking it's funny he's got two teachers chasing him. After keeping my speed under control (in the back of my head constantly thinking "no running in the hallways") I pick it up to a full sprint to catch him. I wish I could get the video footage because I'm sure it looked like quite the circus act. Anyway, I catch him. He's complaining his ear hurts, but apparently he's been complaining for a while and the doctor's appointment isn't until later so there's nothing to do at the moment. I say to take a deep breath and take a drink of water, my go-to any time a kid gets upset. He's then hysterically crying, coming in for the hug, and to wipe his tears on my shoulder. He gets a drink of water and we walk back to the classroom arm in arm. ANyway, pointless post, but something I wanted to document. It was a day for the books... or at least the "substituting books"