First Day!!!

I spent Labor Day mentally preparing for not working on the first day of school. It's one of those days that is a little tough for me; a stark reminder that I don't have my own classroom. And really, who calls a sub on the first day of school? So, I purposefully did not pack a lunch, I did not pack my bag, I did not set an early alarm. When my alarm did go off at 8:15, I mused that high schools were welcoming freshman for a 2-hour orientation before the upperclassmen showed up, rolled over, and went back to sleep.

Well, about 30 minutes later, my phone rings and it's a secretary from SHS, where I did my student teaching a few years ago. Apparently, they need someone to teach art for some vague reason. When I arrived I got the story from my former mentor teacher in the art department: the school started a digital media class, hired some graphic designer from California, and then found out late last week (as the district office was closing down for Labor Day weekend) that he couldn't make it in time for the school year to start - in fact, not for maybe 2 or 3 weeks. The school called up the retired teacher (Mr. U) who had built the computer lab from the ground up to come in and sub, the problem was that he hasn't been teaching for 2 1/2 years so his paperwork wasn't in order to be a teacher again. So, they called me. Luckily Mr. U is a devoted educator and came in for 1st period on his own time to help me set up, start up the server, go over the proposed lesson plans. I did the rest of the morning (it is a half day gig) and found out that they will need me for the rest of the week until all of Mr. U's paperwork (and re-fingerprinting and all that jazz) can go through. So, in the first month these kids will have 3 teachers!