Just Plain Bill

Observations of a Substitute Teacher XII

Grades

Every time I moved over the past seven decades, I ran across my report cards from high school. They serve as a reminder of my abilities, my performance, and most importantly, my lack of application of my intelligence.

As a public school student, I did not apply myself. I got by on my natural abilities, rarely did homework, and never established good study habits. In addition to my lassez-faire attitude, my behavior was borderline delinquent, talking far too much, and trying to be funny by making corny comments. Most all my grades in citizenship were near failing, which contributed to my poor standing as a student.

I did graduate from high school and immediately entered college, where I spent an uneventful year before joining the Marine Corps. (When I left I was on academic probation.)

I can see myself in many of the students I’ve been working with as a substitute teacher over the past 18 months, and can relate to their far too casual attitude towards school. I can’t recall any teacher intervention that ever tried to re-direct me towards a more responsible learning path in school. In short, it really didn’t seem important to me.

When I encounter students I’m teaching who happen to be less than engaged, or not responding at the level I believe they should, I mention my personal experiences, provide specific direction concerning measured and understood “baby steps”, and recognize they celebrate any accomplishments that exceed their usual expectations.

(It took the intervention of a fellow wrestler in college to sit with me and share just how “study habits” worked for him. After that I was a near straight “A” student.)

You’ll notice I don’t refer to the commonly used term “potential”. The reason for that is this term was used indiscriminately with me as I was growing up, seemingly as a weapon, when in reality no one knew just what my potential was. I surely didn’t know. In my mind I was doing the best I could with what I had.

I favor the term “capacity”, as I can discuss with my students how much, or what they can do differently with where they are at a particular time.

I’ll be expanding further on my philosophy concerning one’s “potential” versus one’s “capacity.”

Just Plain Bill

Observations of a Substitute Teacher XI

Queue

One thing that hasn’t changed a bit in schools over the years is young students lining up and moving from one location to another in some sort of line. This became especially evident the other day when I observed six classes moving from one location to another on my campus.

During this movement by more than 150 youngsters, ranging in age from five to ten, they were accompanied by strident commands such as “stay in line”, “stop talking”, “slow down”, and “keep your hands to yourself.”

As my students were relatively “under control” as we moved from our classroom to the lunchroom, it struck me that this movement was very similar to the movement of my charges when working as a probation officer in a juvenile facility during my college days.

Accompanying this flash of memory was the question asked by one student, “Mr. Bill, why do we always have to stay in line?” After pondering this common question, I must admit I couldn’t provide an answer that would make sense to my charges, or to me for that matter. 

Of course excessive noise is the most common reason, but other than that, I couldn’t think of an answer that would stand the test of debate.

Throughout my four decades of teaching children of all ages, I’ve never found a response to my student’s question that is based on educational theory, children’s natural tendencies, or pedagogical principle.

What do you think?

Just Plain Bill

Teacher Observations X

Did you ever write notes in school?

Did you ever pass notes in school? I know I did, and I usually got caught. What followed was usually having the teacher read the contents of the note, followed by laughter, and then having the teacher either sitting me in the corner (that reveals my generation), sending me to the office, or calling my mom – or all of the above. 

It’s now many years later and I am in the teacher’s role. Written below is a note I recently “obtained” in class, written on a post-it note, and exchanged between two nine-year old boys:

“Please fill out job test.

How hard is math for you?

A. I don’t understand anything!!!

B. Normal, it’s okay.

C. Easy.

D.I finish my math in one second.

Do you like speaking in front of many people?

A. I don’t like to talk at all.

B. If I have to.

C. I’m fine with it.

D.I would love to.

Are you brave?

A. I’m a coward

B. Some times

C. Mostly

D.Yea, I’m a daredevil!”

This is not at all what I expected when I intercepted the note last week. A job test? Kind of tame, and I chuckled after giving them my “stink eye.”

Just Plain Bill

What does it take to be a fan?

Ever since I was young, I remember being a sports fan, both a collegiate and professional sports fanatic. Countless hours of my youth were spent listening to Notre Dame football, and the Oakland Oaks minor league baseball teams on the radio. (No TV for many years.)  I listened to Notre Dame since they were the only team with national radio coverage. The Oakland Oaks games were broadcast by Bud Foster, who would use the Teletype feed and some sound effects to broadcast the away games played by the Oaks of the Pacific Coast League.

The Oaks of my youth featured Casey Stengel as their manager, Billy Martin at shortstop, and the DiMaggio brothers playing for the Oaks Bay Area rivals, the San Francisco Seals. It was a great time for my imagination and reality!

For many years, the Oakland A’s have wanted to leave town, the Raiders are ready to leave town – after leaving for LA once before, and the wonderful Golden State Warriors are getting ready to leave their home of many years in Oakland for a splendiferous new stadium in the distant borders of San Francisco – a facility not even as large as the stadium in Oakland, which has been sold out for years and years.

Unfortunately, the new reality I’m faced with is my favorite major league baseball team continually threatening to move elsewhere, my favorite professional football team is moving to Las Vegas, and my favorite professional basketball team is moving into a new stadium miles away.

So, what’s in it for the fan? Does loyalty net out to only being able to pay big bucks to attend games?

I guess I’ll continue to attend as many football and basketball games at my favorite college, the University of California, but I’ll sure miss the opportunity to enrich my sports attendance from my favorite professional teams.