Why Write About My Substitute Experience?

I've decided to start this blog because of all the craziness that I have encountered as a substitute teacher, especially this year! I will not mention school names or districts because that would be wrong. I will, however, paint a picture of what it is like to be a substitute teacher in a large urban area. I started teaching 2 years ago thinking substitute teaching will help me to grow as a teacher and find a school that would see how great I am and hire me. Unfortunately, with all the school closings, the teacher competition is growing and jobs are limited. I've been lucky enough to teach 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade for materity leaves. I grew attached to my students and miss them so much. This year, I am being randomly sent all over and not getting the opportunity to be attached to students. It makes me sad. When I was younger, I remember giving our substitute teachers a hard time. But never to the extent of what I encounter now. It is a different world and I am expected, each day, to walk into a classroom, control it, teach and navigate in schools and neighborhoods I have never been in before. Each day presents a new challenge. So far this year, I subbed for a 7th and 8th grade class in a neighborhood with a high gang-level activity. In fact, many students discussed gangs in their conversations in the room or tried to put on colors in the room thinking I had no clue as to what they were doing. I was called a bitch and "fuck you". Security came to the room because of the noice and there was little respect for the principal who came in and was dispected as badly as I was. At the end of the week, I found myself at a culturally diverse school with 3rd graders, 30 of them! The teacher whom I was filling in for left detailed plans and lessons for me to teach! I was so happy! At the end of the day that Friday, several students drew pictures for me telling me I was their favorite "substitute" teacher and that they would miss me. It is days like this that I live for. Days like this that give me hope of teaching in my own classroom one day. Basically, this blog is my way of venting the good, the bad and the ugly of substitute teaching. There seems to be a lot more ugly these days.