Adventures in Substituting
I quit teaching full time last year and am working as a substitute this year. Today I substituted in a 1st grade class. I've avoided this grade because I was so burned out with 1st graders. Plus I was really sick yesterday and didn't feel great today. But it was only a half day (our district does early out on Fridays) and for a friend, so I figured I could make it.
So far I've really liked substituting - flexible schedule, no working after paid hours, leave problem kids at the bell, etc. Today was fun. But it reminded me that I think we IF people look at the world quite differently.
First off, I was getting to know the kids' names. I like to do this little thing where they tell me their name and after each kid I have to repeat all of the names. Then at the end we see if I can remember all of them. If I can't, I have to do something for them (which we've previously voted on) and if I can they have to do something for me.
Every year, as a teacher, I'd always think of all of their names that year and whether I liked any of them for potential future offspring. We see a LOT of names, us teachers. There's the normal ones of which you always have at least one. There's the less frequent ones. And then there's the bizarre ones of which you think "What were your parents thinking?"
Anyway, we're going along and I'm thinking about the names and then this cute little boy tells me his name is Lucas. Which just happens to be what I had been calling my little bean. I was sure it was a boy and that name had just resonated with me, although never before had it been a name I liked. Wow, it was like a kick in the gut. I recovered quickly and moved on but it was hard to look at that little guy the rest of the day.
Later, I was teaching about living and nonliving things. I gave them a list of living things and asked what they all had in common. Through the discussion we came up with rules for living things. One of those items was that living things can reproduce, or have babies.
Of course, my cynical mind started thinking. So if the definition of a living thing is that they grow, move, need air, water, and food, and can reproduce...what does that mean for those of us who cannot reproduce? Or at least haven't been able to yet? In science they say if one criteria is missing then it doesn't fit the category. Does that mean we aren't considered living?
Maybe that is the challenge of our infertile lives. To figure out how to be one of the living.
So far I've really liked substituting - flexible schedule, no working after paid hours, leave problem kids at the bell, etc. Today was fun. But it reminded me that I think we IF people look at the world quite differently.
First off, I was getting to know the kids' names. I like to do this little thing where they tell me their name and after each kid I have to repeat all of the names. Then at the end we see if I can remember all of them. If I can't, I have to do something for them (which we've previously voted on) and if I can they have to do something for me.
Every year, as a teacher, I'd always think of all of their names that year and whether I liked any of them for potential future offspring. We see a LOT of names, us teachers. There's the normal ones of which you always have at least one. There's the less frequent ones. And then there's the bizarre ones of which you think "What were your parents thinking?"
Anyway, we're going along and I'm thinking about the names and then this cute little boy tells me his name is Lucas. Which just happens to be what I had been calling my little bean. I was sure it was a boy and that name had just resonated with me, although never before had it been a name I liked. Wow, it was like a kick in the gut. I recovered quickly and moved on but it was hard to look at that little guy the rest of the day.
Later, I was teaching about living and nonliving things. I gave them a list of living things and asked what they all had in common. Through the discussion we came up with rules for living things. One of those items was that living things can reproduce, or have babies.
Of course, my cynical mind started thinking. So if the definition of a living thing is that they grow, move, need air, water, and food, and can reproduce...what does that mean for those of us who cannot reproduce? Or at least haven't been able to yet? In science they say if one criteria is missing then it doesn't fit the category. Does that mean we aren't considered living?
Maybe that is the challenge of our infertile lives. To figure out how to be one of the living.
Replies
Great journal. I think we need to make our own definition :)
Absolutely love this journal. I teach preschool kids and so similar level to grade 1 I guess - I agree about the names thing and also how many names I wouldn\'t want to call my baby too. I like your thinking, but what about a mule? They are considered living and they can\'t reproduce. Anyway, yes I\'m living day by day at the moment...infertility for me means it is hard to make any solid plans.
Very profound. I am still trying to figure out how to get living again, so maybe this isn\'t so far off base!
I think we are all struggling each day to figure out how to \"live\" with IF. it\'s not fair to feel like we are incomplete, when we are NOT and have no control over this.