Today I Almost Poked My Eyeballs Out For Fun

.... or, "My Day as a Substitute High School Band Teacher."

Let me tell you, I think substitute teaching is actually under-rated. That's right.

I'm so tired of people with MORE college degrees than me, with a contract and yearly raises and great benefits, being CRAPPY teachers.

You cannot give high-schoolers 15 minutes of workbook assignments for an 82-minute block period. And I don't care if this isn't elementary school, it IS a good idea to have a seating chart so that the poor clueless sub can have the name of the bad kid to use when she needs to tell him to stop-talking-when-i-am-talking-and-get-off-your-desk-and-i-will-be-taking-your-i-pod-and-cell-phone-now-that-you-are-inappropriately-using-in-school.

And you'd better believe that when you leave "students may study" as your "sub plans" for your guitar class, that the students (God bless music students, the most responsible in the high school) are going to tell the sub, when asked, that those are in fact the everyday plans.

I'm tired of horrible teachers being paid to do a job that others would love to do - and do it well.

On the other hand, I DID get to observe the chorus teacher last period. And when I heard those 50 high-schoolers singing tight harmony for "Yesterday" and basically caressing the notes of a gorgeous medley of American folk songs, then I remember why I endure endlessly boring and stressful days of substituting.

For the chance to teach those kids some beautiful music again someday.