I managed to complete my first week as a substitute teacher without too much todo!
The woman I was covering for had given me very clear lesson plans for while she was away. The classes I was to be teaching were AP or dual credit English, speech and debate. My students were 12th graders and I had them for a full week.
On my first morning when the bell went off to indicate the start of school I visibly jumped. It was 730am.
“O my gosh,” I said out loud to a room full of young strangers, “I’d quite forgotten about the bells.”
We didn’t have auditory reminders for the passing of time in our homeschool…one class led to another, or lunch, or a walk or volunteering at the community theatre. Our time was flexible, the day stretched or contracted to our needs.
“You’ll get used to it Ms McNeny,” one of the boys assured me.
I learned to keep one eye on the clock so as not to be alarmed.
After a day or two I grew desensitised to the intrusive jangle that brought the students to their feet and sent them off down the outside pathways to the restrooms, lockers, water fountain and next class.
The upper school buildings of McKinney Christian Academy (MCA) form a quadrangle
and the surroundings are very pleasant and surprisingly quiet when not inhabited by hurrying seniors.
By the start of 2nd period (3rd period for me because my first class is called Period 0), on day 1, I had my patter, about classroom protocol concerning cell phones and bathroom passes, down when the familiar crackle of an overhead tannoy interrupted me mid-sentence.
A muffled student’s voice came on and wished us a good morning and requested we stand for The Pledge of Allegiance.
I placed my hand over my heart and realized I did not know all 31 words of the pledge. Quite an embarrassing situation when facing a class of patriotic teens all watching me intently.
I made a mental note to make sure I had a copy at hand to read the following morning.
“Let us pray,” the disembodied voice said and we all bowed our heads and I found time to recover my dignity.
It wasn’t until day three, when I was feeling more comfortable, that I looked out at my class seated at long conference tables,
and noticed they were not watching me intently as I had initially thought, but were gazing off into the distance above me.
It dawned on me that since we were pledging allegiance to the flag, there may just be…
And I turned my head to follow their gaze,
…an American flag hanging on the wall behind me…
Granted it was a small American flag but there was no mistaking the stars and stripes.
I completed the 180 intake to bow for the prayer grateful that my back hid the grin playing impishly across my face.
After the announcements the crackling tannoy finally plunged us into silence and I asked the class at large,
“Why didn’t you tell me to turn around?”
“It’s all right Ms. McNeny, you’re probably not used to doing that!” one of the girls offered.
She was right but I made a mental note to always check for a flag when entering a new classroom.
“Thinking about it,” said Daughts later when I told her the story, “I don’t think I would have had the nerve to tell you to turn around and face the flag for the pledge had you been my substitute teacher!”
Well hello there! My name is Vivienne McNeny.
I am an empty nester exploring life as a Boomer…you could say I'm happily Boomering along!
As a homeschooling Mum I have finally quit the job of role model and mentor to my four children. I do what I want to do, eat when I feel like it, enjoy life with my blue eyed cowboy and clean my house once a month or so whether it needs it or not!
In true English form I write about the emergence of my true identity now that I can no longer hide behind my children as their Mum.
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