Assignment

=Oh No, It Can't Be!= This past week in a kindergarten class I was observing, the teacher was absent. There was a substitute teacher. I have never seen a classroom more closely look like a zoo! Seeing that the substitute had no control over the class it was really necessary for me to help her out. During circle time I pulled aside children that I knew would be problematic for the sub and tried to get them to work on a writing assignment the rest of the class would be working on during literacy centers. During literacy centers one child got the lock off the door! It was as if the barnyard gate had been opened, and children flew out into the hallways! (AA)

The teacher had her back turned to the door when she was working with a group of other children. She had not seen the child open the door and run into the hallway. I quickly told her because I was unsure if I should go get the child. The teacher asked me to watch the class so that she could get the child. As she walked out of the room I heard the child screaming and laughing. (AF)

While the sub went into the hall to get the wandering student, I was watching the rest of the class get rowdier and rowdier. They started making a mess and not doing their work, something their actual teacher would never tolerate. I was throughly impressed, though, when one student took and stand and told the class that they should be listening to the sub by saying, "just because the teacher isn't here doesn't mean we shouldn't be following the rules." (EB)

Once the child in the class stood up and front and scolded the rest of the class they started to calm down. When the sub came back in the classroom she was able to finish her lesson that she was doing during circle time. After circle time, the students had the chance to go outside and get some fresh air. They had some toys to play with, like kick balls, and jump ropes. While the students were outside, they started to get really rowdy again and were not sharing. It started to turn into a zoo again. (JM)

That was when I noticed that the gate that led to the parking lot was open just a few inches. I knew that when we had first gotten outside it was shut, so I wondered why it was open now if neither the teacher or myself had opened it. I turned quickly and counted the number of students that I saw running around on the playground. There were supposed to be 22 in the class, but I only counted 20! I quickly asked the teacher for the clipboard with all of the students names on it. I checked off the ones I saw, and two names weren't checked off: Sammi and Jamie. (KL)

The substitute looked everywhere for Sammie and Jamie, but they were no where to be found. They checked the monkey bars, the slide, the ropes, the tires, and the sub even checked all around the school. She started to run franticly back outside. She was so angry, once she got outside she yelled WHERE ON EARTH ARE SAMMIE AND JAMIE AHHHHHHHHHHHH! She knew she would never work at this school ever again. Then all of a sudden she hears two sweet voices say...Were right here. But she looked infront of her, to the the left and the right, and even behind her and she didnt see them. "Where are you?" the sub asks. Then she hears...."were right here...look up". The sub screamed and her jaw dropped...Jamie and Sammie were on the rooftop of the school! (MC)

"How did you get up there?" the sub asked. The two girls though started to cry because they were afraid that they would never be able to get back down. The sub had to act quick and brought the rest of the students back to the classroom. She asked me to watch the class while she went to get the principle. The rest of the kids were getting nervous that their classmates would never be able to get down. The next thing I knew I heard the principle come over the intercom stating, "two children are on the roof, the fire department has been called to help get them down, please keep your children in the classroom." (KT)

Once the fire department arrived, they calmed the children down and used a cherry picker to remove them from the roof. The principal gave the children a serious talk about always staying with their teacher even if she was only a substitute. Meanwhile, back in the classroom I was in charge of the entire group. I made it my goal to make sure they learned what they needed to learn and stayed in control. It was time to teach a math lesson, not my strong subject, and the kids did not seem to enthusiastic about it. I made sure to be as cheerful and excited about the lesson as I could to make sure they liked it as well. It started off pretty well with only a few children not joining in. However, as the lesson went on more and more of the students grew more and more antsy. I was wishing that the sub would come back in to relieve me. Just as I was starting to panic the principal walked in with the two students and decided it was time to talk to the entire class. (KH) The principal made a point to tell the class that their behavior was unacceptable and how dangerous it is to go on the roof of the school. The principal then handed the class back over to the sub and me. Things continued to go smoothly for the rest of the math lesson. It was then time to line up and get ready for gym class. I thought things couldn't get any more out of control after the students were on the roof, but I guess I was wrong. Gym class opened up a new can of worms. (KF)

After I had walked the students to the gymanasium, I told the PE teacher that I needed to speak with him before he began to teach. He asked the children to line up in their rows and begin their stretches, then told me that we could talk. I descibed to him how apalling the students behavior had been all day, as he nodded his head with a very quizzitive look. "I see." Was hus reply. At that time we both turned to see that the gymnasium had transformed into a riot. Students were shouting, hitting each other, running wild. The PE teacher told me he knew just what to do and ran to go get something. Alone again I was. It was about that time I was contemplating baling on the class and my career as a teacher when the PE teacher reappeared. With him, the teacher had brought a giant cage which heh used to entrap all of the students. I must be dreaming I thought to myself. (KM)

Unfortunately I was not dreaming. The PE teacher called this cage the "calming corner". Once all of the children were in the cage, my thought was "this will never work". All of a sudden the children one by one started to sit in the cage and calm down. Apparently the children knew the rules when in the "calming corner". I couldn't believe it worked! (KS) I decided i definitely needed to get a calming cage when i became a teacher with my own class. I sat down on the bleachers and watched as the class began their gym activities and took a deep breath. I thought about the next years of my life and whether or not i could handle all the chaos and craziness of teaching. I took another look around and just as I was packing up to leave for the day a little girl came over and grabbed the bottom of my jacket. "Thank you teacher" she said. I smiled as i walked out the door knowing one day soon I'd walk back in. TG