My morning started with a phone call to the adult education department of the Toronto District School Board; they wanted to offer me a long term occasional position. Ouch. Hopefully they’ll need teachers as badly next September.
My days at school pass by fairly fast but they are stressful. One woman in my class has been off all week. She showed up yesterday with a black eye and a broken nose. She said she “got into something” on Friday night; I didn’t ask what, or who, that something was. I later heard that her injuries were caused by a fight with her brother.
For the most part my students are quite enjoyable (there is one problem person, but what classroom would be complete without one of those?). There is a lot they haven’t learned, or forgot, about reading and writing and math. I’m frequently assuming they have too much prior knowledge (though it’s what they should have for the level of the course). As well, I’m quickly becoming acquainted with the level of work they like to do and where they’ll start to resist.
One of the biggest challenges this school faces is attendance. Every day I receive e-mails from my supervisor saying if someone has an excused or unexcused absence and the reason they gave. Presented for the first time is a new section of this blog called: Inexcusable absences
(Please note, these are all actual excuses given by students – taken directly from e-mails from my supervisor)
- "Are there classes this morning?"
- She 'forgot' there was no school for her kids today."
- She's sick, "but will be better by 10 and will come to class then"
- doesn't have babysitter
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