Classroom Spy

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Classroom Spy

by Rachel

Dec 8, 2014

I've been subbing for two years and for the most part it has always gone well. At the beginning of this school year I was super excited to be offered a long term assignment for 6th grade while the teacher was taking her maternity leave. The teacher would be taking her leave on Mondays and Tuesdays over a 4-month period. She would be there on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. So I accepted the assignment and started at the end of September. Things were going quite well until a few weeks ago. I feel as if I no longer have any control of the classroom. Well, in one class someone let it slip that so-and-so was the spy. I wondered what they were talking about until I was grading notebooks and came across a journal entry that stated that the author was the "spy" and how she didn't like Mrs. so-and-so (me) even though she's (I'm) nice to me (her). Is it just me or did this teacher completely undermine any authority or credibility I might have had by assigning someone to report back t...See More

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pixie Rachel, I have subbed for the same middle school teacher a few times, and the last time I subbed for her, when we were about to begin an independent activity, a couple of the girls started telling in a rude, bossy way that I was "supposed to" do that activity with them. I told them, "don't worry, I'm going to do what Ms. X's instruct...See MoreRachel, I have subbed for the same middle school teacher a few times, and the last time I subbed for her, when we were about to begin an independent activity, a couple of the girls started telling in a rude, bossy way that I was "supposed to" do that activity with them. I told them, "don't worry, I'm going to do what Ms. X's instructions say to do," which was that they were to do that part on their own. They kept arguing, and refused to believe that I was following Ms. X's instructions. There were parts of the lesson that the students were supposed to do independently, and parts where I was supposed to guide and support them. When I had subbed for her previously, I had very much guided them at the appropriate times. They kept telling me "Our teacher says your're supposed to do this with us." Then I noticed that some of what they were saying was very similar to some unneccesarily detailed instructions the teacher had left for me, telling me in great detail how to guide the students during the guided activity. She had never left such detailed instructions before, telling me to make sure I was doing things that I already had been doing. Why would she have thought that I was not supporting hte students? I strongly believe that the girls had told the teacher that I had not worked with them at all, even during the guided activity, which was completely untrue. The girls either did not know that Ms. X had wanted them to do some independent work, or else they just did not want to work on their own. These students are not the most mature kids in the world, and I was dispmayed that the teacher would so readily accept these girls' statements, which led them to behave in an overly empowered, disrespectful way towards me. If the teacher had had any questions or misgivings about how I had taught her classes, why didn't she just email or call me?

On 12/08/14, Rachel wrote: > I've been subbing for two years and for the most part it > has always gone well. At the beginning of this school > year I was super excited to be offered a long term > assignment for 6th grade while the teacher was taking her > maternity leave. The teacher would be taking her leave on > Mondays and Tuesdays over a 4-month period. She would be > there on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. So I accepted > the assignment and started at the end of September. > Things were going quite well until a few weeks ago. I > feel as if I no longer have any control of the classroom. > Well, in one class someone let it slip that so-and-so was > the spy. I wondered what they were talking about until I > was grading notebooks and came across a journal entry > that stated that the author was the "spy" and how she > didn't like Mrs. so-and-so (me) even though she's (I'm) > nice to me (her). Is it just me or did this teacher > completely undermine any authority or credibility I might > have had by assigning someone to report back to her on > the days she's gone? Has anyone ever had something like > this happen to them?

Dec 8, 2014

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Judy Students are always believed over the sub, even their lies. Wait till they record and videotape you with their phones. I got banned because of lies, unlawful recordings, etc. The principal did not even ask my side of the story. Sad state of affairs when a child is believed over an adult.

On 12/08/14, pixie wrote: > Rachel, > I have s...See MoreStudents are always believed over the sub, even their lies. Wait till they record and videotape you with their phones. I got banned because of lies, unlawful recordings, etc. The principal did not even ask my side of the story. Sad state of affairs when a child is believed over an adult.

On 12/08/14, pixie wrote: > Rachel, > I have subbed for the same middle school teacher a few > times, and the last time I subbed for her, when we were > about to begin an independent activity, a couple of the > girls started telling in a rude, bossy way that I was > "supposed to" do that activity with them. I told them, > "don't worry, I'm going to do what Ms. X's instructions say > to do," which was that they were to do that part on their > own. They kept arguing, and refused to believe that I was > following Ms. X's instructions. There were parts of the > lesson that the students were supposed to do independently, > and parts where I was supposed to guide and support them. > When I had subbed for her previously, I had very much > guided them at the appropriate times. They kept telling me > "Our teacher says your're supposed to do this with us." > Then I noticed that some of what they were saying was very > similar to some unneccesarily detailed instructions the > teacher had left for me, telling me in great detail how to > guide the students during the guided activity. She had > never left such detailed instructions before, telling me to > make sure I was doing things that I already had been doing. > Why would she have thought that I was not supporting hte > students? I strongly believe that the girls had told the > teacher that I had not worked with them at all, even during > the guided activity, which was completely untrue. The girls > either did not know that Ms. X had wanted them to do some > independent work, or else they just did not want to work on > their own. > These students are not the most mature kids in the world, > and I was dispmayed that the teacher would so readily > accept these girls' statements, which led them to behave in > an overly empowered, disrespectful way towards me. If the > teacher had had any questions or misgivings about how I had > taught her classes, why didn't she just email or call me? > > > > > On 12/08/14, Rachel wrote: >> I've been subbing for two years and for the most part it >> has always gone well. At the beginning of this school >> year I was super excited to be offered a long term >> assignment for 6th grade while the teacher was taking her >> maternity leave. The teacher would be taking her leave on >> Mondays and Tuesdays over a 4-month period. She would be >> there on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. So I accepted >> the assignment and started at the end of September. >> Things were going quite well until a few weeks ago. I >> feel as if I no longer have any control of the classroom. >> Well, in one class someone let it slip that so-and-so was >> the spy. I wondered what they were talking about until I >> was grading notebooks and came across a journal entry >> that stated that the author was the "spy" and how she >> didn't like Mrs. so-and-so (me) even though she's (I'm) >> nice to me (her). Is it just me or did this teacher >> completely undermine any authority or credibility I might >> have had by assigning someone to report back to her on >> the days she's gone? Has anyone ever had something like >> this happen to them?

Dec 9, 2014

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Ze Povinho As I have posted in the past, assume everyone is an informant and a surveillance agent. Like in a military dictatorship, always assume that your every move, gesture, tone of voice, and everything you say will be reported by someone. That someone can be anybody-from the disgruntled student you just sent to the office for calling you a female dog in ...See More

Dec 9, 2014

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