The danger of subbing in a "nice" district after hell

Join Teachers.Net

Chatboards

Recent Groups

Substitute Teachers

MEMBERS

8 Members

+ Join Group

Pinned Posts

ALLAll Teachers

Teachers.Net LIVE CHAT Support group - Tues eve!

Featured Jobs

Full-timeMontessori Teacher

Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada

TemporaryTeachers, rural schools

Peace River North School District

Full-timeHead Teacher: 2nd/3rd Grades – Mills College Children’s School

Mills College

Teaching Jobs on Teachers.Net

Featured Job special only $39!

https://teachers.net/jobs

Become a Teachers.Net sponsor!

Substitute Teachers Chatboard

The danger of subbing in a "nice" district after hell

by Ze Povinho

Sep 17, 2015

Good evening.

Subbing has started three weeks ago for me, and as I have subbed in my new district, I have discovered that having subbed for 15 years in the other one that resembled a totalitarian dictatorship can really harm you in the "nice" one. Here is the explanation.

When one is exposed to what I have been exposed in the old district for 15 years, one gets so used to everything that one has built immense tolerance toward the abuse heaped by both faculty and students, and toward the dystopian nature of the school regime. Insults, high levels of noise, and what one could call extreme bullying no longer seem to matter.

When I sub for my new district, I am still on constant guard, always fearing the emails and subfinder system. But the real danger now comes from the behavior of the students and the tolerance developed after 15 years.

In the new district, there are classes that do show some misbehavior but nowhere as severe as the ones sh...See MoreGood evening.

Subbing has started three weeks ago for me, and as I have subbed in my new district, I have discovered that having subbed for 15 years in the other one that resembled a totalitarian dictatorship can really harm you in the "nice" one. Here is the explanation.

When one is exposed to what I have been exposed in the old district for 15 years, one gets so used to everything that one has built immense tolerance toward the abuse heaped by both faculty and students, and toward the dystopian nature of the school regime. Insults, high levels of noise, and what one could call extreme bullying no longer seem to matter.

When I sub for my new district, I am still on constant guard, always fearing the emails and subfinder system. But the real danger now comes from the behavior of the students and the tolerance developed after 15 years.

In the new district, there are classes that do show some misbehavior but nowhere as severe as the ones shown toward me in the other district. Yes, in the new district I have never been insulted but there are times that the students can get relatively loud.

But for me, that kind of behavior really, really is nothing compared to the veritable hell on earth that the other district was.

It turns out that in the new district, showing moderate levels of noise and not showing military recruit style behavior is considered bad behavior at that district. So, one can be much more easily banned and written up at the new district, and I have found out that the district is just as bad when it comes to secret exclusions. But for me, I have developed so much tolerance to the real bad behavior, being screamed at and assaulted and all that, that for me on a daily basis, that the so called "bad behavior" in the new district is a nonissue to me. If these teachers I cover for in the new district were exposed to even one quarter of the treatment I got, they would really understand that what they see as bad behavior is really a nonissue.

And I have found out that it is better to never report any issues to the office, especially at the elementary school level. The danger of being banned is exceedingly high in this case. Yes, the issue will be dealt with by the admin, but you will very likely be punished for it. And the best way to avoid any trouble is to just do one's job and never be at the teacher lounges for any reason...to be as invisible as possible and to "stay under the radar" of ANY administrator (counselors, deans, assistant principals, vice principals, or the principal or even the senior teachers). And in the classroom, the less one says, the better. Really. You learn to do everything as if you lived in a brutal dictatorship, even in a so called "good" and affluent district.

Want to explain your side? Might as well talk to a rock because it is virtually impossible to reason with admins regarding this matter.

Comment

(2)

report post

Judy Totally agree with you, Ze. Quit subbing 3 years ago for such issues. Tired of being blamed for students' bad behavior. Let Central Office find somebody else. Then districts scratch their heads and wonder why there is a lack of subs.

On 9/17/15, Ze Povinho wrote: > Good evening. > > Subbing has started three weeks ago for me, and ...See MoreTotally agree with you, Ze. Quit subbing 3 years ago for such issues. Tired of being blamed for students' bad behavior. Let Central Office find somebody else. Then districts scratch their heads and wonder why there is a lack of subs.

On 9/17/15, Ze Povinho wrote: > Good evening. > > Subbing has started three weeks ago for me, and as I have > subbed in my new district, I have discovered that having > subbed for 15 years in the other one that resembled a > totalitarian dictatorship can really harm you in the > "nice" one. Here is the explanation. > > When one is exposed to what I have been exposed in the > old district for 15 years, one gets so used to everything > that one has built immense tolerance toward the abuse > heaped by both faculty and students, and toward the > dystopian nature of the school regime. Insults, high > levels of noise, and what one could call extreme bullying > no longer seem to matter. > > When I sub for my new district, I am still on constant > guard, always fearing the emails and subfinder system. > But the real danger now comes from the behavior of the > students and the tolerance developed after 15 years. > > In the new district, there are classes that do show some > misbehavior but nowhere as severe as the ones shown > toward me in the other district. Yes, in the new district > I have never been insulted but there are times that the > students can get relatively loud. > > But for me, that kind of behavior really, really is > nothing compared to the veritable hell on earth that the > other district was. > > It turns out that in the new district, showing moderate > levels of noise and not showing military recruit style > behavior is considered bad behavior at that district. So, > one can be much more easily banned and written up at the > new district, and I have found out that the district is > just as bad when it comes to secret exclusions. But for > me, I have developed so much tolerance to the real bad > behavior, being screamed at and assaulted and all that, > that for me on a daily basis, that the so called "bad > behavior" in the new district is a nonissue to me. If > these teachers I cover for in the new district were > exposed to even one quarter of the treatment I got, they > would really understand that what they see as bad > behavior is really a nonissue. > > And I have found out that it is better to never report > any issues to the office, especially at the elementary > school level. The danger of being banned is exceedingly > high in this case. Yes, the issue will be dealt with by > the admin, but you will very likely be punished for it. > And the best way to avoid any trouble is to just do one's > job and never be at the teacher lounges for any > reason...to be as invisible as possible and to "stay > under the radar" of ANY administrator (counselors, deans, > assistant principals, vice principals, or the principal > or even the senior teachers). And in the classroom, the > less one says, the better. Really. You learn to do > everything as if you lived in a brutal dictatorship, even > in a so called "good" and affluent district. > > Want to explain your side? Might as well talk to a rock > because it is virtually impossible to reason with admins > regarding this matter. >

Sep 18, 2015

report post

Judy Shame a sub can't send a troublemaker to the office without fear of being banned.

On 9/18/15, Judy wrote: > Totally agree with you, Ze. Quit subbing 3 years ago for such > issues. Tired of being blamed for students' bad behavior. Let > Central Office find somebody else. Then districts scratch > their heads and wonder why there ...See MoreShame a sub can't send a troublemaker to the office without fear of being banned.

On 9/18/15, Judy wrote: > Totally agree with you, Ze. Quit subbing 3 years ago for such > issues. Tired of being blamed for students' bad behavior. Let > Central Office find somebody else. Then districts scratch > their heads and wonder why there is a lack of subs. > > > On 9/17/15, Ze Povinho wrote: >> Good evening. >> >> Subbing has started three weeks ago for me, and as I have >> subbed in my new district, I have discovered that having >> subbed for 15 years in the other one that resembled a >> totalitarian dictatorship can really harm you in the >> "nice" one. Here is the explanation. >> >> When one is exposed to what I have been exposed in the >> old district for 15 years, one gets so used to everything >> that one has built immense tolerance toward the abuse >> heaped by both faculty and students, and toward the >> dystopian nature of the school regime. Insults, high >> levels of noise, and what one could call extreme bullying >> no longer seem to matter. >> >> When I sub for my new district, I am still on constant >> guard, always fearing the emails and subfinder system. >> But the real danger now comes from the behavior of the >> students and the tolerance developed after 15 years. >> >> In the new district, there are classes that do show some >> misbehavior but nowhere as severe as the ones shown >> toward me in the other district. Yes, in the new district >> I have never been insulted but there are times that the >> students can get relatively loud. >> >> But for me, that kind of behavior really, really is >> nothing compared to the veritable hell on earth that the >> other district was. >> >> It turns out that in the new district, showing moderate >> levels of noise and not showing military recruit style >> behavior is considered bad behavior at that district. So, >> one can be much more easily banned and written up at the >> new district, and I have found out that the district is >> just as bad when it comes to secret exclusions. But for >> me, I have developed so much tolerance to the real bad >> behavior, being screamed at and assaulted and all that, >> that for me on a daily basis, that the so called "bad >> behavior" in the new district is a nonissue to me. If >> these teachers I cover for in the new district were >> exposed to even one quarter of the treatment I got, they >> would really understand that what they see as bad >> behavior is really a nonissue. >> >> And I have found out that it is better to never report >> any issues to the office, especially at the elementary >> school level. The danger of being banned is exceedingly >> high in this case. Yes, the issue will be dealt with by >> the admin, but you will very likely be punished for it. >> And the best way to avoid any trouble is to just do one's >> job and never be at the teacher lounges for any >> reason...to be as invisible as possible and to "stay >> under the radar" of ANY administrator (counselors, deans, >> assistant principals, vice principals, or the principal >> or even the senior teachers). And in the classroom, the >> less one says, the better. Really. You learn to do >> everything as if you lived in a brutal dictatorship, even >> in a so called "good" and affluent district. >> >> Want to explain your side? Might as well talk to a rock >> because it is virtually impossible to reason with admins >> regarding this matter. >>

Sep 18, 2015

report post