Day-to-day substitute teachers have a tough row to hoe . I’ve done my share of it . Between jobs at one point , I subbed for an entire year , mostly with Glendale School District . I’ve met a few people who substitute teach for a living . That would be hell .
So , once upon a time , long , long ago , I decided that it would be a good idea to leave a quarter for the sub whenever I was out , with a friendly note . ” Buy yourself a coffee ” it said . At that time the cafeteria coffee was $ .25 . Well , it wasn’t much , a token kindness I thought , a welcoming gesture .
I wasn’t out from school much , and I never gave much thought to the quarter left for the substitute —– sorry , the ” guest teacher ” .
One day I returned after an absence and on my desk was a note . Usually the guest teachers would leave a note about how the day went and what was or was not accomplished . This note, however , spoke only about the twenty-five cents ( if , indeed , notes are able to speak —- you know what I mean , though ) . Angry note . Outraged note . Enraged guest teacher . ” I can afford my own coffee ! ” the person had scrawled . The quarter was taped to the note .
Must have been an especially tough day with my classes . Middle School ; what can you do !
I “revisited” the whole idea about leaving a quarter for coffee. It could be interpreted as an insult , a put-down , a patronizing action. Of course , this particular sub may, on the other hand , have been a nut case . But , I abandoned my little welcoming gesture of leaving a quarter . I decided that “Welcome!” and ” Good Luck !” on the top of the lesson plan would have to be enough . What do they say : Let no good deed go unpunished ?
itkindofgotawayfromyou 