Category Archives: Teaching
Stranded
Imagine being stranded on an island with only one other person: a person you don’t particularly want to be with; not necessarily one you hate, but certainly one who has brought you some hardship. Such is the scenario with Javier, … Continue reading
A Day in the Life of a Substitute Teacher
I’ve commented here before about the kinds of unusual situations that substitute teachers face. Well here are some things to add: 1) One would think that the teachers we are replacing would have everything organized for us when we enter … Continue reading
Teachers Vs. Hockey Players
There is always a lot of teacher-bashing and, as a teacher, I take it personally. Most of the bashing revolves around too much pay and too much time off. Then, even with these benefits, some people say, teachers still whine … Continue reading
Haven’t Quite Figured Out Kids Yet
Kids are a fascinating study. I would have thought that by now, being a substitute teacher who goes into all kinds of classrooms, I would have figured them out. In my last blog, I wrote a discouraging account of … Continue reading
Immune to Incentives
The other day, I was supply teaching in a challenging school. I was in a grade 4 classroom that, among other students, contained three children with behavioural problems and one with autism. Even without these four, the class was challenging. … Continue reading
Book Talk in a Classroom
The other day, I was invited by my nephew to come into his grade 6 classroom and talk about my children’s fantasy novel, More Precious Than Rubies: The Return of the Norse Gods. This was the perfect venue for me … Continue reading
Tough Week for Teaching
Like most jobs, teaching can run smoothly on average but then throw a challenging week at you. For me, this was one of them. I am a substitute teacher and the advantage of this is that if I have had … Continue reading
Garage Sale
Last weekend, I helped my parents organize a garage sale. I asked if I could include some of my items to be sold and they said yes. One of the items was my children’s fantasy novel, More Precious … Continue reading
Scary World for 4-Year-Olds
I work in an elementary school where kindergarten children assault and swear at their classmates and teachers on a weekly basis. Accident reports take up a lot of the teachers’ time and suspensions occur regularly. Let’s just contemplate the reality … Continue reading
The Joy of Report Cards
Once in awhile, my supply teaching allows me to take a long-term position when a contract teacher is absent for a great amount of time. My most recent scenario has been teaching a split grade 1 and 2 class while … Continue reading
Randy Coates 