Shopped!

Wait...stop!  I am not talking about shop as in "shopping."  As much as I wish I were referring to one of my favorite activities...shopping...today I am talking about shop...as in saws, safety goggles, robots and computers.

Today was my first official day as a substitute teacher!  I survived.  But more importantly, I survived as a shop teacher (at this moment I am fist pumping into the air and/or giggling). My purpose at becoming a sub was mainly to help out in the music departments. After hearing countless times from my children when they had a sub in chorus, movies had to be watched, I jumped on the substitute wagon.

I had to laugh when they called me yesterday and asked me to be a substitute for he school's math specialist..  I had to be honest with them and explain if they wanted their "money's worth" they may want to place me somewhere else.  Quickly the person on the other line said, well, how do you feel about shop? 

And that was how it happened.

My biggest obstacle was finding the "right" outfit.  Should I wear overalls?  Carry a tool belt?  Was I going to be provided a lab coat (seriously cool)? And would I be sporting those ugly and quite over sized plastic goggles?

I decided to leave the overalls at home and go with the cute, "I don't know what I am doing...please help" outfit.  And it totally worked. No sense trying to "look the part" when there was no way I could "act the part." I went with the plan...the totally honest plan, that states, "I have really no idea what I am doing."  Not only were the other two shop teachers very helpful but man alive there were some pretty with it students that saved the day! 

The first student who came in, said, "You don't look anything like Mr. Post."  She then proceeded to tell me he was bald.  Thank goodness we didn't look alike.

Another student told me she wished I could be her real teacher because I was so pretty.  I loved that self esteem builder.

But the best part of all was the complete respect I received after I announced these simple words at the beginning of class, "I am sure some of you may know my two sons, Calvin and Ethan Porter. I am their mother."

And just like that, they loved me.  Thanks boys. And so it's official, I am a sub.