They call me the "Kindergartner Whisperer"

Ok, no one has really called me that...just myself but life is only interesting when you think of different things to lay fame to your various accomplishments...and yes, I have an ego.

So, let me be clear. There is a reason I was trained in secondary education, mainly because I do not have the temperment to teach elementary age students for 180 days a year (plus they have long division in elementary school...long division to me is like garlic to a vampire...avoid it at all cost). I do enjoy children, but I love history far too much to give it up and plus you can be sarcastic with teenagers and they get it. I would be lost without my sarcasm, true story.

But alas, there is not a huge need for history teachers at the moment, and instead of declaring bankruptcy and moving out onto the streets, I got a job as a substitute teacher. As a sub, I can and do go anywhere there is a job. My two favorite groups to work with are teenagers and special need students. Every other group is kinda meh to me. However, I have discovered a knack for kindergartners and I enjoy subbing for those classes. Shocking thing is that I can't spell kindergartner without spell check half the time. But nonetheless, being a good sub is all about having good classroom management skills, and since they frown upon bull whips in the classroom (I kid! I kid!) there are a variety of methods that one can use to maintain control of the classroom. With kindergartners (and grades 1-4) you can use the method of "Look how nice Timmy is sitting" or "I love how Angela has quietly been working". I tell you, it is magical. I do feel like I am manipulating the poor kids though. But then I realized, isn't that what education is? We are convincing them that something that happened 400 years ago is absolutely crucial to their lives today (that's what I tell my history students anyway...and I am totally serious about it too).

Another fun thing about kindergartners, is that they will follow you everywhere. I feel like a mother duck leading her ducklings around...very squirmy and touchy ducklings, but ducklings nonetheless.


Aww! Wook at da fuzzy ducklings!!!!

Ahem...anyway, so I have found that I have an ability for kindergartners, but I really miss the sarcasm.