A NOTE LEFT BY A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER:
16 April '99
I don't know where to start. Things were rough to say the least.
AA [homeroom] started the day--no one sat down. No one was quiet, and I'm not sure if roll was taken completely. I could barely get a word in over the loud din of screaming kids.
First period wasn't very cooperative either. A skirmish broke out to start things off. Worksheets were passed out--no one finished all that work. Hopefully you'll get some of it Monday. I told them it was due Monday, but I don't know if they heard me.
I was glad for the short break between first and fourth periods--I subbed across the hall for 20 minutes--they were angels.
Fourth period went like first--there wasn't a skirmish though. Instead, some kids threw some things out of the window. When they tried throwing a chair out, I screamed at the top of my lungs--the chair stayed in the room, but I'm really sorry about the girls who started crying from fear.
Fifth period kept playing jokes on me from the get-go. They laughed so loudly I could barely get the assignment passed out to them. Again, hopefully you'll be able to get work from them Monday--hopefully!! This class also misbehaved during Enrichment period. They flipped the TV station and started cursing each other--I couldn't wait until it was finished!
Sixth period was the worst. 2 kids wrestling. I had to call Mr. Floyd to help me get them off each other. The remaining time was spent with 20 + upset kids, so no work was accomplished.
Sorry, but I will not return to teach for you again. I just want to leave ASAP.
* Please see the attached message.
** This note was inspired by Mr. Floyd
BACKGROUND DETAILS
During the 10 years that I worked with Mr. Sparks, I pulled 2 or 3 practical jokes that really worked. This was one of them.
Mr. Sparks had to be out on a Friday, and he had a substitute teacher, a lady who had not previously subbed at our school. We had a good team overall that year, and she ended up having a great day. After confirming how well things had gone, I asked her if she would consider doing me a favor.
The note above was that favor. I asked her to leave Mr. Sparks two notes: one telling how well everything had actually gone, and another indicating that the day had been filled with miniature disasters. With only that prompt, this substitute teacher produced the note I've typed above. Her perfectly craftly note delicately balanced describing a nearly out-of-control situation with maintaining a somewhat upset but still reasonable tone.
When Mr. Sparks returned to work Monday morning, he was first greeted by the "bad" note. Had it accurately described how her day had gone or had he been left too long thinking that the worst had happened, the practical joke wouldn't have been funny at all. Such a practical joke would also have been ill-advised during the middle of a difficult school year. As it turned out, Mr. Sparks figured out that he had been "got," and he too appreciated the "humor" involved.
Keep in mind that such practical jokes should be reserved for friends who will not mind--and who will even appreciate--humor at their expense.
Most importantly, be ready, willing, and able to endure and enjoy the favor being returned some day.
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