Nice Guys Don't Always Finish Last

I am a firm believer that nice guys don't always finish last. In fact I like to believe that they more often finish first. Maybe it's because I'm naive or childish or an elementary teacher but it is what I believe. Today just confirmed it.

To tell you of my confirmation I must start with yesterday. I was called in to be a substitute Spanish teacher for the high school. When I reported for duty, I was handed a folder with my sub plans. Looking through my sub plans my first thoughts are as follow: 1) "Where are the worksheets we are suppose to do." 2) "Oh. She only left me one worksheet for every class today. That means she expects me to make the copies." 3) This thought has been removed due to explicit material.

Never mind the fact that every level of Spanish is doing the same worksheet. I'll wrap my mind around that one later. I'm focusing on the fact that she expects me to make enough copies for my classes in the 15 minutes I have before class. This might not be a problem for regular classroom teachers, but I'm a sub. Here is what is wrong: 1) I'm a sub. I don't know how many people are in all your classes. At least have the courtesy to tell me how many copies to make! 2) I'm a sub. I don't know where your copier is. When I locate it, I now have to become familiar with it. Also some schools require codes to use their copiers and some schools only let faculty use their copiers. Is your school one? 3) Did I mention I'm a sub! Sub means someone who "wings it" all day long and they do this at the drop of a hat. Please take it easy on us. There are many heart conditions that we develop.

So off I go to ask someone who to make copies. By the time the second bell rings (meaning my students are now waiting on me) I am waltzing into the classroom with only half the amount copied. Thanks a lot Miss "Teacher students wish didn't have tenure" (seriously I had students say this!)

Well today I showed up at the high school to be her sub again. I feel older. The secretary saw me a little earlier than usual. First thing I did was look at what I had to do to prep. Sigh. I must find a TV with a VCR. Shoot me. Asking around, lead me to the library. Success! I roll the TV back to my classroom as students are filling up their seats. Oh, did I say success lets replace that with failure. The minute I pushed the tape into the VCR, I knew it was stuck. So my students are now watching me fight with and yell at a VCR. Three kind gentlemen come to may aid. While they are working I hop on the phone. I ask the secretary if she knew what to do. She told me she would call around. So there I sit. Room full of high schoolers, three students banging on a VCR, and no coffee or back up plan. Right as I see a fellow teacher walk into the door, I hear a the sound of plastic hitting the ground. The three students did it!

Fellow teacher heads back to his classroom after I say "I'm sure the other VCR will work!" I pop in the tape.... nothing. Oh no. After ten minutes of the three gentlemen and me working on VCR, a suggestion for a possible different TV arises. Off one of the gent goes! There I sit. Room full of high schoolers, no TV, and no coffee or back up plan.

The gent is back with a TV/VCR! Poor kid had to travel to three different classrooms to find on that was not in use. Ten more minutes gone. So there we sit. Room full of high schoolers, three students and I frantically rigging a TV, and no coffee or back up plan. After 20 minutes and a near break down they TV decides to work for me! IT'S ALIVE! Oh but wait their is only 20 minutes left. The students were delighted when I told them that they will not have to do the 1 page report over the film since they won't see enough. Oooookay. Well at least I have a working TV for the next class.

Next was my planning period. Being a sub, I really have nothing to do. So I checked the next day's lesson plans (even though I might not be the sub, I thought I would make sure that person would not have a day like mine.) Yup! The teacher expects the sub to make copies again. Off I go to make copies. As I am stapling said copies (learned a little to late that copier can do this for you,) another sub walks back into the room. She is asking for the TV back. She needs it for her next class. Well it was hers to begin with. Off I go in my last 10 minutes to find a TV. I looked everywhere! The TVs were either in use, not portable, or broken. Then the bell rang while I was in the office asking the secretary if she knew of anywhere I could get a TV. Ok. So those who are following along know that even if I find one, I push it to my room (through the mob in the halls) AND set it up all in 3 minutes. Thanks Miss Tenure!

All I could think about was how I hope the next sub had it easier...or do I? Being nice does pay off. I asked the secretary if the teacher with the working TV had a sub tomorrow. She informed me that he did not. Then I asked if it would be alright for me to switch today's sub plans for tomorrows. (Since the only class I had had that day was not able to watch much of the film, it really didn't seem to hurt anything.) The secretary was on board with my plan. I made a mad dash and walked in the door as the late bell rang.

Moral of the story. You should always try to make other peoples' lives easier because it can ease your own. ;)