Dear World History Students,

Dear First Hour World History students,

I'm Ms. J, and I subbed for you on Friday. Now you may be wondering, "Why is this weirdo sub writing us a letter? Nothing happened last Friday." I agree; I am a little odd, and you all did a great job listening to the documentary on Germany's, Japan's and the Allied Forces' practice of attacking civilian targets during WWII.

I'm writing because I overheard two students in your hour asking WHY they had to spend two class periods watching the documentary.  I do not begrudge students for asking why they do what they do in school.  In fact, you should regularly reflect on what you are learning and how you can apply it in your life.  Even though I felt the inclination, I did not jump into your conversation, because I have strong feelings about this topic, and I did not wish to appear overly upset. If you will indulge me for a moment, I will give you my perspective.

Why should we learn about tyrannical governments manipulating their citizens and about attacks on civilians during war? As I mentioned to your class, I am a German teacher. These kind of questions are at the core of why I want to become a teacher.  I believe my job is not only to prepare you with language and literacy skills that will help you in your careers, but to walk along with you in your moral and ethical development, and help you become comfortable with asking difficult questions.

During many of my German courses, I studied how Hitler was able to rise to power in a democracy, how an entire population could inexplicably allow at least 10 million Jews, political opponents, people with disabilities, gays and lesbians and Roma-Sintians ("gypsies") be murdered, and how the education system was used to teach racial hatred, cultural chauvinism, and to prepare its boys for battle at a very young age.  I have also learned about the widespread destruction, loss of life, and sexual violence against the female citizens in Germany that occurred at the hands of the allied forces, as well as of the attacks on civilians in the UK by Nazi Germany, that you have also just learned about. I have been to Berlin, Nuremberg, Dresden, and have visited several of the labor and death camps. I have been inside the crematoriums. When I studied in Vienna, I saw photos of the Jewish schools and synagogues, the same buildings where I saw little orthodox children playing tag and dancing at weddings, located right next to my dorm, burning to the ground on Kristallnacht.

These events may seem very far in the past, and sometimes it seems as though WWII and the Holocaust have become merely a backdrop for Hollywood films. Most of my classmates and I had grandparents who lived through and fought in the war, and I realize it's less likely that that is the case for you, but please, when you watch these events, please try to imagine what it would be like to spend night after night in a bomb shelter or to witness the deaths of so many people and young children. Try to understand how scary it must have been to live under a government where dissent could lead to internment at a labor camp, torture and death.

How you use what you learn in World History will be up to you. My hope is that you will learn to question those who suggest some human lives are more valuable than others, you will carefully consider whether it is necessary to give up certain freedoms for what you are told is security, that you will not accept the scapegoating of minority groups for your country's problems, and that you will learn that sometimes the the right thing to do is not always the popular thing, or in more extreme instances, even the legal thing to do.

I know it's easy to get caught up in worrying about getting the right answers on your worksheets and essays, especially as the school year comes to a close, but years after you are done with school, you will not remember exactly what year the Munich conference took place or what grade you got on that quiz, but if you listen to the stories of the people who have lived through these terrifying and trying times, you will carry an understanding with you of why it is important to be an active, engaged citizen who thinks independently and will not turn a blind eye on injustice.

Thank you for reminding me why I got into this business of teaching in the first place; being the weirdo sub all year can make me lose my focus.  Sometimes, all it takes is a pointed question from a student that reignites a teacher's passion for teaching and learning. 

Best of luck to you,

Ms. J

For those suffering from salad bar portion anxiety:

Today, between two sub jobs, I realized that my little peanut butter and jelly sandwich on my gluten-free bread was not going to cut it (all the gf brands tend to make their slices quite small), so I stopped at grocery store to fill a small box at the salad bar.

I was right behind a woman, and we were doing that awkward dance of, "I'm trying to go fast so you aren't waiting for me" and "I'm trying to subtly show you that you can take your time, even though I'm behind you and filling a small container, so it just happens to take less time." (I mean that; it's not sarcasm.)

When we got to the end, and I skipped ahead, since I didn't need anything on that side, and I just needed a dressing packet, the woman suddenly told me, "Just to let you know, I'm not going to eat this all by myself. This is for me and my daughter--I know it looks like I'm eating like a pig."

Until then, I hadn't really looked at what she had, and honestly, I could eat it all if I was substantially hungry. I told her I hadn't even looked at what she was taking, and my salad was only 1/3 of my lunch, which was true, and that I get big salad trays all the time.

I wish I would have told her what dawned on me a couple moments later. What kind of society do we live in that a woman feels compelled to apologize to a stranger for taking her share of food from a salad bar? Where she feels judged for every last food choice--and from a salad bar, nonetheless. It seems as though she was almost saying, "Excuse me, I'm so sorry for occupying space in our shared universe."

Ladies, do not waste you time on Earth apologizing or punishing yourself for providing your body with nutrients.  Enjoy life, eat good food, and claim your rightful space in this world.

"Weird" Substitute Teachers

Comedy Central

                                          

Everyone has memories of some of the more eccentric substitute teachers who have graced their classrooms.  When I mention to the teenagers who work in my husband’s store that I sub, they are quick to relay stories of their weirdest substitute teachers: teachers who have strange mannerisms or grooming habits or who have accused their class of stealing a DVD Player that simply ended up being misplaced. My “weird” sub in elementary school was Mrs. G, a much feared, large, tall older woman with light brown hair, curled like my grandmother’s.  We feared her strictness and seeming lack of compassion, but I still remember how she taught us how to fold a paper in half the right way every time I need to fold paper: starting from the middle and working our way to the outside edges of the paper so that it doesn't fold all kittywampus.

Subbing, as we learned to view it in my teacher education programs, was something you do temporarily while searching for a permanent job.  Sometimes, teachers who are not quite up to snuff (or some who decide that full-time teaching is not for them) may end up subbing for a long time.  That was back in Minnesota, where you actually have to be a licensed teacher in order to substitute.  Here in Michigan, you need 90 college credits, a clean background check, and a pulse.  To be fair to my side of the state, it would be highly unlikely for schools to meet the daily need for subs if a license were required.  And perhaps, they would need to then pay more than the average $75 per full-day job. No one interviewed me.  I took a personality test online where I had to receive at least a 3.  I was a 4, and I don’t know what kind of scale that is based upon or what that’s supposed to mean.  Being a Generation Y-er, I would have preferred a 9 or 10, a medal for outstanding personality test participation, and possibly a visit from my staffing company CFO, eager to witness my delicate genius.

After just over a semester of subbing, I don’t know how I could have survived without having gone through teacher training.  This has little to do with conveying new ideas, since subs are not usually expected to do so; this is just for the classroom management piece.  I suppose having children would help prepare you somewhat, but I don’t see how that would automatically make one capable of handling 30 kids at once. I always run into new moms and middle aged women who say they've considered subbing.  It seems bizarre to me that someone could just consider dabbling in teaching, which took me years of work and dedication to just begin to become competent.

This brings us to “weird” subs.  I estimate that at 75% of the subs that students call “weird” simply do not possess the psychic ability to fill in the holes in a teacher’s skeletal sub plan, cannot guess all the answers to students’ highly specific questions about grading or deadlines, or are simply highly vigilant of students trying to take advantage of their ignorance of classroom rules and procedures.  The student who calls this kind of sub “weird” probably popped his head in the room before class, ran through the halls announcing to his fellow classmates in a voice of relief and excitement, “We have a sub!” trying to stir up some pre-class anarchy.  He will assume there are no rules, no work will need to be completed or turned in, and he can ask for a pass to go to the library to Facebook his friends.  He will be disappointed when this is not the case.  He will then ask the sub if that assignment due two weeks ago can still be turned in when the teacher gets back, and whether he will still only receive a 10% grade reduction. When the exasperated sub denies him a third trip to the bathroom, he will claim the sub is evil and unfair. When the regular teacher returns, he will complain about how weird, horrible and incompetent the sub was and how much the classed missed the regular teacher.

Now the other 25% of substitutes students claim to be "weird" may actually, in my mind, qualify as weird. I've seen some of them in the halls and have attempted to make small talk with them.  Across the board, they all seem to have a vacant or disturbed look in their eyes. I’m hoping this is simply slight social awkwardness on the part of the individuals and not the effect of years of subbing, although I’m starting to believe it is the latter.  Perhaps this is an involuntarily acquired survival skill that allows subs to appear too “out there” to respond to student complaints or criticism.  A student may not approach the sub to tell him how the teacher “always” lets them Facebook during work time, if it seems that the subs mind is floating off like astronaut George Clooney somewhere between here and Tralfamadore.

In high school, we had a sub widely considered to be somewhat “weird,” who I will call her Mrs. Gunderson.  Mrs. Gunderson did not have crazy eyes; her voice was just high-pitched and cracked every now and then.  Consistent with the tendency of many adolescents towards cruelty and pettiness, students felt it was important to discuss and complain about with each other.  She knew my parents somehow, so she sometimes spoke to me during or after class.

One day, Mrs. Gunderson apologized to me that the previous day she had seemed upset in class. Her voice that day had been shaking more than usual and it seemed that she was on the brink of tears. This was awkward for the class, and since we were sophomores and not wise enough to offer her assistance or looks of understanding, we squirmed in our seats and cast each other sideways glances. After pulling me aside the next day, she told me she had just found out her son had a serious disease, and she wanted me to let my friends know that was what was going on.  Full of shame, I realized how awful our class had been, and did not understand why she needed to apologize.

On another occasion, when I had been in the newspaper for attending a diversity prom, organized by clubs for students of color and GLBT/ally students, Mrs. Gunderson told me how great it was I supported that event. This was still 2002, and although now the prevailing mainstream mentality is that GLBT teens should be supported and accepted, this idea was not seen as a given at that time. (And there are certainly still communities where this has yet to set in.)  My picture did not go up on the bulletin board at school, where the school office stapled any mention of one of their students in the newspaper.  My family had been concerned about my personal safety and whether or not I would be confronted by people who would judge me. It was good to hear from an older Scandinavian-Lutheran that I was doing the right thing.

Substitute teachers, including, and perhaps, especially “weird” substitutes, can offer important lessons to students.  Students should be able to adapt to a change in routine, offer assistance to those in a new environment, and not take advantage of a teacher’s newness as an opportunity to break rules.  Students will also encounter many people they deem to be “weird” in their lifetimes and it will be a mark of their character whether they decide to point out and ridicule this weirdness or practice being a decent, empathetic human being to this person.  We, the weird subs of the world, though our hair may be somewhat unkempt, though we cannot afford properly fitted clothes, and our lunch from home may have stunk up the room, we may have something valuable to teach, so please excuse our crazy eyes.