Nana Substitutes in Spanish Class

Today I substituted  at the high school.  I like to substitute in Spanish because it gives me an opportunity to practice speaking Spanish.  Today was something of a challenge because the teacher left a note on the electronic sub notification that said “Use yesterday’s lesson plan.  The classes are the same.”  The high school is on an every other day class schedule.  The problem was that the previous day’s sub didn’t leave the lesson plan.  Another Spanish teacher across the hall found a copy of the lesson plan that the teacher had emailed her…whew, saved. 


The relief at having a lesson plan in hand was short lived.  The lesson plan called for watching a movie about the Incas and a worksheet.  The first period bell rang and I still hadn’t located the video.  The students were very helpful.  They wanted a video.  They had visions of getting an extra hour of sleep in a darkened classroom.  We finally located the tape in another classroom.  I never did find the worksheet. 


I put the tape in the VCR and pushed the play button…that gives you an idea of how old this movie was.  Can you even still buy a VHS movie?  I flipped off the lights and for the next hour we were enveloped in darkness as the tape droned on about the Incas.  The scenes of “modern day Peru”  showed streets filled with cars from the 1970’s. I don’t know for sure because I couldn’t see in the dark, but I guess that at least half of the class was probably asleep before the introduction was over. 


During the prep period I ran out to pick up a sandwich for lunch and some teaching supplies.


I watched that movie three times today.


Here are two notes that students left me:

Now this could be a heart warming story of bonding with students and successful teaching, but I know the truth.  The “lesson” was horrid.  Oh, those “teaching supplies” that I picked up on my prep…tootsie pops.  You’ve got to have snacks for a movie.  And that’s how Nana became a favorite sub.