My Guinea Pigs

...have Homework in P.E. !  What kind of substitute P.E. Coach gives homework?!?!?

One that tells his students the first day he's going to be trying new things, experimenting on them (which did cause quite a few 7th grade eyebrows to rise, until I assured them I did not mean "experiment" in the mad scientist sense), honing his skills and trying to get better as a teacher/coach.  So yes, they have homework: find a quote connected to physical education* that will encourage/inspire/motivate them.  And no, "Just Do It" is not allowed.

*sports, fitness, nutrition, outdoors, health... 

Day Two!

Which leads to the logical conclusion that yes, I did indeed survive Day One.

Aside from sending kids to the wrong place at the wrong time, and to the right place at the wrong time, and to the wrong... whatever, they all were accounted for at the end of the day.  No tears and no blood, no drama, and just a little whining....

Day 2 replaces the head-swimming confusion of schedules and syllabuses (syllabi?) with that of CELT scores and IEPs, plus I have to figure out how to play "Bowling Dodge Ball" for my 3rd graders tomorrow.  But Day 2 also brings my first ever prep period, so I have a student-free classroom, Pandora radio soothing my savage beast*, and not much else to do for the next hour ...?

*it's hard to separate P.E. coach from Football coach -- I am 95% very positive with my teams, but at a much higher, more insistent volume level than allowed on the school grounds.  And the other 5% is most definitely not allowed on campus.

My FIRST First Day

...and yes, I am a little on the terrified side. 

Part of me knows this will work out just fine: it's a long-term sub job coaching Middle School P.E., at my sons' school where I've subbed and done observations and taught Art and hung around asking questions, where I know the kids and the Staff...

And part of me knows this is an inevitable disaster of epic proportions: after all, I'm still a sub, it is (shudder) Middle School, and everyone who has known me all these years will see I'm a clueless fraud, and if I can't manage a P.E. class I will never, ever get a classroom... 

Not only that, but I can't decide on what to wear.

I Got a Desk!

...and keys to the restroom, and a mailbox, and even a cool laptop with the district logo on it!  Oh yeah, I also have several classes of 8th graders, a few of 7th graders, and one day of little 1st graders, all through the end of November.

I also have very little idea as to what I'm actually supposed to be doing once school starts, but I suppose I'll work some of that out tomorrow while blowing up 400 vinyl playground balls...