Mayberry

I've been working steadily lately as a substitute teacher. Yesterday, I worked with a class right next to Keva's classroom. Those kids, though, were all in wheelchairs, except for one, as opposed to Keva's mobile class. A few had to be tube fed, but most ate by mouth. I didn't have to change anyone's diaper because it's complicated to lift the kids that are spastic, so I mostly helped with feeding, oral hygiene and playing games. The kids were really sweet and touched my heart.

Today, I went to Kathleen's middle school and helped with another higher level special education class for math and science. They were eighth graders and were just learning the Pythagorean Theorem. I had to dust off my brain for that one. Fortunately, I had lots of help from the TA's and a therapist-type person. I had to stumble my way through the schedule and, since they'd recently switched to another type of attendance taking system, I got conflicting help on how to take attendance for my classes. I got it all straightened out at the END of the school day.

Here's a picture of how small town our town is. I got a call at school from the person in charge of transportation, who is the sister-in-law of Keva's bus driver, saying that Keva was the only one going home on her bus today and would I be home early? When I told her that I'd be home by 3:45, she said she'd pass that information on to Keva's driver. By the time I pulled up to my driveway, there was Keva's bus waiting for me. Kelly, Keva's bus driver decided to wait for me rather than let one of the younger kids have her, as we had pre-arranged, because Keva was in one of her "moods." So Kelly's daughter, who rides home on Keva's bus with her mom, was playing outside on the grass with my kids, having a grand old time. And Keva was safely ensconced in her seat on the bus until I went to go get her. Kelly's daughter presented me with my very own crocodile necklace that she had made before climbing back on her mom's bus to go home. Now, this just wouldn't happen on a LAUSD bus! Only in Mayberry.

I'm scheduled to sub tomorrow for the same teacher I subbed for today. So now I'll actually kind of know what I'm doing and who the kids are. Maybe they can finally explain the Pythagorean Theorem to me.