When I went into the pre-K classroom for the substitute teaching job I had the first of the week - I was a little fearful of what 'can of worms' I had opened up... I need to explain what it's like to find a job - so you will see how stressful just making the commitment to getting up and going can be: You can either accept a job when the computer starts making calls at 6 a/m, and again at 6p/m, or you can look on the Subfinder website with the school district to see what is out there.
I call it 'fishing' or 'trolling' and think that the people who manage the program call it 'job shopping' - whatever. It is obvious that people who are looking for work are a discriminating lot: due to the fact that the majority of jobs I take are for positions as a para-professional/aide. The para. jobs are required by the state, likely funded through the lottery money that pays for the pre-K. classes. I assume the financial support includes teachers' salaries, materials in the classrooms, and probably 'rent' for the class rooms that is paid to the school district.
As I understand it: for every ten children in a pre-K/lottery funded class, they are required by law to have one adult in the room: so if there are eleven little people, there must be two adults. And if perchance the class had 21 (not a manageable situation with four-year olds!) there would have to be three adults to meet the guidelines established by the state Dept. of Ed. that wrote the rules for the program. So - most of the work I end up with is replacing missing para-pros - probably due to the fact that sub. pay for a para is about 2/3 of what a certified teacher is paid. I don't mind doing the work of either - but of course would rather be paid $100 for a thankless job than $65 for an equally thankless day of general chaos...
My choice is to go into a classroom where there are normally two adults: just to have someone in there who knows the names, knows the routine/schedule, can identify at the ones who are in need of correcting and nip the behavior in the bud immediately. So that pretty much limits my sub. work to pre-K, K, and First grade. I know the school district is stretched thin financially, and will likely try to eliminate even more para-pro. positions to lower expenses, as the aides are already now covering more than one first grade class in the course of a day - floating from room to room, greatly affecting effectiveness of teachers who depend on them for support in classroom activities and implementing lessons.
So here, finally, is my story about last Monday. I was looking for a job Sunday night. And found one on the website that was for a pre-K teacher. When you click on a specific job, you only have sixty seconds to accept or decline. But it indicated that there were 'special instructions', that you had to access by phone: so here I am on the computer, trying to find out what I need to know on the phone, while the 'meter is running' on the one minute timer...The recorded info. from the teacher said that it was an 'inclusive' class - which sounded pretty ominous, but I decided to take a chance, and accepted the job.
I got to the school and found two para-pros,or maybe three, I never did fully figure out what was going on.
The kids watched some cartoons on the white-board, which was only semi-operable. And did a Valentine coloring sheet, and colored in a construction paper heart shape. And went to the gym to burn off some energy. And went out on the playground for about fifteen minutes before it began to drizzle and we had to come in. And listened to a couple of books being read, and the telling of the Three Bears story - which really caught their attention, better than picture books.
But as far as learning anything: I think I was the only one who did that. Discovering that 'inclusive' means there are children in there with behavior problems, learning problems, birth related problems. Likely a more p.c term for what used to be called 'mainstreaming'. (This explains why there were three other adults in the classroom, along with me. I guess it also explains why when other teachers were MIA that day, and they could not find subs., the principal took on a class himself instead of pulling me out to go into another room that needed a teacher or pulling out one of the aides who was there to help mange the children with 'issues' to cover another classroom.) The thing is when there are half a dozen kids out of twenty who are in constant need of management/correction - it's hard to capture and retain the attention of the ones who are capable of learning and truly want to be there.
I don't think keeping children with learning disorders isolated is the solution - but am also convinced that putting them in with others who are capable and can soak up information/knowledge like sponges is a huge dis-service. To the parents as well as students who need those basic skills to build upon for the next grade/step. The ones who are co-operative, absorbed with the world around them, ready for learning, are being truly limited by the fact that so much of classroom time and the teacher's attention must be constantly on the ones who are impulsive, out of control, unmanageable, and unwilling (or incapable of) maintaining focus on the instructional materials.
I don't have any suggestions, but it was dis-heartening to think that those mothers sent those little people to learn, and I don't think it occurred.
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