I GOT MY HEAD BIT OFF!

Four times a year we give a writing assessment to all of our students. They have to answer a prompt and then using a 6-TRAITS RUBRIC, the teachers exchange papers (we don't grade our own students) and grade the assessments. We are divided up by our grade level and get a 1/2 day substitute for our kids.

So, today K and 3 had subs from 7:30-11:00 and 4th and 5th had subs from 11:00-2:00. The substitutes are called in for the day, but they do a 1/2 day in one classroom and a 1/2 day in another classroom.

So, if Mrs. Amazing teaches kindergarten, she would grade in the morning while the substitute had her kids and then at 11:00 that same substitute goes to Mr. Wonderful while he grades in the afternoon. There are 11, kindergarten and 3rd grade teachers and 11, 4th and 5th grade teachers. So, therefore we have 11 substitutes. The substitute gets a 1/2 hour break to eat, when the children are in the cafeteria eating their lunch.

I am on the Writing Goal Team this year, so I put together the spreadsheet showing which substitute goes to which room at what time. I also wrote the lunch times down for them. I then gave this to the secretary who gives it to the substitute when they check in, in the morning.

So, this morning I went to the office to be sure everything was going smoothly and I notice that 12:00 o'clock had been written on the lunch time for the 4th and 5th grade substitutes. So, VERY NICELY, I told the secretary (who is very new...that's another story....) that 12:00 was the lunch time for the 5th grade substitutes and 11:45 was the lunch time for the 4th grade substitutes.

"WELL, 12:00 IS WHAT I WAS TOLD AND IT'S STAYING THAT WAY!" barked the secretary. "EXCUSE ME! I DON'T APPRECIATE YOUR TONE AND I WAS ONLY TRYING TO HELP!" I replied and I left the office.

Later on....what do you know....there was confusion as to when the substitutes were to eat lunch. Said secretary proceeded to try and lay that back on me, but I reminded her of our little talk that morning. She backed down.

I didn't get an apology, but I didn't let myself get thrown under the bus, either.