Tuesday Slice: Sub plans, the pain and the pride

 

One of the many quirks that sets education apart from other careers is the requirement for substitute plans when one is going to be away from the classroom.

Do doctors write sub plans?  Lawyers?  Generals?  I'm thinking...nope.  Someone else just comes in, assesses the situation, and carries on.

I may be speaking only for myself (though I doubt it)...but sub plans are a pain.  Perhaps it is the kindness in my heart that wants to give a sub every detail they need to be able to run the day.  Or maybe it's an inflated sense of ego--only I know how to run this library, so I'll tell you exactly what to do in my absence.  Maybe it's a little of both.

Whatever the reason, it is a tedious task which usually takes me twice as long to type up as it actually does to teach the stuff I've typed up...but this leads me to the pride part.  When I go back and read the plans I've left for a sub, with all the routines and details and nuances laid out in black and white, it becomes an affirmation of what I do and how much I work.  To run a successful classroom or library, routines must be in place to help the day run smoothly and create a sense of safety for students, so they can be sure of what to expect when they walk into the learning space--which is half the battle of learning, in my humble opinion.  Because they become routine for us, it is easy to forget just how much we do every day--until we have to write it down for someone else.

And let's face it--leaving good, detailed sub plans brings an educator peace of mind when missing days from school.  Especially when taking earned personal days to relax and work on one's mental and physical health...which is exactly what I'll be doing this week, knowing I'm leaving my library program in capable hands.

Photo from Pixabay, credited to cercyra