Subbing has its quirks about it. My age puts me just about in the middle between the students and the teachers. Usually, this is not an issue for anyone, except for one time. And, maybe issue is the wrong word, but the situation was awkward nonetheless. I had been subbing maybe a month or so before I returned to the middle school I had formerly attended. Most of my teachers were still there (but I was relieved to see that some had retired or moved away too). I did not have a horrible middle school experience, but there were some anxieties about returning as a teacher for the day. So, I put on my big girl pants and walked in like it was my actual first day of middle school. The day was going swimmingly, and then lunchtime rolled around. I was about to enter the labyrinth that was the teachers’ lounge: the place I had never set foot in before. I had a choice to make. Do I sit at the table and eat with my former teachers and have a royal staring showdown, or do I sit in the corner, read for my audiology class, and pretend I was not even there? I went with the latter and was perfectly content with my decision. I still viewed my teachers as just that, my teachers, and I assumed they still saw me as the kid I was in their class. I buried my nose in my textbook and hoped I would go unnoticed. Just about that time, I thought I had flown under the radar, a teacher (whom I never had) called me out, asked what I was doing in the corner like a loner, and insisted I joined the adult table. Great! Everything I tried to do to avoid extra attention backfired, and it backfired big. So, I migrated to the table, picked at my lunch, and kept my textbook in my lap as a security blanket I guess. Conversations began, and they involved me at times. Gulp. Given my anxiety about this encounter, you would think I had been thrown to the wolves and in a hostile situation, but I most certainly was not. My teachers could not have been nicer and were interested in hearing a recap of my life after middle school since almost a decade had passed. I have since returned to sub some more and had enjoyable experiences in the lounge during lunch with the teachers. Although I still refer to them as I did when I was a student, it was nice to be back and see them from the other side, because the tables have surely turned. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2018
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