5 of 31: Sub Plans

For those who are able to call out sick or attend a day of professional development (PD), continued education, or training without having to create substitute plans, I envy you.

My husband's car leaked a red fluid yesterday morning and rather than spending hours preparing detailed plans that explain to stranger how to do his job all day, he simply called his boss and let him know that he wouldn't be making it to work. Better yet, his IT department set up the out of office email response for him...that's right, he didn't even have to do that himself!

Me, well I have a professional development day tomorrow that I'm very much looking forward to attending. The entire middle school English department meets with our coordinator for the entire day. Our amazing coordinator will lead our learning throughout the morning, but then we have the gift of time in the afternoon to work as a department.

I admit it. I am a PD nerd. I geek out when I have the chance to attend conferences, and I very much love these PD days. Seriously.

What I don't love is crafting substitute plans. I will go to work with a runny nose, sore throat and the shakes as long as I don't have a temperature, just to avoid writing them. The amount of thought and detail that went into my plans for tomorrow not only hungrily consumed my entire plan period, but devoured an hour and a half of my time after school as well.

I'd think my plans were perfect only to realize I needed to add that special note for the student who has been absent for two days and will have no idea what's going on. Or I would think I had everything I needed to make copies, get all the way to the copy room, only to realize that I forgot something in my classroom.

I won't even tell you about the amount of time I spent "organizing" my desk (a.k.a. hiding things by shoving them in drawers and my closet).

Rest assured. My plans are neatly stacked atop my seating chart on my desk, which is now actually visible, and ready to go for the substitute who will graciously work with my kiddos tomorrow!

All that's left is to cross my fingers and hope for a glowing report!