School's out for summer
Today was my last day working inside Custer County School for 2020-21. While I’m glad to get back to a more relaxed routine, I’m sure I’ll miss the students and other faculty. All the same, I’m thrilled to put more consistent energy into some other really important activities like training pack burros and archery.
I got my three-year substitute teacher certificate from the Colorado Department of Education in 2020, and worked a few shifts in the school before the Covid-19 lockdown. My thinking behind all this was to offer up some way to help young people while also giving back to the small school that has provided so much support for Harrison over the past 14 years. Sure, there’s a paycheck, but that isn’t really my motivation.
When school started back up this fall, I was in demand as a sub. I did my best to fill in between other demands such as my ongoing work with MAF Fitness and also coaching cross-country, as we dodged around the coronavirus and managed to have a fairly full school year with only a couple of shutdowns. In the process I got exposed to a few positive cases but seem to have avoided getting ill.
Sometime this semester there was an opening for an educational aide, which segued into a permanent sub situation two days a week in the academic success room, a sort of study hall for high-school students. Enduring a full day in this classroom has been a real challenge for someone who’s not been held in captivity for many years. The room has no windows. And the job consists of either trying to stay awake while the more studious students are working diligently, or, the opposite — telling unruly students to get back to work or stop being disruptive. A couple times I even confiscated phones.
When the art teacher had a field trip a couple of weeks ago, I got to substitute one hour for her first-grade class, supervising little kids cutting and pasting. It was a lot of fun, but I’d forgotten how truly tiny first-graders are. Also, at some point I realized I’d passed out the big kid’s scissors and had to collect them all and swap there out for the small blunt ones.
On these days I arrive before 8 a.m. I sometimes get outside and walk around the school during my “free” hour, and then again during the 30-minute lunch break. When school lets out at 4 p.m., I quickly change into running clothes and transition to track coach. Practice often runs to 6 p.m., making for a long day.
In academic success, students who are ahead or complete their work are allowed to play games. I was thrilled the game of choice was chess. I played a little chess in middle and high school. I like chess because it requires a knowledge of the game, focus and awareness, strategy and planning, as well as mentally wrestling with an opponent.
When the students found out I knew how to play chess, some of them want to challenge me, so I got roped into a few games. I’ve been stunned by how well these kids play. While I’ve got a winning record on the classroom chess boards, I’m far from undefeated.
Tomorrow school lets out for the summer, but due to Covid-19 our track season extends through June so I will still be coaching for a few more weeks. I’ve considered getting an alternative teaching license, or taking on some other role in the school, but with Harrison’s senior year coming up, along with my coaching duties, I’m really questioning adding significantly to my commitments.
Still, school will be back in session in August, and I reckon I’ll probably be in the building in some capacity. Perhaps I should work on my chess game this summer as well.