One of my best pranks in school was aimed at a substitute teacher. One Friday morning, a substitute teacher pushed in a TV on a cart. As she passed, I grabbed the remote and sat down in my typical back row seat. As the unknowingly sub tried starting the “time filler” video, I would hit stop on the remote after two to three seconds of the video playing. After about a half dozen tries, the teacher frustratedly said: “I guess no class today”, as a few of my cronies and I cheered.
Fast forward 30 years from that college agriculture class to junior high and high school history class in Hutchinson. I was going to be substituting for the legendary Mrs. Moore. Mrs. Moore is known to be the perfect balance of challenging, encouraging, kind and fun history teacher. Every one of her students knows that Thomas Jefferson is her favorite president, and many believe she can recite the entire U.S. Constitution including all 27 amendments.
As I prepared for the day, doubt crept into my mind. Did I have what it takes to fill in for a day? Would karma come back to haunt me? Would this be the time I would pay for my past shenanigans aimed at authority? Were the little urchins just waiting to attack this novice teacher?
Reno County has over 600 teachers (that number doesn’t even include day care providers). Every day, they pour themselves into children as if they were their own. They instruct math, science, English and social studies while practicing the core virtues of courage, moderation, justice and practical wisdom—the skills that make functioning adults out of petulant kids. But even these warriors miss work due to illness, bereavement and in this case, Mrs. Moore had taken a couple of prize students to our national capital, Washington, D.C., for a three-day trip.
This is where the substitute teacher steps in. Some may only step in once or twice a year. While others, like my neighbor Sheila Elliott, saved the day over 50 times a year for over a decade.
And why do we love to substitute teach? I think we love to see the curious minds dealing with conflict and struggling with communicating ideas as they form their worldview. Maybe it’s a reminder and encouragement that we can personally continue in those areas as well. Or maybe it’s that we can go home without grading papers.
Let’s hear it for all the Reno County subs! And let’s especially be thankful when the professional teacher returns!
– Bart Kooiman, rural Hutchinson