Sub Prep

Last week was Catholic Schools Week. Each day during CSW we honor a different group in our community. On Monday we celebrated parents. Tuesday was set aside to honor teachers and school staff. Wednesday was for our faith filled community and Thursday was for other supporters (alumni and donors), and Friday was student appreciation day. We also have a spirit week of sorts, with crazy hats, crazy hair, Catholic spirit wear, and a non-uniform day during the week, along with a best uniform day on the day we celebrate mass as a school community. Crazy hair used to be overwhelming for me. I have lots of hair. I should be able to do something crazy, but I already have purple and blue hair dye streaked throughout my locks.

I think I did okay. Crazy Mrs. Conrow.

My students were clearly excited for teacher and staff appreciation day this year. As soon as they learned Tuesday was the day to show their gratitude for me, I was inundated with questions. "Mrs. Conrow, what's your favorite color?" "Do you have a favorite flower?" "What kind of things do you like?" Um.... isn't it obvious? Yes. Other students answered for me. One look around my classroom informs enough about my likes for fourth graders and their families to do an amazing job of showing their thanks.

I got a "Coolest Teacher Award"

A heartfelt card that made me laugh out loud.

Genuine Parent Gratitude

Handdrawn Wonder Woman Card

This year Catholic Schools Week ended with me staying late to prep for a sub to be in for me for three days. I will be a member of an accreditation visiting team for another Catholic School in my Archdiocese on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I will be boarding a ferry tomorrow afternoon to travel to the edge of a national park to observe another school and help write a report of findings. I stayed in my classroom until nearly 6:00pm on a Friday night, writing sub plans and making copies. I spent Saturday afternoon creating a Google Slide deck to help guide my sub through three days of instruction. Admittedly the slide show is bare bones compared to what I usually put together, but I also usually only put one day together at a time. I also made many more copies for my sub than I would have made for myself.

Putting together sub plans this year was more overwhelming than I remember in past years. I know I have missed days before, to be a part of an accreditation team even. I don't remember the prep being this time consuming or mentally taxing. Is it COVID? Is it being in a relatively new grade level?  Did I used to even make slide shows for my subs? No matter the cause, prepping for a sub took on a new dimension for me this time around.