Talking to the Sub

 On both Monday and Thursday this week, my mentor has been out of the classroom. On Tuesday and Wednesday when I saw her, she continued to bring up that she's "done", "over it", and "spent". While I understand the sentiment, it was her choice to stay until fall break. Trust me, she keeps telling her students. "I chose to stay until fall break for you. I could've already left!" So I know seeing this sub twice this week is a result of giving up, not illness. Which sucks.

Why? Because both days have just been movies. The sub said "I love subbing for this teacher because all we do is watch movies!" Monday was "Princess Bride". Today was "A Knight's Tale". It's very revealing, not just of her actions this week, but of her teaching history. This is a pattern, according to the sub. Knowing her use of guilt on students and her admission of being checked out, I don't know how much she's been "in" the classroom. 

This conversation with the sub has explained to me why the students interact with each other and the teacher the way they do. This classroom, then, has been a cautionary tale.