Summer School Training

I spent Thursday and Friday training to be a helper for summer school. Let me tell you that Thursday would have been fine with a half day.

Thursday was spent at LaSalle Academy. This place is a lot different than from when I went to high school 10 years ago. I tried to poke around and see all the changes and wander around like a dork. They have carpeted every square inch of that building, the nifty diner tables in the cafeteria are gone as is the junior/senior cafeteria...it became a computer lab!

So Thursday we spent an hour learning about the mission of the Summer Explorers program (aka summer school). I have learned that there are 2,050 students attending this years program. Up 500 students from last year, so the program must be doing some good! Then we broke out into smaller rooms where we learned what we would be doing.

I am a helper. What this means is not what I thought it meant! I thought I would just wander around the room helping students with certain concepts or if they became stuck on a certain part or be the cheerleader for the students...tell them what a great job they are doing! Nope...helpers are to be in charge of fluency or the art projects. Let me tell you, I'm teaching! Not that I mind, but $10 an hour is kinda low if I am taking on the responbilities of a teacher!

Friday was spent at our school site. I am at Jefferson and I am thrilled because it is literally 5 minutes from my house! No 30 minute drive here!!! So we all met who we are working with and how this whole operation will run. We are there from 8:15 until 11:45 every morning. The students pick up breakfast when they come and go back to the room and eat then we begin with the lessons for the day!

I am working in a fourth grade classroom with a teacher, instructional assistant, and another helper. So there are four of us in a room helping this students achieve. I have come to find out that the lead teacher taught at St. Mary's when I was in school. He was in charge of the Music/Art portion of our elementary block. Small world, although I barely remember him. The instructional assistant is a guy still in college at Ball State. I'm a little perplexed by this assignment. We were told at the Thursday meeting that all teachers and instructional assistant (I.A.'s) jobs were held by certified people. Gee if I would have known that they were taking people in college to do the I.A.'s job, I would have applied for that position. It is $20 an hour!

Needless to say the other helper in my group is somewhat outraged because she is a permanent building sub and she has more teaching experience than the college guy. She is also having issues because when the lead teacher was assigning the roles of fluency and art teacher. He felt that I would better as the fluency teacher because I have a license as a teacher. Gee that sent her into a tizzy. Oh well....I guess it pays to have a teaching license!

So summer school starts on July 7 and runs through August 1. It is something to keep me busy in the morning hours. Let's face it...I am mentally ready to be back in school. I just need a two or three week break to catch things up around the house. That's why I would love year round schooling...longer breaks throughout the school year rather than one big long break!