Always On The Clock

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This afternoon as I was leaving the house to pick Gretch up from class, three girls came running down the sidewalk toward me, yelling out, "Hey! Aren't you a substitute teacher???" I paused and walked toward them and chatted with them briefly.

One of them asked if I remembered Ms. Costello's class at Barkstall. Another asked me if I had ever taught at Kenwood, and the third (the youngest), said, "Yeah, he's taught at Kenwood! He taught Ms. Merkle's class!" They then chatted briefly about their classes and some of their fond memories about me substituting. "Hey, remember when Ollie asked where you got your hair?"

The strange thing about all this is that I haven't been to Kenwood or Barkstall in nearly a year. And yet these girls saw me from a distance and recognised me as one of their substitute teachers. It reminded of something that is emphasised at the Illinois Teen Institute: as a role model for youth, you are always on the clock.

You may not think of yourself as a role model, but in reality, regardless of your profession or occupation, when it comes to children and youth, you, as an adult, are always on the clock.

Something to think about, for sure.

Comments

Ginny said…
My mom is a substitute teacher, and because of that, I never underestimate their value. I know part of it is that she goes out of her way to care, and that Douglas is so small it only has one high school, and she pretty much only subs there. But, I can't go to the grocery store with her without a few checkers or baggers or stock boys/girls saying Hi to Mrs. Harris. And, I know it means a lot to them when she goes to their choir concerts or band competitions. It doesn't matter if it is only an adult you see in your class a couple times a semester. A postive adult role model is still important!
October 23, 2009 at 9:11 PM
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