I took elementary education in college. I have a teaching degree. I am a dog breeder. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN??? Oh yeah, I wanted to stay home and raise my kids, and home school them. I did what I wanted to do, and I’m happy about that.

But now they are all in school and it was my goal this year to do a little substitute teaching, and today was a day that I got to do just that. I worked at Kendrick’s school today and I loved every minute of it! I know I need to be a teacher for a living, someday, but for now, I’m happy just being the sub. It allows me to still be mom, still raise adorable puppies, and still have time to my self, without the pressure of having a full-time job.

I have to say that these kids are some of the best kids I’ve ever worked with, and I did a fair amount of subbing back before I was married. This is the 3rd time I’ve subbed at this school and I feel the kids really don’t give me a hard time at all. They are well-behaved and respectful, and that’s actually a lot to say about kids of this generation.

The day began like a normal day with worship, songs, prayer, and math class. The kids did some work on the computers for math today, an easy option when the sub takes over. After math, we piled into 3 vehicles and headed to a local church to help them clean up their “Journey Through Bethlehem” presentation that they had performed the previous weekend. I’m quite sorry that I didn’t know anything about it, as even the remnants of the activity looked amazing. I’m definitely putting this on my holiday to-do list for next season!

The kids worked in teams to tear down each little booth, depicting different elements that would have been normal in the town of Bethlehem when Baby Jesus was born. We bagged up lots of baskets, herbs, grains, pottery, jewels, and those are just a few of the ones I helped with. Each booth had several storage containers tucked away amidst the decorations, and we all dutifully filled them, and then hauled everything to a storage building near the church.

After we were all done with the project, they fed us pizza and Sprite, and there was plenty of food for all! The kids had worked up quite an appetite and I was glad they provided enough food for everyone to eat till they were plumb full! We then returned to the school and did some Christmas poetry reading before heading up to the Academy gym for basketball.

I loved the idea of playing basketball with the kids. Not only should I have been a teacher, but I should have been a P.E. teacher. The only reason I didn’t do it was because all my Academy classmates said that is what I was going to be, and somehow I got stubborn and decided to prove them wrong. I had so much fun helping the kids through some basketball drills, and finally setting up a couple 3 on 3 games, where I helped be sure everyone had a chance to handle the ball.

Before I knew it, I looked at my phone and it was 1:29pm, and I was supposed to have the kids back to the elementary campus by 1:30!! We all scrambled to put the balls away, and then scurried down to the elementary school, feeling a little guilty! After PE, it was time for music, and practicing for the upcoming Christmas program this Sabbath. During this time, the teacher’s aide took over, as she knew more about what was coming, and it was supposed to be a bit of a surprise for the parents.

After the practice time, we headed back to the school room, the kids did their BYL (before you leave) chores, and we said prayer and dismissed.

I know the day will come when I will teach in a classroom. I’m thinking once Kendrick is in high school, I would be able to handle a full-time job. But in the meantime, I am happy to sub, especially if all the days are enjoyable as today!! I felt happy all day long!