Yesterday I subbed for the first time in a long time. I was a roving sub which meant I went to two different classes instead of staying in one class the whole day. In the morning I subbed in a kindergarten class then went to a first grade class for the afternoon. The teachers were collaborating within their grade levels on literacy plans. Imagine that, teachers actually working together. I mean, just the concept that they would talk to each other let alone plan together blows me way. (We never did that last year at my old school. But, I digress.)
I enjoy kindergarten classes, really. The activities are so much fun and none of the students think it odd when I break into a song complete with hand movements! We sang about the months of the year. We looked at patterns on the calendar represented by Washington’s silhouette, Lincoln’s silhouette, and a heart. We counted the number of days students have been in school and bundled sticks together by tens to form hundreds. We read (yes, these kindergartners were reading) a story about George Washington. You get the idea. Pretty much the entire morning was like this.
But, one of the things I don’t like about subbing is I am exposed to Lord knows what kind of illness. How can children who look perfectly normal be harbingers of Black Death with no outward signs? They skip and play and sing, all while their little bodies cook up a veritable soup of viruses, microbes, and bacteria that would bring down an elephant.
I should have known better than to sub while I was feeling tired. When I got to the class, the onslaught began and my already compromised body didn't stand a chance.
“Can you open my snack?” they whined as I naively never suspected they already tried to open it – with their mouths!
“Can I hold your hand?” they asked, stealthily delivering a shot of their microscopic goo.
“Goodbye Mrs. McMichael” they chirped hugging me, creating a physical bridge to pass their incubating illness to my host body.
I washed my hands and tried be smart about all of this. But, by the time I got home the only thing I could think about was a shot of Zicam and a few hours on the couch. The next time I do kindergarten I may just wear a mask and gloves and tell the kids it’s “Medical Profession Day”.
