Three Days in the Sixth Grade: Osmosis and Rrrrrrrrr

On Monday I told the story about pushing the black button for an administrator to help me with third period. Now I will tell you about fourth period on the same day to show there is still a chance for good moments to occur in your day as a sub.

The students were instructed to read a story from the their Literature book. This one girl became bored with the story and laid the open book on top of her face. I walked over to her and said with a smile, "You can't perform osmosis that way. You'll have to read the book."

Her and the students near her gave me blank stares. She asked, "What is osmosis?"

"Osmosis, the ability to absorb a substance. Your cells perform osmosis. It's a scientific term."

More blank stares.

"You'll learn about it in science class when you get older. Rent the movie Osmosis Jones." 

Shortly after my academia joke fell flat, a student walked up to me to share a saying about awkwardness. How appropriate. I politely listened, but honestly I did not fully understand what she was saying. At the end of the short awkward statement she tells me can't say the "R" sound and even though she's never been to Boston, she sounds like a Boston native. I told her I have difficulty pronouncing the "R" sound and I went through eight years of speech therapy when I was younger. Her mouth dropped open and she said, "Wow, I've never met anyone with the similar speech issue as me." She gave me a high-five, though I have a feeling she would have given me a hug if a desk wasn't between us. She was all smiles when she turned around and walked back to her seat. 

An example of a rewarding moment as a sub. Though, many people view me as "just a sub" I made a connection with a child who will never forget that moment. When you have a speech impediment and you meet someone else who has one, you will never forget that person. I met with the former Dean of Georgia Southern to discuss a topic of interest to both of us . During the meeting I learned he grew up with a stutter. In class, he would silently pray the teacher wouldn't call on him to read aloud, or he would read ahead so he would be prepared in case he was called on. I made a connection with the Dean that day and I will never forget him, a man who overcame his stutter to become the Dean of Students at an university.

Three Days in the Sixth Grade to be continued.

~Jonnie