Sad after subbing in the middle school.

[Anonymous]

I went to a very bad rural public school. Some of these kids turn out fine, I promise. It is sad to see but try not to let it get you down. And yes, as others have noted, kids are often worse for subs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

1. It's 8th grade.

2. You're a sub.

3. Of course they're not going to respect you or want to do a lick of work

4. And you're so stupid and unaware of the dynamic here, you can conclude they're all doomed after one day!!! Clearly, subbing for that age group is not for you


I don’t know how you raise your kids, but my 8th grader knows to treat both teachers and subs respectfully.


+1. My kid would be in a lot of trouble with me if I found out she was disrespectful and defiant towards an adult in charge of her classroom. Unless she's being asked to do something illegal or dangerous, a child needs to know to comply with reasonable instruction

And yet amazingly, despite being disrespectful to a sub who asked me to stop sleeping on my desk in 8th grade (I didn't feel well and told her to go away and leave me alone), I managed to wind up with a job that pays more than minimum wage.

And here you are as an adult still thinking this was an okay way to handle it.

[Anonymous]

Thank you OP. The defiance is exacerbated by the 9 hours a day of scrolling. The brain isn’t designed for this but profits mean Snap Chat etc. are very happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sus that you’re blaming the kids. They’re children. It’s adults that have failed them.

I'm old enough to know this kind of excuse has little meaning. The ones who shout the most that the adults are failing the kids are often the ones who make it the most difficult for adults to actually help kids through providing structure and direction and standards and expectations.

It's a tough time for kids and many adults who do want to do the right thing.

[Anonymous]

My kids would never act that way.

[Anonymous]

The last day of 8th Grade, the students in my upper-middle class school ran amok, locking the librarian in the library, running around the halls during class, etc, etc. The principal's office ended up being packed with honors students. I was gobsmacked by the extent of the chaos, and, yes, I was there, too. For walking out of Spanish class.

This happened in the days before screens of any kind except for TV. Kids this age are phenomenal jerks.

[Anonymous]

Many schools are just poverty mills, turning out poorly educated, unprepared kids. The kids don't realize they are screwed before they even 'graduate'.

[Anonymous]

Sub here. It starts with the parents.

There are many great, polite, engaged kids. There are others who act up and are total brats. The difference is not the school, the classroom, or the main teacher - the difference lies in the parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I subbed for 8th grade yesterday. It made me sad. So many kids on track to "dead end" lives. Some can't read. some aren't willing to do any work at all, just sit on their phones all class period. Many are extremely defiant. One girl announced to the class I was racist because of "the way I looked at her". Kids loudly announcing they "hate all subs". So many of these kids seem to be headed to a life on minimum wage jobs. They don't seem to understand that this is their chance to create a good future. Of course there were some really great kids too, but overall I feel sad.

"The world needs ditch diggers, too."
- Ted Knight, Caddyshack 1980 (c)

[Anonymous]

Thank you for subbing. I truly hope your class was just having a bad day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for being a sub, OP! Seriously.

+1000000

Can you tell us where you subbed? I have an 8th grader, and so many kids misbehave. I blame the schools though! They allow it, and they haven’t educated the kids so when they hit 8th grade, they are behind and filled with attitude & defense mechanisms.

+1 OP, you are awesome for subbing. We need more subs.

I remember when I was in MS/HS some of the kids were terrible, especially to the subs. Not much different to today, though. My DD (MS, who is pretty sensitive) tells me how horrible some kids are to the teachers, and subs.

But, yea, they learn from their parents. Look at how some of the parents behaved towards students who were testifying about school boundary, mask mandates. They bully the kids who end up crying.

The adults are a$$holes, and they are producing the next generation of a$$holes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
And yet amazingly, despite being disrespectful to a sub who asked me to stop sleeping on my desk in 8th grade (I didn't feel well and told her to go away and leave me alone), I managed to wind up with a job that pays more than minimum wage.

Would you ever sub? I'm thinking no because you know kids can be little sh1ts to teachers, as you were once. What would you do if all the teachers/subs quit because they can't deal with the attitude from the kids and parents anymore?

Do you make enough to pay for private school?

When I didn't feel well in school, and had my head down, I told the teacher I wasn't feeling well, and she said, "Ok, if you need to use the bathroom or go to the health room, don't need to ask.. just go."

I'm sure you managed to grow up to be an ahole adult.

And I make way more than minimum wage, too.

[Anonymous]

OP I hear you. I went with an educational touring group into prisons and schools some years ago. I was more afraid in the middle school than I was in the all male prison full of rapists and murderers (partly because granted, there were GUARDS), but also because they behaved so much better than the scary middle schoolers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP I hear you. I went with an educational touring group into prisons and schools some years ago. I was more afraid in the middle school than I was in the all male prison full of rapists and murderers (partly because granted, there were GUARDS), but also because they behaved so much better than the scary middle schoolers.

Yes! Let’s make schools more like prisons

Jesus you people are literally nuts. OP was a new face to a bunch of 8th graders who were goofing off for a sub. I was a straight A AP student who did the same. It’s hard being a sub kids aren’t going to take you seriously sorry

[Anonymous]

I truly believe many of those kids grow up to do just fine. Many will get their act together and go on to get a decent job and live a nice life.