On Tuesday evening, I got a late-night call to fill in for the PE teacher. After a quick run-down of where everything in the gym was located, what skills were to be taught and a description of the games and the techniques used for teaching and for classroom management, I was ready to go…. well, almost. I took a bit of time typing everything up so I would be organized in this unfamiliar territory and finally hit the hay.

My first day subbing as PE teacher in this school was so much fun! The lesson plan was accomplished, the students were responsive and I even got to juggle. (This juggling bit did fit in with the lesson, since the students were trying to master the skill of popping a ball straight up into the air with regular precision. In juggling, the balls must follow a consistent arc. I am not an expert juggler, but the kids enjoyed it anyways. As one enthusiastic little boy put it, “Your juggling was fantastic, and this day was fantastic too!” This makes me want to practice my juggling so that one day I may be a bit closer to making that generous statement true.

One classroom management pattern that made my job much easier was the assignment of “home base” spots for every student in each class. In the midst of paddle and ball pandemonium, I could just say, “Go to home base,” and all of the students would return to their spots and be ready to listen. Oh, and the wireless microphone helped a great deal as well. The students could actually hear me and I didn’t have to yell; thus, even a soft-spoken individual can be a gym teacher.