I taught yesterday

This is a vent about kids that are undisciplined, teaching and learning that doesn't happen and the many questions of why.

I really wanted to write about this last night, but frankly I was EXHAUSTED.  I spent the day at one of my local schools teaching library skills.  I love teaching library skills - anyhow I did before retirement and I do when I teach for one of my friends.  But this was very different.  I got there in time to read through lesson plans for the day.  The library classes run 25 minutes each and back to back, there is not time between classes to figure out what will happen next.  Plans for the upper grades in place...great.  Plans for the lower grades NOT anywhere to be found.  I didn't panic, I figured the worst that would happen was a visit to the principle's office and a bye, see ya ... I am not spending my day figuring out someone else's problem. The library para-educator was checking her emails and in walked the teacher with her plans.  We chatted and I looked over the plans. She comments on the way out that her mornings go well, but the afternoons are less than stellar.

First classes come in, I read them a story, we do a bit discussion and talk about some vocabulary, behaviors are under control.  I think - this will be fine.

First class of upper grades show up.  Not a great lesson, but they are finishing a project, I have not seen the entire plan, only the one for this day so I followed through as best I could.  Kids seemed to have sort of an idea of the finished product.  Next class, not so much.  I understand that students do not work at the same pace and do not finish things at the same time.  But the disparity between the classes was great and those who were not very far along appeared to have no grasp on where to go from here.

We managed, I was probably not the most popular substitute ever.  I held them accountable as best I could.  Behaviors were fine for the most part.  Lunch time came and went and the afternoon began.

I don't even know what to say.  Approximately 140+ kids ages 5 to 9 in groups of 20 or so that could not walk into the library, sit down and focus for 25 minutes.  I am not saying every one of the 140+, but the vast majority were unable to manage 25 minutes of attention on a story, video and discussion.  I am not new to teaching and for the life of me I cannot figure out how that huge number of students cannot focus.
It is leadership at the top?  No support for teachers that are doing their best?  Is it teachers who now view teaching as a job instead of a profession?  Teachers on the verge of burnout?  Is it parents who never follow up on what happens at school or are so busy with their own lives that they do not care what happens at school? Is it that particular teacher and the kids have figured out they can get by with bad behavior?  Is it general behaviors that happen in the classroom and everywhere else?

If I knew the answers to those questions then I could solve every question/issue about school behaviors that teachers face each and every day.  But I don't know. I just know that instead of teaching I spent a majority of the day on crowd control, putting out fires and redirecting students.

There was very little learning.
It was not fun.  I do not plan to go back.