Les Toil

I received a late call to substitute teach music at a school that I had not
heard of and only had a vague notion where it might be. I arrived with
about five minutes to spare and was ushered into the music room. As I was
searching for the lesson plan the kids began marching and sat on the floor.
I could think of nothing else to do but tell stories. I had a good bear
story from my youth and a skunk story that my dad told us as kids and a few
odds and end that I could add and subtract as I needed.
The students were very attentive and enjoyed themselves, the forty minutes
flew by and as the first group trekked out the next group entered to replace
them. By the end of the morning I had given seven recitations and was
beginning to wonder if I could make it though the rest of the day. Good
story telling can take a lot out of you.
I ate lunch in my room and looked further for the missing lesson plans but
with no luck. The next group came in and I started all over again. After
the next class a teacher asked me if I shouldn't be teaching music, to which
I responded that I didn't sing, dance or play and I had to do something to
fill the time. At the next break the principal came in and asked me why I
wasn't teaching music. I told her that I had not found the lesson plan and
was forced to fill the time with stories. She stayed for the next session
looking around the room and listening to the story. After about fifteen
minutes she stopped me, asked the students to leave the class room and told
me to collect may things and meet her in the OFFICE. It has been a while
since I have been to the principals office but I knew what was coming.
As I entered the office the principal invited the secretary to come in for
Legal reasons and asked me again why I was not teaching music. I gave my
standard reply to which she waved the paper in her hand. "I found the
lesson plan on the piano bench" (I have no Idea what she was waving around)
"After fifteen minutes?"
I asked.
To this she made some reference to my age, (44 at the time) the stories
that I was telling and inferred that some of the children may need
counseling to over come the effects of the bear story.
She then told me to leave the school. I thanked her for the opportunity and
that I had enjoyed myself and that anytime she needed a sub she could count
on me.
The teacher who tattled was standing in the hall way long faced, I wished
her a good afternoon and walked out into the afternoon sunshine.
I have no idea what was going on at the school on that day but I was made to
feel that I had skulked into impart some evil knowledge that would bring
hordes of news anchors, satellite vans, lawyers, counselors and lynch mobs.
I was an unknown element in the school, sharing in the most simple and timeless pleasure
know to mankind, story telling, and the children responded.