I've been fighting a cold since Monday. Today I decided I would actually try to get better rather than pushing myself through school. It always amazes me and annoys me every time I'm sick and realize, "I can't just not go in, I have to do something so that my kids can still learn." I'm sure other jobs require some planning or something if you can't go into the office but for teachers you HAVE to have plans for a sub even if you're throwing up with the flu.
In some ways (especially on sick days) it's incredibly annoying.
On other days it's kind of neat to think that I am, for those kids in my class, indispensable. Or at least my training, education, and the presence of a competent adult in the classroom. But if I didn't write sub plans most subs wouldn't know what to do exactly and my students would try to help but probably wouldn't learn much that day.
Bottom line is: I don't like being sick. I don't like writing sub plans. BUT, I do like knowing that I am an integral part of my students' education.
