A Scab’s Guide to Teaching
In the event of a strike, the Chicago Sun- Times is reporting that the Chicago Public Schools will be opening 144 buildings to be staffed by “principals, assistant principals, Central Office Staff and non-CTU employees, as well as yet-to-be-approved vendors.” They released a guide for those non-teachers to help them prepare for the classroom on Monday. Below is a bit of what is included in the guide:
Among its suggestions on “how to prepare:”
• “Wear a watch — your room may not have a functioning clock.’’
• Dress comfortably as “many schools are NOT air-conditioned.’’
• “You will need to bring your own breakfast and lunch. Please note that you cannot rely on access to refrigerators or microwaves.’’
• “Keep personal items to a minimum.’’
• Sessions for kids run from 8:30 to 12:30 but “you should arrive as early as possible” and be prepared to stay late.
• Bring 30 sharpened pencils, 30 pens and a personal pencil sharpener.
• Bring “stickers or other small inexpensive incentive items.’’
• Bring old magazines and newspapers, puzzles and games.
Non-teachers are given a long list of things to do ahead of time to prepare. They should: study and “internalize’’ recommended classroom management techniques; determine their classroom procedures and “practice explaining them,’’ create a Day One sample schedule, write a supply list and collect it, and “attend trainings.’’
To “create a climate of respect,’’ the tool-kit recommends that non-teachers “communicate with words” and “do not yell, threaten or insult, even if joking.’’
And to make students feel comfortable, they should appear “confident and calm by being firm but friendly. You can accomplish this by writing a general schedule on the board.’’
For third- through eighth-graders, non-teachers are urged to walk students in two single files in the classroom, and “greet each student with a smile and a handshake as they enter.’’
As a “get-to-know-you” game, non-teachers are advised to model a “two truths and a lie’’ game, in which participants share three facts about themselves and students have to guess which one is a lie.
Games to be played during physical education include Simon Says, Farmer in the Dell, Mother May I and Four Corners.
I’m sure Chicago teens are going to LOVE playing Farmer in the Dell!
The Offical Website of the PJSTA 
Mr. Emanual, why not do the BEST RIGHT DECENT HONORABLE thing for Chicago’s sttudents and settlle the contract dispute with the CTU, rather than “preparing” scabs to be ineffective in makeshift classrooms.
Beth Ziff- Dimino, President Port Jefferson Station Teachers Association