I like to teach. I wish I had gotten a master's degree in teaching rather than in social work. I enjoyed substitute teaching at least 95% of the time for a local school system. However I got tired of taking a job and then having it get cancelled at the last minute, with no pay. The first year I subbed I went to a high school once and was told they had scheduled in mistake, but not to worry, I would get paid. I stayed and helped the staff with new student paperwork. Things changed and with the tough economy they had hundreds of people applying monthly to sub so we were dispensible!
However last year, 4 times I took a job and didn't get paid for it. We had two snow days. I had shovelled and shovelled to be able to get out of my driveway and was up and dressed at 6:30. The full time and part time staff got paid, but not the subsitutes until someone looked up a rule in the teacher's contract. Then a month later we got paid for one of those days if we were scheduled. Another day I was a few minutes away and got a call on my cell phone saying it was a mistake. Gas costs me almost $10 a day over and back and it was too late to get another job. Then another time I got there and they told me they didn't need me after 2 hours. Again it was too late for another job. Furthermore they had been disorganized and it was a program for high school students with severe behavior problems. I had had it with that!
I looked online for volunteer opportunities and decided to volunteer in a county corrections program. Evidently they used volunteers for juveniles as well as adult males and females at the jails. They told me the big need was at the men's jail. I knew that the inmates couldn't be disrespectful to me or call me names like middle school or high school students in the schools sometimes did. I wanted to just be able to go and do my thing and not get involved with any other of their problems ( like working with families).
I also knew that many people wouldn't feel comfortable volunteering in a jail. Previously I had tried to help mostly Illinois inmates get books and helped post their penpal ads at a free penpal web site called lostvault.com . Later a group started called Books to Prisoners in Urbana IL was started and they grew and have sent books to many thousands of prisoners in IL. It's very impressive.
I knew that jail and prison conditions in Minnesota were much better than in IL and that I'd probably feel comfortable volunteering in one. I've gone 4 days now for about 6 1/2 hours a day. It's very well organized. They have many CD's with learning programs on them. The inmates who don't have a high school degree or GED are tested to see what level they are at when they first arrive. They mostly use the computers ( they are not online) and workbooks to work at their own pace.
Some have trouble doing that and that is when they schedule a volunteer tutor to work with them. I get a schedule each day I come in with their names, the time I have them, and what subjects they want help with. Some are learning English now. Some were hopelessly lost in school and didn't get the help they needed. Having been a foster parent I know how that can happen.
I've enjoyed working with them. Most will mention that they have to pass this or that part of the GED, and are leaving at a certain date, so want to pass the test before they leave. Some talk about why they got so far behind. They are dyslexic, moved all the time, and/ or parents didn't care of pay attention to them. I got stumped a little with the science questions.
I have a lot to learn about what materials they have available to help them, and about GED testing and materials. I'm enjoying it and I hope that the men are happy with the help they received.
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