Geometrically challenged

    My brain, usually, enjoys helping our resident 5th grader with her math homework. My idiot tired body has to be dragged to our dining room table to do this, but masochistic as it sounds, I like helping my kid understand something. We, as parents, are also slowly trying to get her majesty to understand the concept that tests need to be studied for even when there's no direct homework involved. Mommy, however, was the one who needed help recently. In my defense, there were no polygons or prisms whatsoever on the CPA exam and there is not one quadrilateral refernce in the entire tax code (I'm pretty sure, at least.).
    Recently one evening, I was helping our daughter review math concepts for a test. As we got further and further into the questions, I was the one who was getting schooled. She had to explain a couple of concepts to me which was both comforting and scary. I'm glad she gets it for her test but what happens if I get stuck trying to teach this crap?!  I'm guessing that it's a good thing I didn't ask how a person would handle something like this at the job interview or I wouldn't have gotten the job. This trip down memory lane could easily turn into a face plant if I'm not careful.
     I'm going to have to put on my teacher pants as it is just to make sure I stay in control of a class. Talk about getting out of your comfort zone! The vice principal I spoke to assured me there would be one day of training, which seemed a bit short. I was also promised that my first assignments would be in coteaching rooms and instructional aide spots. These guys must really need the help if they're willing to take me on. There is a part of me that can't help but feel that this is unfair, in a sense. There's a lot of administrative hoops to jump through to become a substitute teacher but that's all they are, administrative.
     We, as a family, have skin in this game, so to speak, so I understand at a personal level, the importance of teaching. I don't want to talk myself out of a job but I was surprised that all it took was a bachelor's degree and some paperwork to become a substitute teacher. I have a lot of deference to the women (and men) who followed the "correct path" from the beginning and suffered through the exams and student teaching. It surprises me the district gives the title of substitute to a suburban "mommy off the street" with just one day of training. You need more training than that to prepare a tax return. I can't help but think there's more to it than babysitting 20 odd kids for a day.
     So, am I smarter than a sixth grader? I'm about to find out.