I had heard many retired teachers speak of their experiences as substitute teachers and the joy they found in not needing to prepare lesson plans, attend meetings, meet state standards, be concerned about political agendas, administration, disgruntled parents, and staff. The best part was to be sought after with relentless passion by secretaries to the point of begging them to substitute as the school was short of help. Having the best of all worlds seemed like a good idea to me. Hence I joined the substitute teacher ranks of a local school district, pursued my business interests, continued to consult with educators, write and best of all, when, where and how I chose to do what I wanted. What I was not prepared for is what I found in the classrooms I entered.