` I got my first paycheck for substituting teaching that was automatically deposited on Friday in my checking account. When I got home, I found the paystub came to me via the U.S. Mail. Giving it a glance, I saw that it had a notation PST Retirement deducted from the gross amount for $20.48. I had no clue what PST Retirement was, I didn’t remember signing up for anything like that when I was hired.
Being the age in which we live in today and having the resources available to me to find information, I did what any other person would do to locate needed information: I Googled it. And in doing so I found that PST Retirement is federally mandated for part time employees who work for the State to be automatically enrolled in a retirement plan.
Monday I found myself in a 2nd Grade classroom at Holt Elementary in Lawrenceville. I was required to be there at 7:30 even though class would not begin until 8. I found the classroom and the lesson plan that the teacher had left for me to follow. As I got myself adjusted to the new classroom, a thought came to mind: What percentage of my check is taken out for retirement? I had 3 days of pay on that check at $91 a day which is $273. Taken out for retirement was $20.48 before taxes. What is the percentage? Using my math skills, I sketched it out on the classroom’s white board.
N/100 = 20.48/273
273N=20.48(100)
273N=2048
273N/273 = 2048/273
N = 7.5%
So 7.5% of check will be applied toward retirement. I didn’t erase the board as the students were coming in and I wanted to greet them with a handshake and a verbal introduction. “Hi. I am Mr. Nix. Ms. Daniel is out today and I will be filling in for her. “
As I continue making introductions, I noticed 4 of them were at the whiteboard looking at my equation. This was their conversation.
“What’s that?”
“It’s Math.”
“That’s not math.”
“It is too. I’ve seen it before.”
“No you haven’t.”
“Yeah I have. It’s math.
“Shut up.”
“Do we have to learn that? It’s looks hard.”
After greeting the remainder incoming students, I walked to where the students had gathered.
“No,” I answered. “This is not for y’all. I had a problem I needed solved and this math equation helped me find a solution.”
“It looks hard.”
“It’s not that hard, but y’all are probably 6 or 7 years away from doing something like this. So don’t worry about this. “I picked up the erasure and took my equation off the board.
Later that day as the classroom’s volume level increased exponentially, mostly from a group of boys but sometime girls also I got stern and told them to lower their voices and take their seats at their desks. One of the times that didn’t work, and I had to teach them a lesson in a harder voice tone than normal with, “What part of take your seat and be quiet don’t you understand?” The surprise look on their faces at my question and tone in my voice told me they understood the life lesson I taught.
The End
J.P. Nix 