Substitute Teachers?

My school system does not treat substitutes poorly…I guess it depends upon the area you live in. In my district they make $140 a day. All that is required is a bachelors degree (in anything) and a clean criminal background check.

As a teacher though, I am disappointed that we don’t have “professional substitutes” who earn a salary and benefits (like floating tellers at the bank)…who are teachers, know the curriculum and can step in without me having to write up a 10 page blow-by-blow of the lessons and etcetera for the day. ~ I have to be deathly ill to take a day off, otherwise the preparation beforehand is not worth it.

I’ve always suspected that is how my school systems keeps “sick days” at a minimum as it is a punishment to take a day off.

I don’t know about all school systems, but in many districts substitute teachers do not require a teaching degree. I think this sometimes makes them look “less than” other teachers, which I think is wrong. I have done substitute teaching and I know what a hard job it is and now I am an actual teacher with my own classroom. Hats off to those who choose to be a substitute teacher!

I think it’s because substitutes are usually wonderful or awful, but rarely in between. It’s nervewracking because you never know what kind of person you’ll get.

For me as a teacher, substitutes are an incentive to avoid taking sick and personal days. We have some substitutes in our district who I request when I know I’ll be gone because I know my kids will be left in good hands. However, I have also had subs who in an effort to look cool to my students tossed out my lesson plans and just let the kids dop their own thing for the day. My kids then felt like they’re receiving a punishment when they’re workload increases to compensate for what they missed and I inevitably come across as the bad guy.

Speaking for the other side, I also realize how tough it can be for a sub. I worked as a substitute right after graduation and immediately saw the pros and cons. If a teacher has poor classroom management, the sub deals with absolute hell while the teacher is gone. Likewise, the teachers with great classroom management and who leave behind detailed lesson plans/activities are rare gems for substitutes.

I think it depends on how your demeanor. I too, was once a sub teacher for 6 years before I received my teaching certification. I went into the classroom everyday expecting that the students were going to learn. I didn’t come to teach a class and goof off. I was there to teach and the students were going to learn. I had a positive outlook at every opportunity. As a sub, I informed principals how I felt about the school and my experiences. Now as teacher, I still make sure that subs in my building are welcomed because at one time, I was in the same situation. But on the other hand, some subs don’t follow lesson plans left and so on.. When this occurs, I think this is why sub teacher are treated badly.

They are disposable. Honestly, in some schools the actions of the students and the indifference of the administration is or should be criminal incompetance.

Keep fighting the good fight. It is the same thing as walking in a park at night. Don’t act like a victim. That is what I do and I usually don’t have much trouble but they always test me. I got my first teaching job by being a substitute. I was called in by the principal to be hired on the spot.

As a very wise friend once told me, since the requirements for a sub differ from a teacher, they are seen as “less” or incompetent. Instead of judging performance or innate teaching ability, there is envy and gossip. They are seen as “babysitters” instead of the true professionals they are. Imagine going into a new and different environment every time you work. Imagine being concerned for your physical being because of the actions of the students. My hats off to every substitiute, they have a very tough job.

I had a replace that stored taking photographs rubber bands and throwing paper airplanes at extremely some human beings. Then he could stand at the back of a pupil and whisper issues. while the youngster rotated to work out what became occurring, the sub could turn around too. We have been attempting to computer screen a technological know-how video, yet he became merely so distracting! I bear in techniques him breaking out into dance while the credit rolled. It became very odd….yet i think he became merely a satisfied person. Wow, and that i merely found out this became the comparable sub that got here in pretending he could desire to no longer often talk. He had different scholars speaking for him. approximately 0.5 way with the aid of the class he admitted his voice became merely fantastic.

They’re seen as expendable, like an unending supply of cheap labour. People can be mean to them without having to live with the consequences of their actions for very long. It’s the same thing as people feeling free to be rude while on holiday: they think “well, I’m not going to see these people again anyway”.

Also, they don’t get enough support from more permanent authorities, to be allowed to discipline or to set a culture of respect in place.

It’s unfair and nasty, but I think it’s likely to stay that way:(