Substitute Teaching

Your experience is more typical than out of the ordinary for subs. Children, even if they are given advance instructions regarding consequences of a negative report from the sub, usually decide that they only have to deal with this person once, so why not let it all hang out?

This does not mean that today's youth are bad. I remember that even in parochial school we were mean to our subs. Such behavior is also more prevelent in older children, middle school and up, so you may want to limit your assignments to the elementary level. Some subs are able to maintain a decent class decorum, but they still must rule with a harder line than permanent teachers.

Those subs who are most successful usually learn ways to make the given material more interesting despite their short notification of the lesson plan. Those who think on their feet quickly are better able to pull off a successful and fulfilling assignment.

You are not alone, but don't be so hard on the kids. Today's youth deal with absentee parents who work 2 or sometimes 3 jobs just to make ends meet, if they even live with their parents. Their only influence must then come from their peers or even worse, the television and it takes a creative mind to find ways to counteract such influences. Good luck on your future assignments!

In my state, they do a background check on you if you are going to be around children at all in an educational setting, and I think it's very appropriate.

Margaret, I found your article very interesting because I am mulling over the prospect of sub. teaching when I retire.

Margaret,

First of all, fingerprinting and background checking is almost universally required whenever children are going to be part of your working job. It is not limited to teaching, either. My 18 year-old son had to be printed and checked before he could serve as a senior camp counselor. Mind you, he had been affiliated with this camp for 14 years - from the time he was pre-school on through high school - and he was and remains an honor student. Even taxi drivers have to be fingerprinted in some states (is that not a hoot?). This is all because of due diligence, lest something happen and the school or school system get taken to task for employing a known criminal or someone having questionable background.

Second, substitute teachers (and even regular ones sometimes) are ripe for fodder. Is it disrespectful? Yes. Is it against the essence of the 'honor your father and your mother' commandment? For sure. (If one behaves badly, it brings dishonor to one's parents). Do the students care? That depends on their homelife and on their friends. If they lack appropriate and respectful guidance at home or with their friends, that will carry over into the classroom.

A teacher's job is to rise above all that external stuff and do the very best they can to make the subject material they are charged with disseminating interesting enough to keep their students wanting to learn more. And to forget about wondering when they'll ever have to really use "this stuff".

I had an aunt who was subbing well into her 70's, in the toughest locations of Chicago. Not only that, she exclusively used public transportation and walked if necessary to get to her assigned school. Her sons would worry about her; my uncle was concerned; somehow she always managed to make it home safe and sound.

She must have been a fantastic sub; the students liked her, apparently; the school system kept offering her a job.

Now, if a 70+ year old woman could teach effectively in Chicago's school system before passing away just two short years ago, who says you can't do at least as well? The world is full of change. Every day there is another break through. Embrace the change, face your challenge, and do the very best you can every day.

I don't like the fact that many of today's students would be hung out to dry and expelled for some of their actions like would have happened in the 1950's and very early 60's. Unfortunately, those days are gone. We have to work with the deck we have been dealt.

Good luck, and for crying out loud, keep smiling!

Have a happy Arbor Day...The Sunflower Loves Everyone

Good article, Margaret!! I think things will get better if you continue to sub at the same school. Once the kids get to know you better, they will also grow to repect you. We would always give the sub a hard time when I was in school, but after we had the same sub a couple of times we showed a lot more respect and even grew to like some of the subs better than our regular teachers. Please, keep your head held high -- the kids will come around.

What wonderful comments. Each of you offered something for me to think about. I laughed at Jeff because he sounds just like I did before I started subbing. And Barb is right about gaining respect when you get the opportunity to teach at the same school several times. I love most of the kids it is just those that Genine talked about that pul my chain before I have time to think about what they are doing.

Thanks for you comment and for letting me vent on that day I had one of "those" days.

I have just started subbing too. Yesterday, I found out what kids think a "cool" sub is. Do you know? Someone who lets them get away with stuff and talks about themselves the entire period. Well, I am not that sub. I expect kids to stay on task, sit in their assigned seat, and keep noise down to a minimum and to behave themselves. It is not rocket science and I refuse to lower my standards. Kids know how to behave and yet their parents and teachers let them get away with anything. And the work that these teachers assign them is so easy. These kids are going to get a rude wake-up call when they start college. Please keep us updated on how things go.

Thank you for understanding. My kids act up for me, but they know that if they misbehave for a sub, I will make them twice as miserable as they made my sub. I always try to leave clear instructions...but sometimes I wonder. I appreciate subs who stick to the lesson plan. *sigh* I just hate missing school. It makes me feel guilty.