Chronicles of A Substitute Teacher: Why WOULDN’T Anyone Sign Up For This? – The Perks of Being A Substitute Pt. 1
In the spirit of all fairness, I want to highlight the wonderful perks that come with becoming a substitute teacher. It is almost overwhelming to start this article because there are so many reasons I absolutely love what I am fortunate enough to do and experience within my profession. In fact, I fully anticipate writing this article in a series because there is just so much I am truly grateful to have experienced. Each substitute may find something more rewarding than others, but I think we can all agree that the relationships we get to build with others is always are the top of the list. In any workplace you can be easily run down or lose your passion if you do not have healthy and encouraging relationships with others. Thankfully, as a substitute teacher, I am challenged every day to meet new people and build a working relationship with them in order to be successful at what I do. This article will focus on the relationships I built with other adults as a substitute teacher.
One of my most prominent examples of this happening with the adults I interact with include being asked to apply for an available position within a school I went to after working one day in a science teaching position. It was quite a confidence boost to have made such a positive impression that a teacher would recommend me for a position that had only met me hours before, and in a school that I really enjoyed working for, no less. Not only were other teachers helpful, but I have had custodians help me and a student clean up a mess made in a bathroom once. One day a nurse was kind enough to check my vitals and give me a brief physical during a scary medical episode at school so that I could get back to class without (much) worry. Principals and campus security have been there to help me locate a student that decided to take the scenic route back from the bathroom one day. And secretaries were always a wealth of knowledge when it came to locating basic office supplies, equipment, and secret candy or food stashes.
Handfuls of wonderful experiences were had working within an Early Childhood Center this year. I almost did not did not take a sub position there initially because I didn’t feel very qualified to work with kids in such a young age group, and with such a high population of students with special needs. I ended up working long term in that position for over three months this year. I am so glad that I did because I met such amazing teachers that were so supportive of me that they openly helped me study for additional certification exams, practiced interview questions with me, and gave me countless recommendations to other jobs within the district where they worked before the long term position was created. (I am currently fulfilling a week long assignment for one of them this week, actually). I have no doubt I was truly blessed to join their work family and cannot sing their praises enough.
They, along with the educators I worked with in other schools and districts, also taught me more about classroom and time management, communicating effectively with students and parents, and the inner workings of a school system than I could even have thought to learn about in my college courses. Everything sounds great in theory, but in all practicality you have to find out what works best for you and your students, and every school, student, teacher, and classroom is unique.
The grace I was given and the lessons I have learned from these relationships have been paramount in helping me recover from a terrible teaching experience at the beginning of the year. I have no doubt that I would not have been offered, and accepted, a full-time position already without their guidance and encouragement. For someone that was a first-time college graduate with very few teacher friends, I now feel like I have an army of educators that I can call at any time of day for any reason and receive a wealth of knowledge and resources to help me solve any problem I face in the upcoming year, and that is invaluable.
Stay tuned for Pt. 2 Where I discuss another perk of being a substitute teacher: building positive relationships with students!
You can see my previous blogs for Chronicles of A Substitute Teacher below
June 11, 2017- Where Are My Fellow Educators?
June 12, 2017- How Did I Even Get Here?
June 13, 2017-How Many Times Do I Have To Give The FBI My Fingerprints?
June 14, 2017- The Challenges of Being A Substitute Teacher
Stay awesome,
I commend you on being a substitute teacher. I was a sub for 6 months before I got a full-time position. There were a lot of good days, but oh my God, the bad days could be brutal.
I definitely have a lot I am gonna miss when I start my full time position in August, but definitely not the bad days. My husband learned real quick if he would come home to find me drinking a glass of wine or napping on the couch before dinner that it was best not to ask how my day went. Luckily those days were few and far between. I bet subs love coming in for you now because you know what they need to have a good day with your class!
What grade will you be teaching? and congrats on getting a position. Yes, my lesson plans are so detailed with everything I could possibly think they might experience throughout the day.
I will be an 8th grade science teacher next year. What grade do you teach?
5th this year. I was 4th grade last year, but am looping up with my students.
How exciting for you and your students! I loved teaching the upper elementary kiddos. Though some days they made my frustrations with middle school drama look like small peanuts in comparison, lol. One of my best friends teaches 5th and I often call on her when I am at my wits end with what to do with behaviors because I know she has handled it all.
LOL!!! There's definitely a lot of hormones starting up at 4th and 5th. It's my goal to move to middle school eventually.
When you do, and you will, just say the word and I will help you find any resources you need! Is there a specific content area you want to teach? Im certified social studies and science but was told in advance that social studies positions would be hard to find and science is a higher need field. I love all the content areas but I am thrilled to be teaching science next year.