What I’ve Learned Series (Part 1): Substitute Teaching

At the age of 19, I became a substitute teacher for middle and high school public schools. This is what I learned.

The Public Education System is Far From Perfect

This is an obvious statement and one that needs to be addressed. Before I became a substitute teacher, I was an education major who was ignorant to the many flaws of the public school system. Below are the flaws that have been revealed to me.

1. You spend more time addressing behavior issues rather than teaching the content. There are countless of students with behavior and authority issues that remain in the classroom that, on a daily basis, district other students from learning and drive the teacher crazy.

2. The workload of a teacher is heavy compared to the amount they get paid. Grading paper for 150 students, accommodating students with specials needs, teaching multiple grades and classes, creating lessons for each grade and class, catching flak from parents, catching flak from administration, catching flak from students, and the many more demands of a teacher.

3. Many teachers effort put into the heavy workload tend to go overlooked by administration and the school board.

4. Many schools back the students before they back up the teachers in problematic situations. I have personally been in a situation as a substitute where I have been removed from subbing at a school based merely on statements from a student. I was never talked to about the situation, asked about what happened, and ended up finding about the situation two weeks later. In cases where the teacher isn’t backed up by administration, teachers tend to leave.

5. Some parents treat the public school as a babysitter. These parents expect the schools to be the parents for 7 hours a day. These parents tend to be lazy in taking responsibility for the education of their children and just resort to handing them over to the public school. The same parents tend to not be involved in what their children do on a daily basis, who they hang out with, and if they even do their homework or not.

6. The majority of teachers that I have talked to in many of the schools I have subbed at, do not like their job. They are either in misery or just tolerate the days that go by. Many of them have even discouraged me from continuing my pursuit of an education degree.

Substituting High School Students as a 19 Year-Old is Awkward

One of the most awkward situations in the classroom is when a high school student asks me “how old are you?” What is even more awkward is when they guess right, “You’re like 19 aren’t you?” The younger you are, the more you lose the sense of authority with middle and high school students. They tend to view you as a peer rather than one with authority. My Solution: wear a shirt and tie. This doesn’t always work, but it helps.

Confidence and Professionalism is a Must

Substitutes who I have heard of or seen that do not have confidence or professionalism either get fired or do their job poorly. This is an obvious, but when you are working with children, it needs to be addressed. I have seen that in order to become a respectable teacher, you must have confidence and must be professional. Texting the students you sub for is unacceptable. Following the students you substitute for on social media is unacceptable. Acting like 5 year-old who is scared to go into the classroom because it is his/her first day of school is unacceptable. There may be fear, but don’t show it. Be above reproach.

Any Education Major Should Become a Substitute before They Graduate

1. A quick way to learn how to manage a classroom is by being in a classroom. Become a substitute and you cannot only be in the classroom, you can get paid for it as well. The majority of what I know about managing a classroom has come from trial and error as a sub. If you can get a head start on this aspect of teaching, you are winning half the battle.

2. Just as substitute teaching will give you experience, it will also make you think twice about wanting to be a teacher if that is your desire. It is hard work being a teacher. Once I finally stepped into the classroom and not just learning about the classroom at college, the dynamics changed. You will be able to get a little taste of what teaching will be like. It has made me think more than twice if I really want to do this. Many teachers say the joy of students learning and growing is motivation each and every day to enjoy their job as a teacher. To be honest, I have never related to this. The hassle of dealing with outrageous behavior is enough to put that flame out each and every day.

3. While subbing, you are able to take a look inside a variety of potential job fields. Every school I have substituted at has given me an inside perspective into future employment. After subbing close to 15 different schools, I can confidently say “Yes, I would work there” and “No, I would never work there.” You get an inside scoop on the behavior of administration, students, and teachers.

There are Differences between Being a Substitute and Being the Actual Teacher

Just as subbing will make you think twice about teaching, it is also a reminder that it won’t be exactly the same as a teacher. Every time I have a hard day subbing, I have to keep reminding myself that it isn’t going to necessarily look like this as a teacher. As a teacher, you are with them five days a week for 180 days. You build relationships with them, you learn how to manage each classroom, you learn how to teach to their strengths, and you learn how to enjoy teaching all 150 students. Yes, there is still difficult days in the midst of the ride, but it won’t be as bad. When students see a sub, they yell “it’s a free day”. When they see a teacher, they yell “we have to work today”. These two contexts say it all.

The Reward Might Seem Small, But There is Still a Reward

Teachers are always saying that they get tremendous amount of joy from teaching students and watching them have that “AHA” moment. They say this is what spurs them on as a teacher. This is the very thing I ask myself. Is teaching worth it for this cause alone? If it is or even if it isn’t, this is still a reward from teaching. The joy that comes along with helping students with concepts that they struggle to understand. To help them answer life’s big questions and guide them to a place of flourishing that can go beyond academics. To be that role model for them if they don’t have any at all. I can’t deny it, the results do show up along the way, even if takes a while to get there.