Substitute Teaching

[GBNF]

Anybody else get into this racket?

This is a pretty well-behaved class I got here right now. Only one kid driving me crazy.

Horror stories?

 

[Moderator1]

If you are posting on SJ while doing it, it must be a good racket.

 

[GBNF]

Yes, yes it is.
Nothing to do today...they're taking science tests and I'm basically babysitting.

 

[beardpuller]

You know, I've actually thought about that, for when the apocalypse really is now. That and truck driving school.
My wife subbed while making the transition from journalism to teaching several years back. Problems: It didn't pay very well, even by newspaper standards, and 2. Some asshole was always calling at 5 in the morning to see if she wanted to work at such-and-such school that day.

 

[Cousin Oliver]

You know, I've actually thought about that, for when the apocalypse really is now. That and truck driving school.
My wife subbed while making the transition from journalism to teaching several years back. Problems: It didn't pay very well, even by newspaper standards, and 2. Some asshole was always calling at 5 in the morning to see if she wanted to work at such-and-such school that day.

They have an automated system where I live. They actually e-mail you and you can set up your availability online. It's a huge improvement.

If anyone is even remotely interested in teaching, I would definitely, definitely recommend subbing as much as you can. Not just to get a read on actually being in the classroom, but you can make some connections, too.

And, of course, it goes without saying that kids' behaviour varies wildly by location -- a babysitter one day, a prison guard the next.

 

[vonnegutnaked2]

I did it for a while after I finished college and before I found a real live job in journalism. In fact, I had already accepted a job as my old high school's in school suspension supervisor when I got the word that I had a newspaper job.

Two big things I didn't like about it:
1. Early, early start to the day. I was already on that 3 p.m.-Midnight like schedule that many of us are accustomed to, so being in the school building by 7:45 a.m. was tough. I'm not ashamed to admit this, but a couple of times during the teacher's prep period, I would close the door and take a short nap.

2. It could be extremely boring. A couple of times, I had to show the same movie (it was near the end of a semester, so it was like Shrek 2 or something) for six periods. I wised up later on and started taking in piles of magazines/books or even some freelance assignments I was working on to make those kinds of days go faster.

All in all, it was a mostly good experience. I had one horror day of a bunch of seventh graders who were horribly behaved. But, talking to other teachers in the building, that was commonplace for that group. High school kids never out and out misbehaved as I recall, they were just really lazy at times. So, I didn't care too much if they just slept rather than doing some worksheet, so we got along okay.

I did once sub two kids who were severely ADHD for half a day. That included following them into the regular classroom for "inclusion". After those four hours, I was exhausted.

 

[MileHigh]

Did it about 10 years ago for some extra $$$. Helped that I mostly did it at my old high school and for teachers who wanted me. And the school secretary would always set me up to where I could finish early (as in, got the "conference period" at the end of the day).

Pay was crap ($90 a day), but it helped with the bills back then.

 

[mustangj17]

The guy that I coach track with does in school suspensions, and it typically would be bad, but all the kids are track kids.

They know if they get in trouble they can just sleep for 3 hours or watch tv, because the sub doesn't care.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

My uncle used to sub, until he got in a bit of trouble and the state revoked his teaching license.

 

[mustangj17]

My uncle used to sub, until he got in a bit of trouble and the state revoked his teaching license.

Does Poindexter know your uncle?

 

[Oggiedoggie]

I've thought about substitute teaching from time to time, but I've always been worried that I might run into some doe-eyed Sabra in a seventh-grade classroom.

 

[Batman]

Beware the classrooms with this poster on the wall.