A little bit about me: I'm a credentialed (licensed) teacher in the state of California. Unfortunately, I am no teaching full time right now. That is why this blog is called Teacher Without a Classroom. I am currently a substitute teacher in something like 4 counties. Yes, this means I travel quite a bit when I'm subbing.
I am also a part time librarian in a small town. This gives me about two to three days a week to substitute. This works wonders for me. It supplements my income from substituting, which to be honest, isn't a whole lot these days.
The school year officially started about two weeks ago (well three for one school district I sub in). Of course, it take a little while for the phone to start ringing once the school year starts. So far, I believe I have had 5 calls. I have only taken one job. Why? Well, the answer has to do with my job as a librarian and my daycare situation. Like I stated earlier, I can sub about two to three days a week. Therefore, if I get a call on a day I'm already working, it's obviously going to be a "No" to the sub caller (which in most cases here is an automated system). There was also a job that was on a day when my husband works and as of this point in the school year, my daycare provider is full most days of the week. This is a problem that I know come later on in the school year will rectify itself. Otherwise, I am available to sub.
So, I got a job the other day for tomorrow. So I thought this would be a great time to go over some tips for being a substitute teacher:
1. Do whatever you can the night before. This is important because sometimes schools will call you and leave you very little time before the school day starts to actually get ready and get there. So pack your lunch the night before (especially if you know you are going to be subbing the next day). Also, lay out your clothes. If you don't know if you are going to be subbing, keep a section in your closet with clothes that are appropriate for teaching.
2. Check your Sub Bag of Tricks. Many teachers tell you they have a "bag of tricks" to pull from. Most of the time, these are figurative. With substitutes, this is a literal bag of tricks. I like to have lots of different things available at my fingertips: including office supplies, a form for the teacher to let them know how the day went, goodies (in the form of educational type things) for the kids, a couple of books, and various other things.
3. Keep a calendar. Whether you sub in lots of school districts like I do, or you just have a lot going on, a calendar can be your best friend. I keep one in my bedroom near my bed. Mine is even color coded so I know what days my husband is working and what days I'm working where. This way, when you get that call that wakes you up at five in the morning, you can quickly check and see if your available.
4. Stick to the plan. This is by far the biggest piece of advice I can give you. As a classroom teacher, I had any number of substitutes. Some were awesome, some weren't. The ones that weren't were the ones that didn't do what I had laid out and instead did their own thing. The classroom teacher probably took a lot of time to lay out what she wanted you to do. Remember, you are there filling in for the regular classroom teacher. In general, students will lose at least one, if not two days of learning whenever there is a substitute. Do you best to stay with the plan so that the students don't fall behind their peers.
5. Be flexible! This is the biggest thing I can say about being a substitute. There will be days when things will happen that you are not prepared for and are not in the plan. For example: fire drills. So try to go with the flow and relax. The calmer you are, the calmer the students will be.
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