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Betty's Blog

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My Lesson Plans

    Ten things I learned as a substitute teacher

    This year has just flown by for me.  If someone had told me last May that I would be substituting this year, I would have laughed.  "Never say never" is one of my new expressions.  It goes right along with "Get over your fine self." 

    This school year I learned to view life from a sub's perspective.  I decided to make a random list of a few things I learned.

    1.  Life is easier if lesson plans are easy to follow, and a teacher has updated seating charts and schedules.

    2.  Students in every grade consider a sub fair game.  Changing seats and names obviously never gets old. 

    3.  Usually at least one student per class will help you with technology or let you know if other kids are giving you incorrect information.

    4.  All students expect you to remember their names.

    5.  Expect to eat lunch by yourself.  Always have something with you to do.

    6.  There are some really sweet students that want you to come back and sub again.

    7.  Kind words from teachers can make your day.  (I wish I had been a little better about this when I was a regular classroom teacher.)

    8.  All teaching assignments are challenging in their own way.

    9.  Teaching P.E. requires a lot louder voice than mine.

    10.  It's pretty cool to run into students that say hello at the grocery store.:)

    Summer is here with only a few days left to sub.  I'm ready to put my feet up and take a break.



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    Posted: Thursday, May 28, 2009 10:49 AM by Betty
    Comments

    Rolanda said:

    Hey betty,

    I have to agree as a sub myself, sometimes I went to work and thought things would be different this day maybe the students would warm up to me. Or just maybe someone might offer to sit with me for lunch. As a certified teacher I felt left out because I had to serve as a sub sincere there were no open positions. Its hard and yoolur blog is funny yet speaks the truth.

    # May 28, 2009 2:03 PM

    Carmen said:

    As an adjunct instructor at a community college, I feel somewhat like a sub in that I never know how many classes I'll be assigned (if any at all) and am the odd one out when the full time instructors get together.  

    Your #6 struck a cord with me. There are some really great students each semester who honestly care about learning and those are the ones who make it worth while. It's heartbreaking to not be able to tell them if and when you'll be back when they ask to sign up for another class in the future :(.

    As a sub, it must be even harder knowing you may not see those kids again.

    # May 29, 2009 9:04 PM

    Jinny said:

    Hello,

    Super post, Need to mark it on Digg

    # May 30, 2009 5:26 AM

    engtchrmom said:

    Great post!  I've been subbing this year, too, and know that you speak the truth.  I'm certified and looking for my first full time job (and my OWN classroom!).  

    One other thing about subbing -- make sure your sense of humor shows.  Laughter is one of the best ice breakers.

    # May 30, 2009 8:48 AM

    Charlie A. Roy said:

    I heard a good "sub" story this year about two students.  One pretended to be deal and the other pretended to be his interpreter with sign language.  They carried on the act all day.  The principal had fun with them by inviting the student who did the signing to sign at a local event.

    # May 30, 2009 9:50 AM

    Jennifer said:

    Great..and very helpful list, Betty.

    I would add....Walk with confidence and let the students see who YOU really are...Don't be afraid to play an unscheduled game with the students, or to share with them a meaningful story. Even just a little "you" goes a long way.

    # June 11, 2009 10:50 AM

    siobhan curious said:

    As a former sub myself, this resonated w/ me.  The biggest surprise for me was the hostility of other teachers, as though I were some kind of a threat.  What did they think I was coming to the school to do?

    # June 21, 2009 12:17 PM

    Betty said:

    The treatment of subs is something that should be an inservice topic.  A lot of times I felt like I surely had the cooties.  

    # June 21, 2009 12:41 PM

    tyahooray (Theatre for Young Audiences: Hooray!) said:

    Reading this made me realized that this was one aspect of my professional life I hadn’t spent much time

    # March 6, 2010 10:21 PM
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