Changing the Culture of Subbing

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Smart Elephants

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I stood at the doorway of Tuesday’s #PATUE Twitter chat waiting for the proper time to enter. If I had a circus peanut for every time I maxed 140 characters but did not press the enter key I’d be one happy elephant – an elephant not in the room. It was difficult to determine if I was part of the circus or a dismantled piece of one of its three rings. Just as Dumbo put faith in a tiny feather I put that same energy into Father Time. I waited until the next day to read through the chat once more with a fresh perspective. I was glad I did because there were some positive and supportive answers from the peanut gallery, especially towards the end of the discussion.

Sometimes being a substitute teacher is as difficult as it is for elephants to fly. Here’s why:

  1. We are not prepared in advance with a list of students who have IEP’s or extra baggage that has not yet been labeled.
  2. We are not given computer access. Asking for computer access (usernames and passwords) should be easier than filling out the required background check forms needed to be a teacher – it’s not.
  3. Teachers who have a Master’s degree get paid more than teachers with a Bachelor’s degree. Unfortunately, substitutes are paid the same per diem and degrees are not a consideration.
  4. We are willing to put our time in as bench players, but it would be courteous of administration (and neighboring districts) to grant interviews for jobs we are certified for instead of emailing a template response that says, “We’ve chosen a more qualified candidate…”

I am all ears when it comes to changing the culture of subbing. My most positive experiences have been in buildings where (1) the students already know me from the community lacrosse program, and (2) where technology is incorporated and/or can be accessed to enhance the lesson plans. Nonetheless, at the end of the day we — as subs — can say that we’re one day closer to where we want to be: in one of the three rings instead of at the entrance of the doorway where no one can see us.