I think I have found my subbing niche

Parent Cafe
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<p>I subbed in middle schools for a number of years. There were teachers I liked to sub for, and some I refused to sub for. Worst ones were the teachers where I would leave disciplinary notes, and the teachers would side with the kids.</p>

<p>Band was both my favorite, and my most dreaded. I was one of the few subs who could read music, so the band teacher liked me, because he could actually leave a regular lesson plan rather than a video. But he handled 200-300 kids per day, alone, which works when you “have power” but doesn’t when you’re a sub. He was great about following up on notes - automatic detention if the sub left your name. First day I subbed, I left 20 names. Never had to leave more than one or two after that.</p>

<p>I hated being treated like a second class citizen - especially by administration, and certain teachers. Found out I could make money more quickly, and with less grief, teaching piano lessons one on one.</p>

<p>But I miss it. Loved middle school kids. Tried elementary, but the same kids all day didn’t fit with my ADD personality, and the whining about drove me up a wall. “Our teacher doesn’t do it that way.” </p>

<p>High school kids are intimidating to me. </p>

<p>Middle school kids are young enough to be teachable, and old enough to get my sense of humor and sarcasm.</p>

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<p>Simba, if you do sub in elementary school, just be aware that you might recongize some of the h.s. kids showing up 6 years later as parents of your students. You’ll recognize them because they’ll have very bad memories of their own lives in high school, so might come on to you as angry, defensive or hostile about schooling.</p>

<p>My experience (as a regular teacher but with subbing experience prior) was this: the young parents all want better for their own children. They might not know exactly how to achieve that, but it will be their ardent hope. </p>

<p>How it might manifest itself as a substitute teacher: if an elementary kid comes in without homework in the bookbag, it might not be worth a moment of class time to scold them. It might not be their fault. Just collect the stuff and leave all that (marked) for the regular teacher. IMO.</p>

<p>If a child falls asleep in class, perhaps it was chaotic in their home the previous night. If they act out, they might be exhausted. I used to let individual elementary students take a short nap in the corner of a classroom, covered with my coat, if they were behaving impossibly. Often they were so exhausted they were just trying to keep themselves awake. After a 40 minute nap, they had a great day. And no, none of the other kids wanted to do the same. They understand each other well.</p>

<p>Don’t judge, just do your best and you can make a small difference in a child’s day, even as a substitute teacher. You can be compassionate there. Good luck!</p>

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<p>I actually truly enjoy subbing in high school. It is not always easy, and some days are certainly better than others. Some schools are also easier than others … or rather, some schools are more difficult than others. We have 2 high schools in our community, with different socioeconomic makeups. I used to sub in both, but I rarely sub in the more difficult school. I have several horror stories from that school, and I don’t make enough money to justify the hassles (and I get plenty of other jobs). The school I do sub in is not a top rated school, and it has its share of issues & tough kids. However, I have established myself as a strict-but-pretty-cool sub & I don’t have many problems with kids. When I do, the administration is supportive. </p>

<p>Kids are kids. They try to get away with stuff. They sleep, lie about classroom rules (but Mr. X lets us do it), try to use their cell phones & ipods, throw paper wads & paper airplanes, swear, talk about things I’d rather not hear, etc. I call 'em on it when they do or say something they shouldn’t. I figure it’s my job to help them understand right from wrong. I don’t just let it go … I keep a sense of humor while I deal with it, but I do deal with it. I think that’s part of my success … most kids seem to like structure, as long as it’s done with a sense of humor.</p>

<p>I really like helping kids learn. In a class of 35, there will be a number of kids who really don’t want to learn that day (for some, ANY day). However, some will want to learn … and I LOVE it when I can help them. If I reach one kid, I have made a positive impact. Sometimes, a different approach helps drive in the lesson for a student who was struggling. I sub for both “regular” and special ed classes.</p>

<p>I also really like subbing in elementary school. I have 2 elementaries I concentrate my time in. I love the staff & I know the kids well. The day flies by! </p>

<p>I don’t do middle school, though. I tried it, and I did NOT like it. I have a tremendous amount of respect for middle school subs. I just don’t have the patience for that age group … my sense of humor eludes me when I walk into a middle school classroom!</p>

<p>I just wish subbing paid better. As soon as I get a full time job, I will have to leave subbing behind. It makes me sad … but happiness doesn’t pay the tuition. :)</p>

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<p>I agree. Ten years ago, I was paid $55/day in upstate NY. In Canada, the subs had a union so were paid the equivalent of $85 US, twelve years ago. </p>

<p>Even if those rates have gone up to $l00./day today, and you multiply that times a maximum l80 instructional days, it’s only $18K for l0 months of work, and without benefits. </p>

<p>Sometimes the day rate goes up slightly if you get an extended substitute teaching position, but of course by then you’re preparing lessons nightly and often attending meetings, so in essence you’re doing a fulltime teaching job with extended substitute pay.</p>

<p>Subbing is a good stop-gap, but the pay is very thin for how much stress and responsibility it carries. Sometimes school districts take on brand new trained teachers and expect them to sub for a year to ‘try them out’ and hire them a year or two later. I think they’re just squeezing out l-2 years of trained teaching personnel on a substitute pay scale.</p>

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<p>My district pays quite a bit better than the others in the area - a few dollars less than $100 a day. However, because I am not certified, I cannot sub more than 150 days a year - so, less than $15k per year. Certified subs can make 12.5% more per day after 30 days in one job - but if they miss a single day in that time for anything, they don’t get the raise. A sub I know had a job interview for a full time teaching position - in our district - while she was in a long term job. The district told her she had broken her 30 days by taking time to interview, so she never got paid the step-up raise for that job! If districts want subs to be more than babysitters, they need to treat them with respect. Heck, if the administration doesn’t respect subs, why should the kids?!</p>

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<p>I admire those who can sub in middle school. I found dealing w/my son’s friends most challenging when they were in MS (old enough to rebel and break things, too rambunctious to listen to reason consistently). Most have morphed into reasonable, funny, polite & articulate high schoolers. But, they may not be the norm, as son insists!!</p>

<p>payin3tuitions—that is such a nice thing to let an acting out kid take a nap in your classroom! What a great idea and amazing how it worked (my 6 yo’s worst behavior is when tired, so can see how it could help!).</p>

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<p>The district where I sub pays about $130/day. It goes up after 5 days and again at 21 days.</p>

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<p>$85 per day here, if you have 2 years of college (or more). $69 if less than that.</p>

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<p>In my district, you are paid $19 per period. Standard day for one teacher out the whole day is 5 periods. However they often patch in other periods and you can end up with 7. For a special ed aide the day is usually 7 periods long. I prefer working the whole day and getting $133 for the day, rather than having to spend 2 periods between classes waiting around even though I always have something to read or do.</p>

<p>Also in my district, if you sub for an aide the hours don’t get added into the 120 day limit. You only get a 180 day limit if you are a regular certified teacher, not just certified to sub.</p>

<p>Even though the pay is fairly low, I think that the flexibility and having the same vacations as your pre-college kids more than made up for it. Not sure what I’ll be doing now with the empty nest. I am an older mom–a few years to retirement age–so I’ll probably continue to sub.</p>

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<p>For elementary grades here in Ontario, it’s $180/day in the public system and most private schools are around $150/day. I’m not sure if it’s more for high schools or not but wouldn’t be surprised if it is.</p>

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<p>Interesting to note wages for 2 or less years of college- ouch. Too bad those school districts even think of hiring anyone without any college degree, much less teaching certification. In Wisconsin there is now a class you can take if you have the 4 year degree in a nonteaching field so you can be eligible to sub, and then under certain restrictions.</p>

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<p>In Illinois you have to have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college to get the sub certificate, and the degree does not have to be in education. I am impressed with the high pay in Ontario.</p>

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<p>In Michigan, you can sub without a teaching certificate with an emergency permit (which allows up to 150 days per year). However, most schools around me now require a certificate; I am grandfathered in (used to be you could do it with 170+ hours from an accredited undergrad degree program - I have a bachelors). The pay in some districts is $65 for noncertified & $85 for certified. My district pays $98 either way. We used to get $113 after 30 days in the district (not just on a single job), and we also got an extra 1.5 hours if we worked through our high school conference period (high schools are on 90 minute blocks). We no longer get the extra for conference period fill-ins, and the 30 day raise is for a single job only (for days 31+ in that job). I suspect our pay will be reduced next year to align with the lower paying districts around us, since our district is in trouble financially. </p>

<p>I like the job (no interest in being a teacher, though) & I like the flexibility. I just need more money!!</p>

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<p>As a current teacher…thank you to those who substitute and do it well. Personally I think it’s a thankless “job” (and I use the term loosely). Where I am, the sub pay is pathetic $75 a day. You must have a bachelors degree to be a substitute, but it does not have to be in education. There is no pay differential for subbing for a large number of days (unless you are a longterm sub in a classroom…but then you have to have teacher’s certification to do that). When we have a good sub at our school, we treat them very very well, because we WANT them to return. I’ve been asked if I’ll consider being a substitute when I retire. Short answer…no.</p>

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<p>The requirements for a sub can’t be very stringent where I live since I’ve seen kids who graduated a year or two ago subbing in my school during their breaks from college.</p>

<p>No clue how much they get paid.</p>