Potential Substitute Teacher Problem

<p>Aargh. While chatting with S about how his classes are going so far – school started 3 weeks ago – he mentioned that everything was fine except for AP English, where they’re still doing “busy work”. Huh? Turns out that when the regular teacher had to have some emergency surgery on the second day of school (which I was aware of), school brought in a substitute teacher from their “bullpen” of on-call substitutes in the area (which I was aware of), but the substitute is normally a foreign language (French) substitute teacher with little experience in teaching literature, and no experience in teaching it at the AP level (which I was not aware of). Turns out that for the last three weeks the class has been reading random selections from their anthology book and having classroom discussions. No tests, no quizzes, no essays. The good news is that the students themselves are all good kids and good students, so it hasn’t degenerated into a free for all, and the classroom discussions are probably pretty good – if unstructured. I don’t want to be a jerk and/or overbearing parent, but it does concern me that an AP level class is being taught by someone who has little background in teaching the subject, let alone any training in teaching it at an AP level. It has only been 3 weeks, but nobody seems to know when the regular teacher will return – I have no idea what kind of recovery time is necessary for an unplanned appendectomy and splenectomy. At what point should somebody (preferably a group of the students) raise the issue with the Guidance Office? My S says that a few students (particularly the Type A students, which definitely excludes S :)) are getting a little itchy to do something, but they don’t want to come across as criticizing the sub, who is a nice woman and is probably a very good teacher in her area of expertise. Any thoughts?</p>

<p>I don’t think it’s unreasonable for a parent to ask the question of the school: when do you expect the teacher to return? I don’t think that’s the least bit overbearing; I don’t think the students should have to form a posse to go after that information. You could suggest to the school that all families might want the information.</p>

<p>I also think it is reasonable to ask the school if they know the length of the teacher abscence and also ask what is in place in terms of following the AP curriculum so that the kids will be on board with the material come spring for the exam. So, for instance, because this was an emergency absence, the teacher may not have been able to put into place extensive sub plans (but you could find out if the teacher is involved in sending those in now or not). Perhaps the dept. head can supervise and help with creating the plans for the appropriate work to be done in class and assigned according to the planned curriculum. The dept. head can oversee the teaching of this class. Right now, the sub might be doing effective literature work but biding time, I don’t know. With the length of the absence, it is important that permanent plans along the lines of what would have been taught and assigned are now put into place. Either the ill teacher can possibly draw them up and send them in or have the sub visit them in their home or the dept. head can take over and come up with the lesson plans and assignments that the sub needs to carry out. She may just be doing lessons on her own to make do and that’s ok for a couple days but not this long. I would just ask what the plans are that are in place…how long it might be and if the sub will be given the AP curriculum lesson plans and assignments that were meant for this class by either the teacher or the dept. head if the teacher cannot be involved. This does call for some supervision of what is being taught in the class so that the curriculum does not fall behind. The fact that there are no written assignments yet, makes me think that the sub is just making do by coming up with things to do in class but not following a set of plans that the AP teacher was to have carried out if present. The latter is what must happen now. It is one thing when a teacher is absent a couple days and some misc. learning activities take place but when it is extended, then the normal lesson plans must be put into place and if it takes a dept. head to intercede if the absent teacher cannot be involved, then that is what has to happen.
Susan
(a former teacher and someone who now substitutes)</p>

<p>I don’t know if missing three weeks or so is as big of a deal in AP English as it is in other classes. In calculus, history, etc there is so much set material you have to get through, but in AP Lit you are just practicing skills, and three weeks probably won’t make the difference between a three and a four or the like on the AP test. I would say relax and use the time to get acclimated in your other classes that are really starting up. If it stretches past six weeks or so, it might be time to intervene.</p>

<p>It depends on what type of surgery. I have had surgery twice, and it took me 8 weeks each time to recover completely, but I was alert and in control of my mental faculty ten days after the surgery, after I stopped taking massive doses of pain-killers. Since it’s now 3 weeks since the surgery, the lead teacher could do a lot to help the substitute teacher be more effective.
The lead teacher ought to coordinate with the substitute about what the class should cover in terms of reading; suggest time-lines for assigning written work; help grade the written work to provide criteria for grading.<br>
You should also go to AP-Central and look up the curriculum for AP-English. From what I remember, my S’s class started out with Tim O’Brien,The Things They Carried; I believe they followed with The House of Mango Street; they also read Breakfast at Tiffany’s; In Cold Blood and various other works of fiction in different genres. I don’t think there needs to be a particular order.<br>
Another thing the teacher did was to assign application essays, using the Common App prompt. Lots of English teachers do this, and this is how they provide editorial assistance to seniors applying to colleges.
If the lead teacher is too weak to be of much help, the students could suggest to the substitute teacher that they come up with a mutually agreed on time table for requiring written assignments and receiving feedback on those. It is important that EA/ED applicants have 1st quarter grades, so she’ll need to have something to base their grades on.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>This sounds like a great opportunity for the students to take ownership of their learning. AP English Literature isn’t exactly “brain surgery.” </p>

<p>Lots of students prepare independently for it, either because they are homeschoolers or because they attend a school that doesn’t offer the course.</p>

<p>If individual students can prepare successfully, then surely a motivated group of students who “want do something” could collectively take the initiative for creating study resources to help the class prepare. </p>

<p>The College Board’s AP website has lots of great suggestions for resources (including sample syllabi, writing assignments, etc.) </p>

<p>The students could set up a website where classmates can share their written work (practice essays, reading responses, etc.) and where they can comment helpfully on one another’s work.</p>

<p>Last year, soozie told us about how her daughter had organized her friends to put on a fabulous student production, entirely run by the students, during her last two years of high school, with no faculty/staff assistance whatsoever (other than making the room available.)</p>

<p>So…why can’t the motivated, concerned students in this class set up their own “supplementary study group resources website” for the class? If there are local authors or literature professors who might be interested, perhaps they could be invited to participate in sharing their thoughts on the supplementary course website as well.</p>

<p>It could be a very empowering experience for all involved. Even after the regular teacher (hopefully) returns to the classroom, it would be great if the student-run initiative could continue as a supplementary study resource.</p>

<p>We had something similar happen to my daughter’s AP english teacher her senior year but it was worse because they knew she was going to be out and didn’t do anything about it. The english teacher had a baby the second day of school and was out until January! They had gotten a long term sub and she had the lesson plan and tests the teacher had prepared and I think the teacher even graded the essays but it was pretty frustrating for the kids. The administrations position was that they tried to find an AP english able sub but couldn’t and since the teacher was just taking a leave of absence, they could not offer a contract to another teacher for the position. The kids and the regular AP teacher were all frustrated, but somehow muddled through it.</p>

<p>From my own experience, even in an AP class where one would think that most of the students are Type A, I would never have wanted to be the one in my class to say, “We haven’t been doing enough work in the past few weeks.” I recognize that some of the students want to make progress towards the test, and that my AP class is not the same as this one about which you are speaking, but I would never want to be the one to say that. I don’t think anyone wants to be the one who on Friday afternoon says, “Teacher, I think you forgot to give us homework for the weekend.” Even Type A students like to relax. Maybe instead of asking the sub to give the class more work, you could talk to some of your friends in the class, like-minded friends of course, and start studying together with a Princeton Review AP Lit book or something along the lines.</p>

<p>Wisteria:</p>

<p>Great ideas!</p>

<p>Thanks for everybody’s input – sort of a wide gamut. I appreciate all these comments and will “stew” on them over the weekend.</p>

<p>Also, something I should have mentioned. In S’ school AP English is taught a little differently than most places. It is a two-year curriculum. American Literature in Junior year and English Literature in Senior year. The AP exam is expected to be taken in May of Senior year. So it is taught at a different pace (I assume, or maybe just in more detail). This is the Junior year course, so for my S and his classmates at least there is no concern about falling too far behind and not being able to catch up in time for the AP exam in May 2006. </p>

<p>The same teacher is also subbing for the Senior AP English class, however, and I’m sure those issues are bubbling up.</p>

<p>I would ask the Department head about it now.</p>

<p>You don’t have to complain about what’s not been done. But students–and I agree it’s better to have several rather than a single student–ought to approach the teacher and ask about plans for at least the next quarter. The teacher ought to be reminded that this is a crucial quarter, that they want to start the schoolyear on a high note, that they are willing to work hard. If she flounders and seems not to know what would an appropriate work of fiction be, they could make a suggestion. After all, they know better than she what they have read in previous classes. They can ask if she would be willing to critique their papers if they were to turn one in by a certain time. They can ask if she could help them with their college application essays.<br>
In the end, no matter how good or bad a substitute teacher may be, they are the ones who will have to live with the consequences.</p>

<p>lderochi - do they take both AP English exams? According to my daughter with 5s under her belt, there is little way to study for either exam - you can study some for the AP Comp, because it has a grammar section, a little like ACT English. But the senior one, the Lit, is read the books, practice writing the essays, practice critical reading of the books - her class didn’t read any of the same books that Marite’s S’s did - it is about the process, not the specifics. If the teacher will be back in another week or so, I wouldn’t worry too much. The website, though is a good idea, because they just need to keep writing and writing.</p>

<p>cangel, the class is generally geared toward AP Lit, not AP Comp. So it really should be about the process of “how” to critically read and analyze literature. Makes me feel a bit better. Parent’s Night is, I think, about a week away so I’ll probably wait to see if anything has changed by then.</p>

<p>I would not do anything if the teacher is coming back imminently either. And I would not worry much about the AP exam then either, and it is a process, not really facts learned for a test. </p>

<p>But right now, the sub may be “winging” it and doing worthwhile class sessions but not following any plan. The fact that there are no writing assignments, leaves me to believe this. They are also just reading from an anthology. That is why I would want to find out the length of this temporary situation and if the ill teacher is going to be sending in his/her actual plans/assignments or if the dept. head might be involved in creating such a plan. Because an Honors or AP level course should be having assignments. My kids had to write papers constantly in Honors classes here (which is primarily what we have). To not be doing critical reading and writing implies some misc. classwork and this can’t go on for too long. That’s why I would inquire and ask what the plan is. And like Marite says, it is hard to come up with a first quarter grade without ongoing assignments. An AP course, in my opinion, should be heavy on writing. My kids had to write a lot in their higher level courses. My D’s freshmen Honors English class had to write three page papers nightly! So, if this is juniors/seniors, and they are not doing any essays…I would ask what the plan is…not complaining but asking.
Susan</p>

<p>I concur with ADad that the Eng Dept Chair is the one to go to first.</p>

<p>I have been vacillating as to whether or not to reply to this. It hits VERY close to home, since I am currently subbing in AP Lit for a teacher who had emergency surgery, and likewise am out of my primary subject. </p>

<p>Not in Delaware, however.</p>

<p>I <em>am</em> working closely with the teacher, and being supervised closely by the principal as well. Your child may in fact have answers to some of your questions, but not have successfully relayed them to you. Was there a letter to the parents that didn’t make it home? Nonetheless, I would agree that an email, call, or visit with the English chair (if there is one–not always the case) would be a good place to start to get those questions answered. (But first: is there a standard time to visit with teachers? If so, stop by and ask the teacher directly, and nicely.)</p>

<p>I also with the person who said that the kids can take responsibility for their own learning. That’s true at any time! </p>

<p>Finally, a French teacher may well have taught for the AP French Lit test, which is QUITE similar to the AP Lit test.</p>

<p>Thanks dmd, what a small world to have your situation so closely mirror S’. You may well be right about the sub’s ability to transfer French lit to English – I have no idea if she has taught AP French lit. As Soozievt has noted, one of the things that just seems odd is that the students are working strictly out of the anthology with no outside reading and no written assignments yet – would you find that unusual? Thanks!</p>

<p>Well, they’re still working on the summer reading, but yes, they have both in-and-out-of-class reading.</p>

<p>Well, it was back to school night tonight. Or rather “Parent Information Night” as it’s called. The AP English thing didn’t go well. When we got to the classroom it was dark and locked with a note explainging the “Mr. Doe” was out due to surgery and that we parents should enjoy a “free period” to check out the guidance office, computer lab, library, etc. Seeing as how there were a number of parents who had obviously been waiting for this evening to get some answers, this did not go over well. :slight_smile: One of the moms – who has more issues than I do, since her D is on track to graduate early and thus is taking AP American Lit and AP British Lit this year, with the same problem in both classes – stormed off and eventually a poor Vice Principal showed up to discuss the matter. The VP assured us that the regular teacher was indeed sending in lesson plans and monitoring the progress of the class. What the VP couldn’t explain was why the workload seemed so light for an AP class so far. Right now, they hope the teacher will be back in 6 weeks or so. If it looks like it will be longer, they will try to find a more permanent solution. </p>

<p>Put it together with the fact that S’ Guidance Counselor is also out indefinitely due to a medical issue AND the Chem teacher (who was very impressive) is going out on maternity leave in November and told us point blank that the last time, the administration dropped the ball on her replacement so she’s working very hard on making sure it doesn’t happen again, and it wasn’t a wonderful evening. My S will muddle through it, I’m sure – but us parents are a little riled.</p>