What is it like being a substitute teacher?
April 29, 2022 5:20 AM Subscribe
My wife just left her job of nearly 20 years in the food service industry. She is taking the summer off with a plan to return to some type of work full time in September. We plan to travel extensively over the next several years and are hoping she finds a line of work with easy flexibility to come and go. Is substitute teaching a good path?
We understand that the pay is pretty low, no benefits, and teaching is a bit of a drag these days (kudos to the teachers of MeFi for your dedication)!
Are you a substitute teacher? Was it difficult to land a position? What is a typical school year like? A typical day? Can you pick and choose when you want to work pretty easily? Any major drawbacks we are not seeing? Any benefits to share?
Bonus question: any ideas out there for non-office jobs that would fit the bill? Flexibility being key.
Details:
-wife is in her early 40s
-physically healthy
We understand that the pay is pretty low, no benefits, and teaching is a bit of a drag these days (kudos to the teachers of MeFi for your dedication)!
Are you a substitute teacher? Was it difficult to land a position? What is a typical school year like? A typical day? Can you pick and choose when you want to work pretty easily? Any major drawbacks we are not seeing? Any benefits to share?
Bonus question: any ideas out there for non-office jobs that would fit the bill? Flexibility being key.
Details:
-wife is in her early 40s
-physically healthy
I spent a few months substitute teaching between jobs. It was more of a “hobby”, i.e. I didn’t desperately need the money. I really liked it and actually am semi-seriously thinking of going back to get a teaching license. However - one of the advantages of not having to be working every day is that I could plan my schedule weeks in advance which means that I substituted for the teachers who also planned their schedule weeks in advance. So over 1/2 year of substituting I never not had a lesson plan available when I arrived. I assume if you need work every day, you have to jump in for teachers who are out unexpectedly, so it might be much more chaotic.
Licensing requirements vary. In Iowa – I had to take a week of training, observe a few teachers and write a report about it, and do a background check. But that was only for a short-term substituting (I think up to 3 days?). Every state might have different requirements, and I don’t know, how reciprocity agreements work for substitute teaching, and therefore how it would work with “extensive travel”. But, as Temeraria said, many states have relaxed their substitute requirements, so maybe it will be enough for your wife to just hold one state’s license.
If I remember correctly, I had to apply in person at my local school district to get the ID, computer password and, most importantly – access to the website that lists the substituting availability (they told me all about having to do it in the training). This might be a major hassle if you’re jumping between school districts.
Good luck, it’s fun work, and, if you haven’t been in school for a while, provides an interesting insight into the state of American education.
posted by Dotty at 6:10 AM on April 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
Licensing requirements vary. In Iowa – I had to take a week of training, observe a few teachers and write a report about it, and do a background check. But that was only for a short-term substituting (I think up to 3 days?). Every state might have different requirements, and I don’t know, how reciprocity agreements work for substitute teaching, and therefore how it would work with “extensive travel”. But, as Temeraria said, many states have relaxed their substitute requirements, so maybe it will be enough for your wife to just hold one state’s license.
If I remember correctly, I had to apply in person at my local school district to get the ID, computer password and, most importantly – access to the website that lists the substituting availability (they told me all about having to do it in the training). This might be a major hassle if you’re jumping between school districts.
Good luck, it’s fun work, and, if you haven’t been in school for a while, provides an interesting insight into the state of American education.
posted by Dotty at 6:10 AM on April 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
my substitute teaching experience is 20 years old, and in michigan. all i had to do was be progressing toward a BA and get fingerprinted. now i understand you need to take an online course as well. i can't speak to the technological advancements (i would get phone calls at 4am telling me where to go) but unless you are taking a long term placement, you are basically just a babysitter. i usually had to press play on a vcr (!) or watch them while they did an assigned reading. my experience was that the other teachers weren't friendly or welcoming in the teacher's lounge. and the kids of course didn't respect you at all.
it was great for setting my own schedule, which will be helpful if you want to travel.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 9:14 AM on April 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
it was great for setting my own schedule, which will be helpful if you want to travel.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 9:14 AM on April 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
Nicholson Baker wrote a long and extremely detailed account of his experiences as a substitute in Maine public schools: Substitute: Going to School With A Thousand Kids. I enjoyed it quite a bit and it gives what seems to be a realistic assessment of what it's like on the ground. Worth a look even if not a deep read of all 700-plus pages.
posted by Daily Alice at 3:38 PM on April 29, 2022
posted by Daily Alice at 3:38 PM on April 29, 2022
I am a full-time teacher who has also subbed. The bar is real low. In most states you need a bachelor's degree, a pulse, and the ability to pass a background check.
Subs that are both effective and non-miserable seem to have these attributes:
- Actually enjoy children, even in large numbers and at peak obnoxiousness
- An amount of patience that non-subs may never really comprehend
- The ability (and willingness) to follow directions (PLEASE, there is nothing worse than getting sub plans back and the sub has just written "I didn't do any of this")
- Extremely basic technology skills (turn the thing on and off, know what a browser is, know what it means to "log in" to something)
- Thick skin
If you have those things or can get them, subbing's not a bad gig. I only subbed in one smallish district (six schools) and I still had a job any day I wanted one; lots of career sub types are signed up with every district in reasonable driving distance, and if you do that you not only have a job every day, you can pick and choose the job. On the other hand the nice thing about working in just one district is that people -- staff and kids -- get to know you, and you get to know which classes you should never, ever sub for.
As a sub (or really any teacher these days) there is no such thing as a "typical" school day. But you'll figure out pretty quickly if you'd rather sub for PE or classroom teachers or reading specialists or paras or whatever. Every role in the building has things that are annoying and things that are great, you just have to figure out what you're good at.
posted by goodbyewaffles at 4:56 PM on April 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
Subs that are both effective and non-miserable seem to have these attributes:
- Actually enjoy children, even in large numbers and at peak obnoxiousness
- An amount of patience that non-subs may never really comprehend
- The ability (and willingness) to follow directions (PLEASE, there is nothing worse than getting sub plans back and the sub has just written "I didn't do any of this")
- Extremely basic technology skills (turn the thing on and off, know what a browser is, know what it means to "log in" to something)
- Thick skin
If you have those things or can get them, subbing's not a bad gig. I only subbed in one smallish district (six schools) and I still had a job any day I wanted one; lots of career sub types are signed up with every district in reasonable driving distance, and if you do that you not only have a job every day, you can pick and choose the job. On the other hand the nice thing about working in just one district is that people -- staff and kids -- get to know you, and you get to know which classes you should never, ever sub for.
As a sub (or really any teacher these days) there is no such thing as a "typical" school day. But you'll figure out pretty quickly if you'd rather sub for PE or classroom teachers or reading specialists or paras or whatever. Every role in the building has things that are annoying and things that are great, you just have to figure out what you're good at.
posted by goodbyewaffles at 4:56 PM on April 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
It really, really, really matters where you live. Requirements for the job vary dramatically depending on your local school district.
I grew up in Los Angeles and a lot of the subs we had used it as supplemental income while pursuing an acting career. It seemed pretty ideal for that since there was no expectation that they'd be consistently available. My mom was a teacher for many years and a good sub (ie someone who followed lesson plans, left the classroom in a decent state, and showed up on time where they needed to be) was always in demand. But yes you need a thick skin, especially if you're doing middle or high school. Those kids will eat you alive. Middle school kids in particular barely regard adults as human.
posted by potrzebie at 11:44 PM on April 29, 2022
I grew up in Los Angeles and a lot of the subs we had used it as supplemental income while pursuing an acting career. It seemed pretty ideal for that since there was no expectation that they'd be consistently available. My mom was a teacher for many years and a good sub (ie someone who followed lesson plans, left the classroom in a decent state, and showed up on time where they needed to be) was always in demand. But yes you need a thick skin, especially if you're doing middle or high school. Those kids will eat you alive. Middle school kids in particular barely regard adults as human.
posted by potrzebie at 11:44 PM on April 29, 2022
My roommate is an elementary school teacher, and they are desperate for subs. I don't know what the requirements are, but they would be thrilled to get more sub coverage. They often have administrators covering when teachers are out. If she can handle it, there's probably a ton of need.
posted by radioamy at 7:02 PM on April 30, 2022
posted by radioamy at 7:02 PM on April 30, 2022
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Presumably your wife enjoys children or she wouldn't be considering the job. It's important to be calm, organized, and very flexible to be a successful substitute. She'll want to be prepared with random activities for various age groups and subjects. Not everyone has time to leave sub plans. Also, she should be easygoing socially and willing to ask questions of the other teachers and support staff at the schools. The best sub personalities are people who also don't take things too personally-- kids are rarely at their best when there's a sub because it's a disruption to their routine and they can get crazy.
Here in CA, you have to pass a background check and take a basic reading/writing/math proficiency test in order to sub. Once you're hired, you can block out days in the system when you're not available to teach. You can also set preferences for grade level and school. Most (public) districts have online, automated systems you'll be dealing with. It's handy.
Regarding pay, it's anywhere in the range from $150-$200 a day. It's more if you take a long term job (2+ consecutive weeks).
Good luck to her!
posted by Temeraria at 5:32 AM on April 29, 2022 [3 favorites]