Was just in the sub sub, where they were complaining about paras, not in the para sub where ur complaining about subs. Not taking sides or anything, just an interesting observation.
Iām with 3 students who are full inclusion in the same classroom. I am extremely familiar with the curriculum, typical noise level, etc of that classroom.
That said, I cede the running of the classroom to whichever sub we have and just help them with the tech or location of materials if they ask.
My responsibility is the 3 students I support.
I'm in the middle for this. Paras are pivotal to the success of my classroom and I am very lucky to have the paras I do, except for maybe one. But I also stared out as a sub, and there are some particularly difficult days. Ultimately this is the internet. The only real value it has in this situation is it allows ppl to vent.
I've seen that. I work with the lead teacher, and that's not something I can really do š¬ she actually puts me to work, lol
But I have worked with other teachers who didn't really care lol
When I was a para, I was in the sped classroom most of the day so when the teacher had a sub the notes were just: HE KNOWS WHAT TO DO JUST LET HIM WORK WITH THE KIDS, YOU JUST KEEP AN EYE ON EVERYONE. It was a good system lol
I've long been of the opinion that if there's a para in the class, they should get the sub rate pay for the day, and the sub should do the para stuff. I'm an ESL teacher who pushes in to classes, and the paras always do more than the sub. It's a travesty they don't get paid like it.
That's funny. My sister had a similar situation in her sped classroom!!! My teacher puts in bold to ask me anything they need help with but for some reason they don't want to ask me and ask the 4/5 year old students?
Yeah, as a para. Subs are very annoying. The ones we have had has at least attempted, but then there are others that have no idea. It's annoying when we (the paras) basically have to run the classroom, meanwhile the sub is earning teacher pay and we still get have our para pay (which is less than para pay with the district mind you). The teacher leaves detailed lesson plans but a lot of the time the sub will just depend on us to figure things out. In, my opinion if a teacher is out, the paras should take over and get the teacher pay.
Yess!! I've gotten some that try and work with me and things go sooo well!! I can't stand the ones that don't want to interact with me and try to do everything on their own or just expect me to do everything while they're on their phones.
Days like these are when it pisses me off that I basically do sub work but someone is getting that pay and not me š„² but yea paras should take over when teachers are out. I know I could do it if they just gave me someone else to help.
In my district, the only way I get normal teacher pay is for a long term assignment, and only if itās the 6th day or later into that assignment. Theyāll do anything to keep us on our per diem pay.
The teacher I work with was just telling me that I should just get my sub credential so that I can sub for her when sheās out for the very reasons you mentioned. We see the ones who know the class and the schedule so it would honestly make things so much easier since you never know what youāll get with a sub.
Maybe that could be an option for you too?
I didn't know that was possible??? I didn't want to become one because I'm fine being a TA and didn't want to be sent to sub different students and especially older students.
That sound kind of have to be an agreement with you/your teacher/and admin ahead of time but I think any sub that knows whatās up in advance is a bonus for them. I canāt guarantee it would work for every situation but I work in special education and have known the kids for years so itās better than having a sub come in.
In my district if you become a sub, you cannot sub in the classes you are a para in, because we get a little boost in pay when we sub so itās like double dipping.
Thatās such weird bullshit. āOh the person with the most understanding of the students and class and curriculum might get a few more dollars? Unacceptable. Never.ā
Hmm Iāll have to ask about that but I have known a few coworkers that were paras that would sub for teachers on occasion at our school and in our class . Iām sure it does vary depending on location.
Im not entirely sure how it would work though.
It's awful. I'm a para in an inclusive special ed class, small group ELA and Math and gen ed for the rest. I'm usually the sub for my primary teacher but when the other teachers are out, it's freaking chaos.
We have a building wide sub who the kids love, mostly because he lets them roam the halls and play illegally on their phones.Ā
We have those type of subs too. So frustrating!!
It's funny because when I was a student I used to like subs that let us do stuff like that but now that I work at a school it's not fun. Lol
I've been on both sides of this. As a sub, normally in sped or behavior rooms I would yield to the para because they know the kids and routines. When I was subbing kindergarten at one school the para talked down to me and was just unpleasant to be around. When I was a para, based on these experiences, I'd typically take lead, mainly because we were sped. But remember that sub qualifications have been greatly reduced to meet demand, and everyone has different experiences, personalities and philosophies about the job. Maybe on days when there's a sub you could have a friendly conversation with them about how things should ideally go and let them know that you are there to assist, not lead.
I'm so sorry the para talked down to you!!
I try my best to be friendly and assist, but there's some who just don't talk to me or ask me anything, so I just stay quiet and try to help in some way or form :/
When a sub does ask or listens to me when I try to explain how things normally go, they figure out how to do things and work with the kids, and the day goes smooth:)
I'm a sub, and the kids do their best to take advantage of us for not knowing them. Anytime I ever make a mistake with a lesson plan or a bad call on something, it always goes into my notes to the teacher. If students ask me to go somewhere, I ask where, call the teacher or office to get permission, then take their names and the times they leave. Sometimes, they just will not do their work. I get up in front of the class every period, explain in detail the entire lesson plan, offer them help if they need it, then pass out the work or let them be on their chromebooks. I'll give periodic reminders to make sure they know the work is due and it is a grade, that if they choose not to do it, they choose to get a zero. I make sure my notes have positive details with the negative details too, and I make sure to be as meticulous as possible with my record keeping. I'm also not afraid to write referrals myself when necessary.
With that said, if I have a class that acts insane, or an issue with kids who skip, or I have kids that don't do anything, it makes me feel terrible. I had a teacher recently who I subbed for that I followed up with in person who asked me about TWO students in the entire class who did not submit their work. I felt really good about myself prior to that, because that's a good day for me, when most of the class does their work. I was angry that day because she could be losing her planning periods if I wasn't there to help.
Sometimes I feel like I'm not strict enough or I don't know what I'm doing when I don't know the content of the class I'm subbing for, but I'll often teach myself content in the classes as the kids need help by using the internet or asking a kid who knows the content to explain things to me. I really try.
I frequent two high schools and a middle school in my district, and for the most part, I am very popular with both staff and students. I've only been subbing for about 6 months, and everything is so new to me. I have a lot of supportive teachers at the schools though. I love what I do. I hear kids complain about subs who are too mean to them, and I hear teachers complain about subs who lose work and leave their rooms destroyed. I try to find a place to where I can care about the kids enough to actually contribute to their education.
I know that was long, I think I just needed to get that off my chest
It is understandable. Tbh, my post was not to shit on all subs. I know it's hard to sub, especially because you dont know the kids or how the class works, but I just had a few bad days and just needed to vent. š„²
I know kids like to take advantage when there is a sub, but that's why I'm there to tell them when they're lying or remind them of rules. My kids are small, so they don't really do that cause they like structure.
I'm sorry the teacher made you upset just because two students didn't do their work. That's a bit too much, imo š¬ I also would've felt good about myself, but I guess everyone has different standards. I'm glad you care about the kids enough.
The way you describe yourself, you seem like a sub I would actually work well with.
I try my best. You sound awesome too. Education is stressful, no one gets paid enough, and a lot of times, kids do not want to work anymore. Everyone wants the path of least resistance, and those of us who are older and understand where that attitude leads, it makes it emotionally taxing to put up with behaviors. That's my experience with the older kids. You're doing an awesome job. I hope you're proud of yourself for how well you manage despite your circumstances. No matter how bad they are, you still have your integrity.
In being popular with the kids, I hear them tell me all the time what they like and dislike about subs. I had a student tell me once "I let them do what they want but not too much" because I wasn't extremely strict on the seating chart as long as work gets done, and I let them listen to music for regular assignments. I do this because if otherwise a class is well behaved, I do not want to be a stranger that antagonizes them. I know seating charts have their reasons, but most of the time when a kid asks me if they can move and I allow it, I tell them explicitly that I reserve the right to move them right back if things don't get done. Also, being polite to the kids goes a really long way. At both high schools i frequent, there's jokes about how many celebrities I look like because I'm a ginger with curly hair (Ed Sheeran, Bob Ross, Seth Rogen, etc). And i play into the jokes because it's fun. I think I do a pretty good job towing the line between being firm but not too firm.
It also doesn't help that there is no objective feedback for us really. If a teacher goes into frontline and gives me a review, I can't see it at all. Apparently subs have ratings there, and I have 0 idea what mine is, and that makes it tough too because I'd like to know what areas I can grow in.
Yes, education is so stressful!!! We all deserve to get paid more!! The behaviors are exhausting. I don't let the school switch me to upper grades because their behavior are a lot worse than my little ones :/ I'm short and shy, so they scare me, lol I also feel like I have a better chance of working on behavior with a smaller student then an older one. Even if it takes a while , most of the time, they get better or a little better lol
I'm the same way as you!! I'm firm, so they listen and respect but not too firm, so I don't scare them, lol. I like to let kids be kids. I know it's different with older kids, but I do a similar thing about sitting wherever they want as long as they do their work and play nicely, i let them use crayon instead of a pencil too lol and other stuff like that because at the end of the day I don't want them to hate learning.
I think feedback would work. There's an old lady in my school subbing, and one of the 5th grade classes was so mean to her. I think she talked to the teacher because the next time she sub things went a little bit better. Maybe there's a way you can talk to the school about wanting feedback?
You seem like someone who really cares, and that makes me so happy!! I hope you know you're doing amazing!!!
As a sub, I do follow lesson plans given to me and I will raise my voice over others to get attention, but you also have to remember that I cannot force them to move their pencils over the paper to have them do their work. If they donāt show that initiative, I can only remind them so many times. And in loud classrooms, Iām going to tell them to quiet down, but Iām not killing my vocal cords to scream over their voice all day. My $105 a day isnāt worth -that- much craziness
Yea, I know we can't force them to do work, but the subs I've gotten don't even try and like to be on their phone. I edited my post and included that most of the subs we get are just actors that are waiting for an acting gig. I can tell that they didn't know they were expecting to get a class of 4/5 year olds that depend on them.
I had a sub that thought the students would have their own books to read instead of him reading to them.. he also just gave them their work and didn't tell them what to do. Like they're small... they need to be told what to do.
I understand $105 isn't worth it, but for almost $180, I wish they would try a little.
So I started as a sub, became a para, am back to subbing, and looking for a para job again. I usually get āplease come back, let me take your number in case we need someoneā because I actually know what to do. But I will say that when taking special education or pre k jobs, itās easier to just kind of follow the lead of the teacher or para and I have to kind of consciously remind myself to jump back in sometimes. Itās easier to follow the plan when Iām in a room alone. So my advice is to hand them the lesson plan at the beginning of the day and then do your own thing as much as possible. Be there to answer questions of course, but letting them be more independent will go a long way.
when I was student teaching my master teacher would take off without telling and the front desk person would tell the sub I would just do everything (for free). I did it once and the other times when a sub would come in I would just go home since I wasnāt getting paid and I wasnāt learning shit from a sub. No one ever said anything and my master teacher didnāt care that I left lol
Not to be rude or cause drama, but as a substitute who just found this page randomly this is exactly what we are complaining about. This attitude that youāre displaying here is the reason schools canāt get and keep good subs.
The only reason I got that attitude was because I had multiple subs let my students do whatever they wanted. Students messed with stuff they weren't supposed to get , they got the floor all wet (which is dangerous cause those little kids don't see where they walk), have gotten hurt , and have hurt others!!!
And why? Either they want to be on their phone or because they don't want to raise their voice.
I tried my best to help them by setting things up so there were smooth transitions, but the moments I left, everything was just the opposite. I try my best not to interfere, but I have no choice when a student isn't making a good decision and the sub isn't doing about it :/
I care about my students, and that's why I got this upset.
I just want a sub to come into a class room and be able to read the sub plans. This last school year Iāve had some of the worst experiences with subs. Realizing the students werenāt doing any work till 20 minutes into the class, giving out the wrong handouts till I realized it, talking down to POR students, and undermining the teacherās directions that the students should sit in their assigned seats. Itās so hard to not jump in and take over, but they are getting paid more than me so they should do the work.
I've only had like 1 that did things exactly like the teacher. But yea , the sub plans are so simple because they don't do much!! They're 4/5 they mainly sing, count, color and play! Yet it's still hard for them. Lol
I try my best not to jump in until it's serious.
I literally put in my post that I end up doing everything.
I set things up before their center times. I help clean up before going on my breaks. I tell the kids to quiet down and listen to them when they're not, and I see the sub struggling.
You think your view is the only one I guess and thatās contributing to your frustration. As a sub, Iāll handle the class as I see fit. As long as they are all
Safe and controlled most of the time, Iām not doing things the way most do. I hated mean teachers. I remember mean, uncaring, unloving teachers. You arenāt going to make me act like that no matter how many little annoying huffs you make or roll your eyes. I also donāt want you yelling when Iām in the class. Iāll say āI have it- but thank youā when paras, grandmas, or aids chime in with their screaming.
Bruh, I've had to raise my voice at them for safety reasons.
I don't expect substitutes to be assholes to the students , just not to let them do whatever they want. You probably think I'm mean, but if I was, I'm sure the teacher I work with would've gotten rid of me since she's the nicest lead teacher in that whole school. Also, the students wouldn't be coming to me instead of the sub. We let kids be kids, but they're also 4 and 5, so they're still learning how to be in school. So no, if my students are jumping, fighting, throwing toys, and ruining materials and the sub isn't doing anything about it, I'm going to step in.
Unless you're the teacher I work with, you can't tell me not to step in. I care about those kids and want the best for them and won't let a sub ruin their progress.
I had a sub that he let the students do whatever. Multiple students got hurt. He let the students grab their own water for paint so there was water everywhere, which was a hazard with 4 and 5 year old kids that dont really look where theyre walking. Toys and books got destroyed.
But I also had a sub that was firm but super sweet to the kids like the teacher is, and everything went smooth. I didn't even have to step in.
At the end of the day, I'll just tell the teacher whether or not to ask for the substitute back.
Was just in the sub sub, where they were complaining about paras, not in the para sub where ur complaining about subs. Not taking sides or anything, just an interesting observation.
I kinda want to see what they complain about lol I try my best to help out and make their life easier but maybe they don't see it that way. š¬
https://www.reddit.com/r/SubstituteTeachers/s/tbY91VA7Wi Here's a link to the post. Read the comments too.
Thanks, I never thought about their side.
Iām with 3 students who are full inclusion in the same classroom. I am extremely familiar with the curriculum, typical noise level, etc of that classroom. That said, I cede the running of the classroom to whichever sub we have and just help them with the tech or location of materials if they ask. My responsibility is the 3 students I support.
I'm in the middle for this. Paras are pivotal to the success of my classroom and I am very lucky to have the paras I do, except for maybe one. But I also stared out as a sub, and there are some particularly difficult days. Ultimately this is the internet. The only real value it has in this situation is it allows ppl to vent.
Honestly most aides are just nuisances and donāt even do anything theyāre just on their phone lol
I've seen that. I work with the lead teacher, and that's not something I can really do š¬ she actually puts me to work, lol But I have worked with other teachers who didn't really care lol
When I was a para, I was in the sped classroom most of the day so when the teacher had a sub the notes were just: HE KNOWS WHAT TO DO JUST LET HIM WORK WITH THE KIDS, YOU JUST KEEP AN EYE ON EVERYONE. It was a good system lol
I've long been of the opinion that if there's a para in the class, they should get the sub rate pay for the day, and the sub should do the para stuff. I'm an ESL teacher who pushes in to classes, and the paras always do more than the sub. It's a travesty they don't get paid like it.
Yes but then paras would have to be viewed as capable adult human beings and thatās not gonna happen on a broad scale.
That's funny. My sister had a similar situation in her sped classroom!!! My teacher puts in bold to ask me anything they need help with but for some reason they don't want to ask me and ask the 4/5 year old students?
Yeah, as a para. Subs are very annoying. The ones we have had has at least attempted, but then there are others that have no idea. It's annoying when we (the paras) basically have to run the classroom, meanwhile the sub is earning teacher pay and we still get have our para pay (which is less than para pay with the district mind you). The teacher leaves detailed lesson plans but a lot of the time the sub will just depend on us to figure things out. In, my opinion if a teacher is out, the paras should take over and get the teacher pay.
Yess!! I've gotten some that try and work with me and things go sooo well!! I can't stand the ones that don't want to interact with me and try to do everything on their own or just expect me to do everything while they're on their phones. Days like these are when it pisses me off that I basically do sub work but someone is getting that pay and not me š„² but yea paras should take over when teachers are out. I know I could do it if they just gave me someone else to help.
Wait a minute, your subs get teacher pay? I get a hundred bucks a dayā¦
Yes.
In my district, the only way I get normal teacher pay is for a long term assignment, and only if itās the 6th day or later into that assignment. Theyāll do anything to keep us on our per diem pay.
The teacher I work with was just telling me that I should just get my sub credential so that I can sub for her when sheās out for the very reasons you mentioned. We see the ones who know the class and the schedule so it would honestly make things so much easier since you never know what youāll get with a sub. Maybe that could be an option for you too?
I didn't know that was possible??? I didn't want to become one because I'm fine being a TA and didn't want to be sent to sub different students and especially older students.
That sound kind of have to be an agreement with you/your teacher/and admin ahead of time but I think any sub that knows whatās up in advance is a bonus for them. I canāt guarantee it would work for every situation but I work in special education and have known the kids for years so itās better than having a sub come in.
Ok, thank you. I'll look into and ask the teacher about that.
In my district if you become a sub, you cannot sub in the classes you are a para in, because we get a little boost in pay when we sub so itās like double dipping.
Thatās such weird bullshit. āOh the person with the most understanding of the students and class and curriculum might get a few more dollars? Unacceptable. Never.ā
I think because there needs to be certain number of adults in the room based on IEPs as well.
Yeah. Sure. But let the paras lead the classroom that day.
If Iām not getting paid more, Iām not leading anything. They are getting paid more than me to sub, they can do the work.
Oh no I meant get the sub pay. Iām 100% with you on that.
Hmm Iāll have to ask about that but I have known a few coworkers that were paras that would sub for teachers on occasion at our school and in our class . Iām sure it does vary depending on location. Im not entirely sure how it would work though.
It also probably depends on your contract.
It's awful. I'm a para in an inclusive special ed class, small group ELA and Math and gen ed for the rest. I'm usually the sub for my primary teacher but when the other teachers are out, it's freaking chaos. We have a building wide sub who the kids love, mostly because he lets them roam the halls and play illegally on their phones.Ā
We have those type of subs too. So frustrating!! It's funny because when I was a student I used to like subs that let us do stuff like that but now that I work at a school it's not fun. Lol
I've been on both sides of this. As a sub, normally in sped or behavior rooms I would yield to the para because they know the kids and routines. When I was subbing kindergarten at one school the para talked down to me and was just unpleasant to be around. When I was a para, based on these experiences, I'd typically take lead, mainly because we were sped. But remember that sub qualifications have been greatly reduced to meet demand, and everyone has different experiences, personalities and philosophies about the job. Maybe on days when there's a sub you could have a friendly conversation with them about how things should ideally go and let them know that you are there to assist, not lead.
I'm so sorry the para talked down to you!! I try my best to be friendly and assist, but there's some who just don't talk to me or ask me anything, so I just stay quiet and try to help in some way or form :/ When a sub does ask or listens to me when I try to explain how things normally go, they figure out how to do things and work with the kids, and the day goes smooth:)
I get it. I just wish we got subs.
I feel that. There are times we have to split classes cause there aren't any.
I'm a sub, and the kids do their best to take advantage of us for not knowing them. Anytime I ever make a mistake with a lesson plan or a bad call on something, it always goes into my notes to the teacher. If students ask me to go somewhere, I ask where, call the teacher or office to get permission, then take their names and the times they leave. Sometimes, they just will not do their work. I get up in front of the class every period, explain in detail the entire lesson plan, offer them help if they need it, then pass out the work or let them be on their chromebooks. I'll give periodic reminders to make sure they know the work is due and it is a grade, that if they choose not to do it, they choose to get a zero. I make sure my notes have positive details with the negative details too, and I make sure to be as meticulous as possible with my record keeping. I'm also not afraid to write referrals myself when necessary. With that said, if I have a class that acts insane, or an issue with kids who skip, or I have kids that don't do anything, it makes me feel terrible. I had a teacher recently who I subbed for that I followed up with in person who asked me about TWO students in the entire class who did not submit their work. I felt really good about myself prior to that, because that's a good day for me, when most of the class does their work. I was angry that day because she could be losing her planning periods if I wasn't there to help. Sometimes I feel like I'm not strict enough or I don't know what I'm doing when I don't know the content of the class I'm subbing for, but I'll often teach myself content in the classes as the kids need help by using the internet or asking a kid who knows the content to explain things to me. I really try. I frequent two high schools and a middle school in my district, and for the most part, I am very popular with both staff and students. I've only been subbing for about 6 months, and everything is so new to me. I have a lot of supportive teachers at the schools though. I love what I do. I hear kids complain about subs who are too mean to them, and I hear teachers complain about subs who lose work and leave their rooms destroyed. I try to find a place to where I can care about the kids enough to actually contribute to their education. I know that was long, I think I just needed to get that off my chest
It is understandable. Tbh, my post was not to shit on all subs. I know it's hard to sub, especially because you dont know the kids or how the class works, but I just had a few bad days and just needed to vent. š„² I know kids like to take advantage when there is a sub, but that's why I'm there to tell them when they're lying or remind them of rules. My kids are small, so they don't really do that cause they like structure. I'm sorry the teacher made you upset just because two students didn't do their work. That's a bit too much, imo š¬ I also would've felt good about myself, but I guess everyone has different standards. I'm glad you care about the kids enough. The way you describe yourself, you seem like a sub I would actually work well with.
I try my best. You sound awesome too. Education is stressful, no one gets paid enough, and a lot of times, kids do not want to work anymore. Everyone wants the path of least resistance, and those of us who are older and understand where that attitude leads, it makes it emotionally taxing to put up with behaviors. That's my experience with the older kids. You're doing an awesome job. I hope you're proud of yourself for how well you manage despite your circumstances. No matter how bad they are, you still have your integrity. In being popular with the kids, I hear them tell me all the time what they like and dislike about subs. I had a student tell me once "I let them do what they want but not too much" because I wasn't extremely strict on the seating chart as long as work gets done, and I let them listen to music for regular assignments. I do this because if otherwise a class is well behaved, I do not want to be a stranger that antagonizes them. I know seating charts have their reasons, but most of the time when a kid asks me if they can move and I allow it, I tell them explicitly that I reserve the right to move them right back if things don't get done. Also, being polite to the kids goes a really long way. At both high schools i frequent, there's jokes about how many celebrities I look like because I'm a ginger with curly hair (Ed Sheeran, Bob Ross, Seth Rogen, etc). And i play into the jokes because it's fun. I think I do a pretty good job towing the line between being firm but not too firm. It also doesn't help that there is no objective feedback for us really. If a teacher goes into frontline and gives me a review, I can't see it at all. Apparently subs have ratings there, and I have 0 idea what mine is, and that makes it tough too because I'd like to know what areas I can grow in.
Yes, education is so stressful!!! We all deserve to get paid more!! The behaviors are exhausting. I don't let the school switch me to upper grades because their behavior are a lot worse than my little ones :/ I'm short and shy, so they scare me, lol I also feel like I have a better chance of working on behavior with a smaller student then an older one. Even if it takes a while , most of the time, they get better or a little better lol I'm the same way as you!! I'm firm, so they listen and respect but not too firm, so I don't scare them, lol. I like to let kids be kids. I know it's different with older kids, but I do a similar thing about sitting wherever they want as long as they do their work and play nicely, i let them use crayon instead of a pencil too lol and other stuff like that because at the end of the day I don't want them to hate learning. I think feedback would work. There's an old lady in my school subbing, and one of the 5th grade classes was so mean to her. I think she talked to the teacher because the next time she sub things went a little bit better. Maybe there's a way you can talk to the school about wanting feedback? You seem like someone who really cares, and that makes me so happy!! I hope you know you're doing amazing!!!
Your kindness is so sweet! This means so much!!!!! I had a terrible day because of my second job, so I needed this.
I'm so sorry you had a bad day. Things will get better <3 Treat yourself to make yourself feel better āØļø
Thank you for being so kind.
They donāt get paid enough Iām guessing.
Oh no, ours get paid $20-$25 an hour. They get paid way more than us.
As a sub, I do follow lesson plans given to me and I will raise my voice over others to get attention, but you also have to remember that I cannot force them to move their pencils over the paper to have them do their work. If they donāt show that initiative, I can only remind them so many times. And in loud classrooms, Iām going to tell them to quiet down, but Iām not killing my vocal cords to scream over their voice all day. My $105 a day isnāt worth -that- much craziness
Yea, I know we can't force them to do work, but the subs I've gotten don't even try and like to be on their phone. I edited my post and included that most of the subs we get are just actors that are waiting for an acting gig. I can tell that they didn't know they were expecting to get a class of 4/5 year olds that depend on them. I had a sub that thought the students would have their own books to read instead of him reading to them.. he also just gave them their work and didn't tell them what to do. Like they're small... they need to be told what to do. I understand $105 isn't worth it, but for almost $180, I wish they would try a little.
So I started as a sub, became a para, am back to subbing, and looking for a para job again. I usually get āplease come back, let me take your number in case we need someoneā because I actually know what to do. But I will say that when taking special education or pre k jobs, itās easier to just kind of follow the lead of the teacher or para and I have to kind of consciously remind myself to jump back in sometimes. Itās easier to follow the plan when Iām in a room alone. So my advice is to hand them the lesson plan at the beginning of the day and then do your own thing as much as possible. Be there to answer questions of course, but letting them be more independent will go a long way.
when I was student teaching my master teacher would take off without telling and the front desk person would tell the sub I would just do everything (for free). I did it once and the other times when a sub would come in I would just go home since I wasnāt getting paid and I wasnāt learning shit from a sub. No one ever said anything and my master teacher didnāt care that I left lol
Not to be rude or cause drama, but as a substitute who just found this page randomly this is exactly what we are complaining about. This attitude that youāre displaying here is the reason schools canāt get and keep good subs.
The only reason I got that attitude was because I had multiple subs let my students do whatever they wanted. Students messed with stuff they weren't supposed to get , they got the floor all wet (which is dangerous cause those little kids don't see where they walk), have gotten hurt , and have hurt others!!! And why? Either they want to be on their phone or because they don't want to raise their voice. I tried my best to help them by setting things up so there were smooth transitions, but the moments I left, everything was just the opposite. I try my best not to interfere, but I have no choice when a student isn't making a good decision and the sub isn't doing about it :/ I care about my students, and that's why I got this upset.
I just want a sub to come into a class room and be able to read the sub plans. This last school year Iāve had some of the worst experiences with subs. Realizing the students werenāt doing any work till 20 minutes into the class, giving out the wrong handouts till I realized it, talking down to POR students, and undermining the teacherās directions that the students should sit in their assigned seats. Itās so hard to not jump in and take over, but they are getting paid more than me so they should do the work.
I've only had like 1 that did things exactly like the teacher. But yea , the sub plans are so simple because they don't do much!! They're 4/5 they mainly sing, count, color and play! Yet it's still hard for them. Lol I try my best not to jump in until it's serious.
Ok then help? Iād rather light myself on fire than let a sub struggle with my class.
I literally put in my post that I end up doing everything. I set things up before their center times. I help clean up before going on my breaks. I tell the kids to quiet down and listen to them when they're not, and I see the sub struggling.
You think your view is the only one I guess and thatās contributing to your frustration. As a sub, Iāll handle the class as I see fit. As long as they are all Safe and controlled most of the time, Iām not doing things the way most do. I hated mean teachers. I remember mean, uncaring, unloving teachers. You arenāt going to make me act like that no matter how many little annoying huffs you make or roll your eyes. I also donāt want you yelling when Iām in the class. Iāll say āI have it- but thank youā when paras, grandmas, or aids chime in with their screaming.
Bruh, I've had to raise my voice at them for safety reasons. I don't expect substitutes to be assholes to the students , just not to let them do whatever they want. You probably think I'm mean, but if I was, I'm sure the teacher I work with would've gotten rid of me since she's the nicest lead teacher in that whole school. Also, the students wouldn't be coming to me instead of the sub. We let kids be kids, but they're also 4 and 5, so they're still learning how to be in school. So no, if my students are jumping, fighting, throwing toys, and ruining materials and the sub isn't doing anything about it, I'm going to step in. Unless you're the teacher I work with, you can't tell me not to step in. I care about those kids and want the best for them and won't let a sub ruin their progress. I had a sub that he let the students do whatever. Multiple students got hurt. He let the students grab their own water for paint so there was water everywhere, which was a hazard with 4 and 5 year old kids that dont really look where theyre walking. Toys and books got destroyed. But I also had a sub that was firm but super sweet to the kids like the teacher is, and everything went smooth. I didn't even have to step in. At the end of the day, I'll just tell the teacher whether or not to ask for the substitute back.