subs

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Home : 2002 : October : 13

subs
By Carolyn

I was a sub once, so I can understand the problems that subs encounter. I am a full-time teacher now, but I would never consider snubbing a sub for any reason. Our subs are too valuable to treat in that way. We have a
hard time getting subs, so we treat our subs quite well.
Our subs aren't certified, for the most part. That isn't required, since we usually find that all of the certified teachers are working (if they want to). Some of the subs I have had are very competent and possess a lot of common sense. Others don't seem to have much common sense at all. We once had a sub who sent the children

out to recess while she stayed in the room. The kids played outdoors, unattended by any adult, for the entire recess. (Common sense would tell you that children need supervision!) I once left a social studies test for the sub to give to the children, and when I came back to the classroom after school, I found some of the tests on the floor next to the students' desks. The room was a mess, too.

Since my subs are usually high school graduates without a great deal of experience with groups of children, I don't assume anything about them. Some of my subs can't remember the math of my fifth grade curriculum, so I try to leave work which the children can complete without assistance.