asset to teacher

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Home : 2003 : August : 3

asset to teacher
By Carolyn

I have the advantage of being a full-time teacher (currently) and a past sub, so I can see both sides of the picture. When I subbed, I always tried to complete the regular teacher's plans to the letter and maintain discipline
while trying to ensure safety and fairness among the students. I was a certified teacher when I subbed, so I maintained a serious, professional attitude when I was teaching. I also tried to establish a good rapport with the students I was working with. I believe that this is the reason I as asked back to sub again, and why some teachers requested me again and again.
Now as a full-time

teacher, I have definite feelings about what subs I would like to take over the classroom in my absence and which ones I wouldn't. I don't like subs who skip over lessons I have left and do something else. As an example, I had a sub who one day flew through my English lesson, then went to another teacher to look for "filler." If she had taken enough time with the lesson, which should have lasted a half-hour, she wouldn't have needed filler. Kids don't usually like filler, because it's not purposeful activity and it has the appearance of "busy work." I try make it a point to overplan, so that filler isn't necessary.

I think some of the subs I have had get through a lesson too quickly because they probably don't go over examples and help the children understand what the lesson is really about. When it's time to do the lesson activity, they just assign it, then collect it when the kids finish. Then they sometimes tell me that the kids had trouble with it. A good explanation, followed by examples is essential.

I do like subs who maintain good order in the classroom, both with discipline and the physical environment. I hate coming back to a room that wasn't the way I left it. I don't really like to come back to a long list of kids who couldn't behave in my absence. I feel that if there's a long list of kids who misbehave, the sub wasn't "on" the kids enough. You can never just sit at a desk and assume that kids will work quietly and without getting into trouble, but that is what some subs do.

I like subs to leave me notes about why work wasn't completed that I left.

Good luck with your subbing. Work hard and care about what you do, and you'll do very well.