we shouldn't generalize...

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Home : 2004 : January : 15

we shouldn't generalize...
By teacher on contract

I subbed the entire time I was in college and had a wide range of experiences. The best had everything you mentioned laid out and the best behaved classes. Others I'm sure you can imagine.

I do agree that there are
countless subs who are competent, but that doesn't change the fact that several aren't. I was sick the week before we got out for Christmas and missed 2.5 days. I had three different subs and not one took the time to write any comments to me. I had no idea what happened in my room, unless I heard something from another teacher. There's no reason for this. I'm not asking for a novel,

just tell me good or bad. Every sub I've had this year has been this way, and I've never had the same one twice. I was out today to attend a workshop (my choice), so I'm interested to see if I'll have something tomorrow.

Personally, I will let the administartion know when I am not pleased with the results of a sub and refuse to have that sub again. They always go with my preference. I've yet to find one that I prefer. There's so much that a teacher does to prepare for a day away that most of the time, it's not worth it. A good teacher should anyway, unless it's an emergency and cannot be avoided. I won't have a sub back to my room who can't take two minutes to leave me a note when I spend hours of my own time to prepare things and make sure all materials are ready and accessible. My students know I'll be checking behavior as well. They think I have other teachers spying for me, and I've never had a behavior complaint. They save that for me!