What’s it like to be a substitute teacher?
Don’t decide until you get the facts!
We’ve got a free online forum for you that will answer your questions—even the ones you don’t know you have!
This was posted previously but note the changed url for information or to register: https://rsu73.coursestorm.com/.
You don’t have to be deeply involved in online learning (which comes in many forms and under many different labels) to have some awareness of Khan Academy and Sal Khan. Heather Kelly, a reporter for the Washington Post, recently interviewed Khan with some Q&A regarding online learning. The results are a “must-read” for anyone involved in education and online learning.: teachers, homeschoolers, educators, parents, and school administrators.
The interview is focused on public school and younger kids, so let me say that while many educators like to wax eloquent about the difference between teaching kids (the big word is pedagogy) and teaching adults (the big word is andragogy), I prefer to consider the similarities–and take advantage of them. If you’ve attended one of my adult real estate classes, you know that I use reward stickers. I do not use reward stickers with kids. I digress only to make the point that while focused on kids, many of Kahn’s insights apply to all ages.
He definitely had me at “The last thing we want to do is burn kids out and burn out their families and burn out their teachers.” If you read “,” you know that I refuse to accept online learning as a panacea. One of the things I admire about Khan the person and the University is that they are not successful because they pioneered online education. Khan is successful because he has a unique understanding of teaching and learning. Click the button, check out the interview, and see what you can learn!
One of the educational forums I visit regularly has a recently started thread asking teachers to share the letter to homeschooling parents they wish they could write. Needless to say, there are some funny ones… and some that have quite an edge on them. After all, it’s somewhat normal to criticize teachers and blame them for behavioral issues and any lack of learning. Right now, the shoe is on the other foot.
Social media has also given rise to some funny stuff that acknowledges homeschooling may prove that the business of teaching and learning is not so easy. “If you drive by and see the kids outside and the doors locked, it’s because we’re having a fire drill.”
And the cartoons! Since Dad sometimes fills the role of “principal” I also liked the one where it’s apparent the Mom Teacher has threatened the Child Student with being sent to the Dad Principal. The child points out that the principal is sitting on the couch in his underwear.
It’s great that we’re having fun with this… and it may turn out that parents end up with a greater appreciation for teachers and the school environment. I hope so because I don’t think we fully appreciate some of the advantages the school environment provides.
One of the big ones is that schools are designed as a learning environment–learning is the norm and it’s an obvious expectation. Everything from the furniture to what’s hanging on the walls in the classroom is about learning. When you walk into a school building there is no doubt over what is going on inside
If I were writing to parents about the current situation, I’d be tempted to ask a question, particularly to those who are finding homeschooling a challenge. Is your home a learning environment?
I’m not suggesting that homes should look like a school, although for homeschooling there should be some specific physical learning areas if that’s possible. I am asking whether or not learning–and the value and fun of learning come through clearly.
A downside of “school,” is that some kids come to “hate” it. I wrote a piece a while back about an adult student who advised that she was “sick of learning.” (.) I sincerely hoped she was sick of being taught–that’s fundamentally different. There’s a difference. Learning is a natural process that we instinctively embrace. One of my classroom rules is that we are going to enjoy learning. Or at least try!
Learning should be about curiosity, exploration, and fun. Those are things that shouldn’t be limited to a classroom. In fact, the classroom has a disadvantage on this point. Due to the need for assessments and grades, it’s easy to lose sight of the fun.
When I’m teaching adults one of the more fun things is when parents share stories about how their kids view the parent’s learning. There’s a connection that can lead to some funny things. Sharing is important because it makes learning natural. I will always remember the Mom who arrived for a class starting with a quiz. She said that her young son warned her before she left, “Mom if you don’t pass today, there will be no electronics for the week.” He was quite serious. While it was funny, it also means that quizzes and tests are part of the family environment. And so are the consequences! Creating a learning environment can be as simple as a kid who sees Mom or Dad reading. Learning becomes a way of life.
I remember once being behind a woman towing a toddler through a store. The toddler was in the “why?” stage which can be very tiring. When he asked his question, Mom replied with her own question, “What do you think?”
There’s a lot to like about that response. It reflects that thinking is valued. It acknowledges that curiosity and exploration are a way of life. A child being raised in that environment will learn.
So if homeschooling is a current challenge, remember to teach the joy of learning–don’t just do worksheets and follow schedules. Kids may not want to sit down and complete worksheets and other tasks but they are curious and they will enjoy learning if we give them the chance.
Updates: March 17th
PVAEC (Dover Foxcroft) has announced that they are closed at least through March 27, therefore the Substitute Teacher Workshop on March 19 is not going to be held. While the March 31 Suicide Prevention Workshop does not fall into this time frame, I would suggest it be considered “tentative.”
MSAD 53 (Pittsfield) is also closed through March 27 which suggests the Substitute Teacher Workshop on March 24/26 is postponed. The April 7 Suicide Prevention Workshop should also be considered “tentative” but not officially canceled or postponed.
Real Estate Licensing Courses–I hope to have additional information later this morning.
With the closing of area school districts, most Adult Education Workshops (Substitute Teacher and Suicide Prevention) will likely be postponed or canceled. I will be confirming that over the next several days and post the results. If you need an immediate answer, check with the sponsoring Adult Ed Program.
At this point in time, scheduled Real Estate Licensing Courses will be held but understand things can change quickly in this very fluid situation.
Be smart and be safe… we certainly don’t know all the answers–for that matter, we don’t yet know all the questions–but let’s have some confidence in ourselves!
I’ll repeat my request that we check on and talk to kids about this! I heard someone say she wasn’t going to talk to her children about COVID-19 because she “didn’t want to scare them.” I’ll bet they are already scared.
In addition to my previous post, here’s a link to a great article to a child who is anxious. While it was written specifically with special needs children in mind, it really can apply to any!
While we are busy disinfecting let’s not forget the importance of emotional hygiene!
For the unfamiliar, the title of this post is a quote from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The full quote is “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” It is often quoted to make the point that what something is called does not change its characteristics or attributes.
I thought of it because I received a message that suggested I should stop referring to “Substitute Teachers” and instead call them “Guest Teachers.” The suggestion included the observation that ” when kids hear “substitute,” they don’t always have respect because you’re “just a sub.”
I also remembered an incident I experienced while subbing (not guesting) in a second-grade classroom. I was surrounded by a cluster of kids, one of whom was examining the badge I wear on a lanyard around my neck. After a fairly lengthy examination, he said, “Mr. Boomsma, your badge is wrong.” Thinking this might be a teachable moment, I examined it myself. All that was on it was “Mr. Boomsma” and “Substitute Teacher.”
So we studied it together until I admitted I couldn’t find the mistake. He said, quite matter-of-factly, “It says you’re a substitute teacher. That’s wrong. You’re a real teacher.”
I floated through the rest of the day and announced at the office they could keep my pay for the day. (They didn’t.)
The problem kids sometimes have with subs–and subs have with those kids–is not the title. It’s the kids’ past experience with subs in general.
I recall one day when for some reason we had a lot of subs at school, including some who hadn’t yet learned routines and a few who were clearly “out of their element.” At recess, I realized every adult on duty with me was a sub. When I left that day, I joked at the office that having subs was a real pain and challenge! And I also left with an appreciation for why kids might “dread” having a sub.
Calling the sub a “Guest Teacher” isn’t likely to change that. In fact, I don’t want to be a guest at school. I am not a guest. I’m a member of the faculty/staff. I don’t want to hear the kids say, “You’re just a guest.” I’d rather be thought of as a teacher who is substituting for another teacher.
I do participate in several national forums and hear some districts are adopting this approach–I truly do not understand what they think they are accomplishing, other than some subs seem to think it is more dignified. Fortunately, the districts in this area are still hiring subs. I hope they continue.
Of course in the grand scheme of things what those of us who substitute are called won’t matter as much as what we do while we’re there. I think I’ll worry more about that than what I’m called.
A substitute teacher by any other name would smell just as sweet and teach just as much.
Mr. Boomsma, a teacher who subs