My child has a long term sub and she has been doing a great job - the teacher is on maternity leave so she had time to prepare, she hand picked the sub, and the curriculum is team taught so she has a lot of support from the other teachers. It’s the best sub experience any of my kids have had.

Anonymous wrote:That's why I'm a long term sub - short terms subs are just glorified babysitters.

I was a long-term sub for a while too, for the same reason. But then I learned that long-term subs are expected to do report cards and parent conferences, as well as planning - all for the low, low salary of a sub. No thanks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I been subbing for a few weeks, and noticed I don't really have a real lesson plans, most of the time is just busy work, like maybe just reading a Story time, but not doing real work...

I can’t get my subs to follow basic plans like “hand out this worksheet at 11:00”. I’m definitely not leaving actual instruction. I’ve had multiple subs “help” on a 5th grade review worksheet and do the math wrong. I know there are some great subs, but I’ve never been lucky enough to get one.

+1, even when I leave a word-by-word script with answer keys, the kids still tell me that the sub was completely useless…and these are 2nd graders.

DP. Who are these subs you're getting? I can't imagine accepting a subbing job and not actually instructing. I follow the teacher's plan to a T.

I have always taught real lessons, every time I sub in elementary schools. Math, social studies, language arts, science - whatever the teacher leaves for me, I always teach.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I been subbing for a few weeks, and noticed I don't really have a real lesson plans, most of the time is just busy work, like maybe just reading a Story time, but not doing real work...

I can’t get my subs to follow basic plans like “hand out this worksheet at 11:00”. I’m definitely not leaving actual instruction. I’ve had multiple subs “help” on a 5th grade review worksheet and do the math wrong. I know there are some great subs, but I’ve never been lucky enough to get one.

+1, even when I leave a word-by-word script with answer keys, the kids still tell me that the sub was completely useless…and these are 2nd graders.

Anonymous wrote:I been subbing for a few weeks, and noticed I don't really have a real lesson plans, most of the time is just busy work, like maybe just reading a Story time, but not doing real work...

I can’t get my subs to follow basic plans like “hand out this worksheet at 11:00”. I’m definitely not leaving actual instruction. I’ve had multiple subs “help” on a 5th grade review worksheet and do the math wrong. I know there are some great subs, but I’ve never been lucky enough to get one.

Anonymous wrote:I been subbing for a few weeks, and noticed I don't really have a real lesson plans, most of the time is just busy work, like maybe just reading a Story time, but not doing real work...

Many subs don't understand the concepts themselves (even in 4th grade), so we often leave review pages that the kids can do on their own. If you are skilled in a particular skill then notify the main office, they can share that with the teachers.

Most of our daily subs are just babysitting. Many are not proficient English speakers and most cannot follow anything more than the worksheets we leave. Sometimes even that is a big ask.

As a PP says, I leave behind very scripted plans for my ES classroom. I also use the same few subs who I have met over the years and I know they are able and willing to actually teach my lessons.

In ES, they might have highly scripted lesson plans for you to follow.
In MS and HS, they might let you teach if they know you know your subject matter. I taught lessons when I was a sub once the teacher realized I knew the subject matter and asked me to sub for them again.

I do the same with some subs now that I am a teacher.

I had 30 years with FCPS and started subbing this year. I mostly sub at the ES from which I retired and I have taught "real lessons". Sometimes I plan on the fly and teach "real lessons". I checked in with one teacher the day before my sub job and was told, "I'm leaving actual lessons for you to do".

That's why I'm a long term sub - short terms subs are just glorified babysitters.

Yes we had a longterm sub for 2 months for maternity leave and she did full curriculum leasons with the kids.

Anonymous wrote:I been subbing for a few weeks, and noticed I don't really have a real lesson plans, most of the time is just busy work, like maybe just reading a Story time, but not doing real work...

Do you have any teaching experience (or background) in a particular subject area? Some substitutes do, especially FCPS retirees. If you let the school principal and department chair know this, they could arrange a sub job which would involve actual instruction.

I been subbing for a few weeks, and noticed I don't really have a real lesson plans, most of the time is just busy work, like maybe just reading a Story time, but not doing real work...