Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:zero chance you will want to teach after subbing. sub plans are babysitting with no interaction or relationships with students.
-hs teacher

A good sub who knows their subject won't just babysit, even if the notes effectively say that. As a sub they'll have the freedom to teach anything they want while subbing. They could teach beyond the curriculum if they perceive the kids can handle it, all without worrying about admin stuff or getting terminated.

A sub should not be teaching things not in the sub plans. They don’t know the kids, the standards, etc. when subs don’t follow the plan, I never use them again and report them to the main office.

Depends on the plans. If they don't involve teaching anything or are meaningless, a sub should be able to interact with the kids to the best of their abilities; you can't honestly just expect them to blindly follow your plan if there is nothing for them to do in the plan but sit at their desk while kids also sit around? You are right that bad subs will just idly sit there and likely be happy that they got off easy, while good subs will put some effort to come up with something good.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:zero chance you will want to teach after subbing. sub plans are babysitting with no interaction or relationships with students.
-hs teacher

A good sub who knows their subject won't just babysit, even if the notes effectively say that. As a sub they'll have the freedom to teach anything they want while subbing. They could teach beyond the curriculum if they perceive the kids can handle it, all without worrying about admin stuff or getting terminated.

A sub should not be teaching things not in the sub plans. They don’t know the kids, the standards, etc. when subs don’t follow the plan, I never use them again and report them to the main office.

+1
There is a process to bar subs from schools if they do not follow professional standards, one of which is following the teacher's sub plans. This happens occasionally at my HS.

If the plans are effectively babysitting and not teaching anything, don't expect a sub to bend to your will. Subs are there not because of the money, but because they are interested in teaching something that will help the children. In fact, if the teacher's plan does not set expectations for a sub to at least attempt to teach/help kids, it is unprofessional and says more about the teacher than the sub. Keep in mind that a significant number of subs may actually have better content knowledge than the teacher, and they are there either to test waters for teaching, or to genuinely help out in their local schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:zero chance you will want to teach after subbing. sub plans are babysitting with no interaction or relationships with students.
-hs teacher

A good sub who knows their subject won't just babysit, even if the notes effectively say that. As a sub they'll have the freedom to teach anything they want while subbing. They could teach beyond the curriculum if they perceive the kids can handle it, all without worrying about admin stuff or getting terminated.

A sub should not be teaching things not in the sub plans. They don’t know the kids, the standards, etc. when subs don’t follow the plan, I never use them again and report them to the main office.

+1
There is a process to bar subs from schools if they do not follow professional standards, one of which is following the teacher's sub plans. This happens occasionally at my HS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:zero chance you will want to teach after subbing. sub plans are babysitting with no interaction or relationships with students.
-hs teacher

A good sub who knows their subject won't just babysit, even if the notes effectively say that. As a sub they'll have the freedom to teach anything they want while subbing. They could teach beyond the curriculum if they perceive the kids can handle it, all without worrying about admin stuff or getting terminated.

A sub should not be teaching things not in the sub plans. They don’t know the kids, the standards, etc. when subs don’t follow the plan, I never use them again and report them to the main office.

Glad my experience is helpful. If hired as a substitute you are also eligible to take on substitute openings for Instructional Assistant. You just have to choose that as an option in the SmartFind system when you check all your preferences.

OP here - thanks so much for all of that information, PP! Question - did you apply for both subbing and IA at the same time? I only applied for substitute positions but would also be open to being a sub IA. Should I have indicated that somewhere? TIA.

I just began substituting this year and so far my experience has been good. I decided at the beginning of the summer to try it because I wanted to do something that seemed meaningful that also offered schedule flexibility. The application process and everything else took about 6 weeks for me by the time I was finished. Between submitting paperwork, scheduling online orientation, TB testing & fingerprinting and background check approval there were some administrative delays I experienced that seemed to be related to changes in personnel and amount of people onboarding in the system. I had to be proactive a few times in getting answers and follow ups. Faith Galloway and Roudene Jackson I believe are the current substitute Office Contacts if you need more answers.
Since starting I specified in the SmartFind scheduling system which schools and subjects I was available for as a Substitute and Instructional Assistant. I also specified general and specific times I am not available. That has gone well and so far I have worked as a sub for P.E. and music, as an I.A. For kindergarten and Pre-School Autistic kids.
I have not had any unexpected bait and switches. I did have one assignment change but the school secretary called me about it beforehand to explain that they needed someone in a different location and to get my ok on it before they did it. By the first week I was already getting teachers asking me to sub everyday.
The need is great from what they are telling me and once they know you and have your information, you can likely work as much as you want if you do a good job.
Hope this insight from a newbie helps.

Anonymous wrote:DP and a sub. OP, mostly you can use SmartFind to look for jobs. The teachers put in for what they need and you can use filters such as what level (elem, middle, HS) and or position (teacher, IA, PHA), etc. It will spit out a list of openings and dates/schools. I started out this way going to schools that were close to me, with the grades and specialities I was looking for. Now I have a list of schools and specific teachers I prioritize my days for when asked. I stopped going to some schools when they kept bait switching me from what I signed up to do to what they wanted me to do when I showed up. If I wanted to teach that grade / class I would have signed up for it. Good luck, OP. I hope you find a few good schools to work with that need you!

OP here - thank you for this information! Good to know and I hope I don't run across any bait-and-switch situations. Did you do the two hour virtual orientation? I've called to be scheduled for this, but so far no one has gotten back to me.

DP and a sub. OP, mostly you can use SmartFind to look for jobs. The teachers put in for what they need and you can use filters such as what level (elem, middle, HS) and or position (teacher, IA, PHA), etc. It will spit out a list of openings and dates/schools. I started out this way going to schools that were close to me, with the grades and specialities I was looking for. Now I have a list of schools and specific teachers I prioritize my days for when asked. I stopped going to some schools when they kept bait switching me from what I signed up to do to what they wanted me to do when I showed up. If I wanted to teach that grade / class I would have signed up for it. Good luck, OP. I hope you find a few good schools to work with that need you!