Substitute Teaching?

[Lindagerr]

In NJ only 60 college credits were needed to apply to be a substitute teacher. Once that was met there were a few other requirements depending on county.

Substitute teaching can be frustrating and thankless job or a wonderful fulfilling job depending on many factors.

1) What grades do you plan on teaching? Younger grades are usually good and cooperate with substitutes, by the time you get to middle school age they can be less cooperative and can be downright mean and disrespectful. I would never even consider subbing in a high school I find that age just has too much attitude for me.

2) How much support do you get from other staff and administrators? If the other staff and adults in the school treat you with respect and show they expect the students to do the same you will do fine. If other teachers and staff treat you as an outcast and an underling the students will treat you the same and you will have a hard time controlling them.

3.) Do the teachers leave a lesson plan? A real lesson plan with learning objectives and details on how to meet those objectives(another teacher or aid who can explain things helps) makes your job a little harder but more worth it in my opinion. If a teacher just leaves work sheets or book assignments for the children to do while you babysit, it might make your job easier but I find it boring and more difficult to handle disruption in those classes.

4.) Do you know the subject you are teaching? I have been asked to teach everything from preschool special ed to 8th grade algebra. I have taught Art( I can't even draw a good stick figure), Music ( I can't even read music), Gym( I refuse to teach this any more I am too old to keep up) and Spanish( I haven't used my high school spanish in over 30 years). I was able to do this in most instances because I knew the teachers and that they would leave lesson plans even I could follow. I would not teach these subjects if I thought I would be useless in the class. In some school systems you are hired just to sub in 1-3 subjects, in other districts you can be asked to teach anything but you have the right to refuse any offer(if you refuse too many you will no longer be called).

5) Do you want to teach or just babysit? If you just want to get low pay for not much work find a school where they only leave busy work or reading when subs are there. I have heard many high schools are this way, they don't believe subs are smart enough to really teach, and if the sub proves that untrue they fear the sub might get their job so they ask to have a different sub in the future.

I subbed for 4 school years at 4 different schools, I have subbed as short as 1/2 day and as long as 3 months for the same class. I love the work and I love the students, after a year away from subbing I am finally ready to bite the bullet and start the long process toward substitute teaching in NY.

I hope this answers your questions but feel free to post or PM me with any others. I might take a couple of days to get back but I always seem to be drawn back to this site.