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Rodney · 06-23-2006, 02:37 AM

My two cents: there's usually a lesson plan waiting for you, unless there isn't, or it's two lines scrawled on the board. In those cases, video is your friend. After you've done it awhile, though, you'll come up with a few gap activities you can use if the teacher's plan is insufficient. For grades 3 and under, I used to have the students write and illustrate get-well letters to the teacher. You can adjust the lesson by age-group, and it's always a winner.

On the other hand, sometimes the lesson plan they leave for you can be very detailed. I've executed plans scheduled to the five-minute and fifteen-minute interval during the day. Thus it's best to get there as early as possible to familiarize yourself with the plan.

Generally you can work the days you want -- though the more often you're available, the more often you're called. Most areas have an automated system that calls subs at random, yet there will be schools -- often the more desirable ones -- where most of the subwork is arranged between the teacher (or sometimes the school secretary) and trusted, known subs. How do you get to be a known sub? By getting your first assignment, doing well, and being called back -- or simply by chatting up other teachers for work in the break room. Of course some schools, the tougher ones, constantly are looking for new sub blood and you can get assignments there easily through the automated system.

In my area, the automated system lets you choose the grades you want to teach; though the wider the range you accept, the more than you will teach. I would accept a wide variety of grades at first to find out which you like best. I concentrated in the lower grades, yet found that I liked high school better than I thought I would. Didn't ever care for middle school, though.

High school and middle school are good in one sense, because you get the teacher's daily prep period as a chill-out time in the middle of the day, along with lunch. In the primary grades, you're "on" all day, and may even have yard duty at recess if it was your teacher's turn.

Kindergarten is intense, but in some ways the easiest, because in this area you teach only half the day and simply work as an aide the other half. And you may have aides or volunteers who work with you for most of the morning.

Reliability and pay depend on area. In this area, short-term subs make around $110 a day -- but the cost of living is very high, so it's not that desirable a job. Long-term subs -- those who take a job for several weeks to several months, generally while the teacher is on medical leave -- get more, but they usually want somebody with a credential, because lesson-planning is then part of the job.

Reliability -- like I said, the poorer districts and schools are always hungry. If you've got some of those around, you'll get lots of calls. But of course the classes are tougher. To get the most work, register with multiple districts. We have two robot systems in this county: one covers most of the districts at one end of the county, and the other handles just the one monster district that takes up the whole other end of the county. The monster district needs people every single day, though it's a fifteen-mile drive.

In my area, before you can sub with any particular district you have to sign up at the county office of education, get fingerprinted, etc. I've found that the folks at the county office can tell you which districts are the hungriest for subs, and what your prospects might be.

If you haven't supervised kids before, I'd at least crack a book on classroom management to give you an idea on what's what. Yes, the sub doesn't get as much respect, but it is possible to stay on top of things without being too much "the mean sub."

If you think you're interested, I'd go ahead and try it. I no longer sub, but the job really clicks with some people and might inform your future career plans. It's a fairly unique opportunity to test out a career path while getting paid for it.

06-23-2006, 02:37 AM	#4 (permalink)
Rodney Observant Ruminant Location: Rich Wannabe Hippie Town	My two cents: there's usually a lesson plan waiting for you, unless there isn't, or it's two lines scrawled on the board. In those cases, video is your friend. After you've done it awhile, though, you'll come up with a few gap activities you can use if the teacher's plan is insufficient. For grades 3 and under, I used to have the students write and illustrate get-well letters to the teacher. You can adjust the lesson by age-group, and it's always a winner. On the other hand, sometimes the lesson plan they leave for you can be very detailed. I've executed plans scheduled to the five-minute and fifteen-minute interval during the day. Thus it's best to get there as early as possible to familiarize yourself with the plan. Generally you can work the days you want -- though the more often you're available, the more often you're called. Most areas have an automated system that calls subs at random, yet there will be schools -- often the more desirable ones -- where most of the subwork is arranged between the teacher (or sometimes the school secretary) and trusted, known subs. How do you get to be a known sub? By getting your first assignment, doing well, and being called back -- or simply by chatting up other teachers for work in the break room. Of course some schools, the tougher ones, constantly are looking for new sub blood and you can get assignments there easily through the automated system. In my area, the automated system lets you choose the grades you want to teach; though the wider the range you accept, the more than you will teach. I would accept a wide variety of grades at first to find out which you like best. I concentrated in the lower grades, yet found that I liked high school better than I thought I would. Didn't ever care for middle school, though. High school and middle school are good in one sense, because you get the teacher's daily prep period as a chill-out time in the middle of the day, along with lunch. In the primary grades, you're "on" all day, and may even have yard duty at recess if it was your teacher's turn. Kindergarten is intense, but in some ways the easiest, because in this area you teach only half the day and simply work as an aide the other half. And you may have aides or volunteers who work with you for most of the morning. Reliability and pay depend on area. In this area, short-term subs make around $110 a day -- but the cost of living is very high, so it's not that desirable a job. Long-term subs -- those who take a job for several weeks to several months, generally while the teacher is on medical leave -- get more, but they usually want somebody with a credential, because lesson-planning is then part of the job. Reliability -- like I said, the poorer districts and schools are always hungry. If you've got some of those around, you'll get lots of calls. But of course the classes are tougher. To get the most work, register with multiple districts. We have two robot systems in this county: one covers most of the districts at one end of the county, and the other handles just the one monster district that takes up the whole other end of the county. The monster district needs people every single day, though it's a fifteen-mile drive. In my area, before you can sub with any particular district you have to sign up at the county office of education, get fingerprinted, etc. I've found that the folks at the county office can tell you which districts are the hungriest for subs, and what your prospects might be. If you haven't supervised kids before, I'd at least crack a book on classroom management to give you an idea on what's what. Yes, the sub doesn't get as much respect, but it is possible to stay on top of things without being too much "the mean sub." If you think you're interested, I'd go ahead and try it. I no longer sub, but the job really clicks with some people and might inform your future career plans. It's a fairly unique opportunity to test out a career path while getting paid for it.