Communicating

In order for subs to effectivly communicate with with teachers, all of the schools I have subbed in provide Substitute to Teacher Communication forms.

Each schools makes their own, so it looks slightly different, but the idea is the same. I have seen some free communication forms online which leads me to believe that not all school systems offer these. By providing this tool the school ensures that teachers gain at least a minimum amount of information about what occured while they were out. Subs are required to list any absent students as well as the overall behavior of the students. In general, I will say that behavior was along the lines of outstanding (rare!), very good, good, and ok. If I have an issue with a specific student I will leave a detailed note. There is a section on the second page for additional comments if I need more room. I will also give the teacher an idea of the amount of work completed so that they know where the students left off. 

 

The few subbing blogs that I follow make me realize how organized this school system is. Many school systems do not provide communication forms, let alone require that teachers have emergency lesson plans ready at all times.

Taking Attendance

Teachers take attendance on their computers, subs take attendance on slips of paper which then must be sent (via a student) to the office in each section of the school (this week we are in the E wing, and attendance goes to the E office). I do not always remember to take attendance. It's not that it is difficult to do, just that there is so much going on. For example, although I took attendance today in my last class, it was never sent because the students were testing and I got them started before remembering to send the slip. Taking attendance can also be interesting when many student have names which I have never seen or am unsure of how to pronounce.

One of the benefits of taking attendance is learning the students names. Now, this doesn't happen in one day, but when I am in the same classroom multiple times, I am able to begin getting to know the students by name. This helps when calling on students as well as with classroom management when I can call out their name from across the room to let them know that I see/hear them. Despite being in the same classroom for three days now, I haven't had this benefit. This is because each class has a designated student to take roll every day. I have been very slow to learn names because of this. So, although taking roll can be a hassle it can also be quite beneficial.

Who's Calling?

     Each school handles the scheduling of subs in their own way. In this time of budget cuts, it can be difficult to allocate the amount of time required to schedule a sub for every teacher.



     The middle school that I sub for requires teacher to find their own subs (with the exception of some meetings, for which their subs will be found for them). There is a database which teachers are able to log in to and look up subs. Then, they must call substitutes until they find someone who is available. For this reason, I have left a business card with all of my info for each teacher I sub for. This will increase my chances of being called as it is a much easier process for the teacher. I also hope that they will share my information with other teachers who may be in need of a substitute!
     There is a sub coordinator at this school, however; for the most part she is not responsible for locating subs. Despite this, I have witnessed many hectic days in which she is calling around at the last minute to locate a sub for a sick teacher. By having the teachers locate their own subs, she is free to perform other duties, and sometimes works as a substitute herself.


     The high school which I sub for has a slightly different method. Their sub coordinator does all of the phone work. Teachers submit a request for a sub and she will call the individuals on the sub list to cover that day. If a teacher would like to request a specific sub, they are able to do so. This method is certainly more time consuming for the coordinator and easier for the teachers. This school also does not leave a voice mail when they call. If I miss a call from them, I miss a subbing opportunity (unless I have been specifically requested). I have not really been leaving business cards at this school due to their sub coverage methods.


     I can't imagine how frustrating either method must be, although I imagine that the sub coordinator may feel slightly less personal stress related to finding a sub.

Requirements

Each county or city school system sets their own requirements for substitute teachers. New this year, the requirements to sub in Gwinnett County (GA's largest school system) are to:

hold either a valid or expired professional Georgia Educator Certificate or out-of-state teaching certification

or

obtain a Bachelors degree and provide passing scores for both sections of any GACE Content Assessment.

It seems that those who were already subbing were grandfathered in and are still able to sub. The sub coordinator at one of the two schools I sub at regularly recently told me that due to this, there is a shortage of subs.

My path to being hired by the county took much longer than I had anticipated. I applied to the job posting which became available on July 5th. The county had made the information on this date and the requirements of the position available prior to this date. As this was during the summer break I waited a few weeks before contacting anyone; I wasn't sure how long the process was supposed to take. I called the county three times over the period of two months, leaving voice mails each time. The last time I was finally given a return phone call and was able to get the ball rolling. After the phone call it took less than a week to receive a letter acknowledging my ability to begin subbing.

Luckily, I know an Assistant Principal who was able to help me start subbing quickly in his school, and my student teaching mentor was also able to help me quickly begin subbing at his school as well. My first day subbing was September 30th, and at this time I usually sub at least three days a week. Three days a week is a pretty comfortable number of days as I work Friday nights and Sunday mornings at my other part time job. There have been quite a few days for which I was asked to sub for multiple schools for the same day due to shortages.

I understand why the county would put such stringent controls on who they will hire to sub. The idea being that students can learn even when their teacher isn't there because the sub know the content. However, most teachers still leave work that, if not exactly busy work (which some do), is not rigorous either. The only true teaching I have done is for my student teaching mentor (which I really, really enjoy).