What Does a Substitute Teacher Do?

A substitute teacher job description is essentially an on-call teacher who fills in for a full-time teacher who cannot teach the class or is absent from work. As a substitute teacher, you can work part-time and the days you’d like to work or accept a longer-term position if a teacher goes out on leave.

To engage students while temporarily filling in for the permanent classroom teacher, you will have to follow the same specific duties and responsibilities of that as the classroom teacher.

These may include things such as the following:

• Managing classroom behavior
• Carrying out classroom procedures
• Implementing and interpreting lesson plans
• Supervising students both in and out of the classroom
• Assigning homework
• Taking attendance
• Complying with classroom and school policies

Substitute Teacher Requirements: Skills

A job as a substitute teacher is a logical choice for those seeking a career in education. Still, those seeking a career outside of the education realm will also benefit from the many skills you will gain during this job position.

Specific skills include:

Public Speaking

Speaking in front of children can be less intimidating for some, and can help boost your confidence in engaging with an audience.

Time Management

You must pay close attention to the school schedule and will have a list of activities to accomplish in a specific amount of time.

Adaptability

You must be able to quickly adapt to any age, grade, and situation you are given at any point and time.

Problem Solving

You will be presented with a multitude of unanticipated situations throughout the day and need the ability to think on your feet.

Leadership

It takes leadership skills to keep 20-30 students engaged all day long.

Organization

Being organized and prepared ahead of time will help the day go more smoothly and help prevent behavior issues.

Substitute Teacher Requirements: Education

Requirements vary by each state and school district. Some states that do not have any regulations for substitute teachers leave it up to the individual school districts to decide on the requirements. A common requirement is a high school diploma or passing a proficiency exam. Other states may require a bachelor’s degree or a teaching license.

However, unlike other states for example, New York state does not have a minimum education requirement or require a certificate or permit to substitute teach. What they do require is a criminal background check. Also, in the state of New York, if you do not hold a teaching certificate or are not working towards one then you are only allowed to work 40 days in a school district per year.

Check with the individual school districts in which you want to teach or consult your board of education for the best way to find out the specific requirements you need to pursue a substitute teaching job.

Why Should You Consider Substitute Teacher Jobs?

Taking a job as a substitute teacher can be an excellent career move if you plan on becoming a certified teacher. Not only are you gaining valuable teaching experience, but you’re also networking with other teachers and administrators which is a great way to get your foot in the door. That alone will improve your chances of landing a full-time teaching career.

As a sub, you also get to set your schedule so if you’re a stay-at-home parent or want to work on your master’s degree while gaining experience, this job position will allow for that. Beyond its flexibility, you get the opportunity to choose which grades and subjects you want to teach, which is a great way to learn what you enjoy teaching the most.

In addition to the experience you will receive, and the flexibility of the job, you will also benefit from a steady salary. Typically, substitute teachers make a set sum of money for each day that they work. Each school district decides upon its pay scale for substitute teacher salary.

If you’re considering becoming a substitute teacher jobs, then you can start the process by researching where you specifically want to substitute teach. This is important because as mentioned earlier, every state and school district differ in their requirements.

Once you meet your state or district’s requirements, you can apply as a substitute teacher. You will have to apply directly to a school or district and complete an application to be considered for the position. Once this is all in order, you can begin accepting assignments as a substitute teacher.

Interested in a teaching degree? Be sure to explore our available 190+ master’s, doctoral, and licensure programs to help find the program that is right for you!

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Challenges Substitute Teachers have Faced this Year

Let’s face it, without healthy teachers our schools are forced to shut down. When substitutes walk through our school buildings they do not go unnoticed and often are the reason why we can continue to provide a solid instructional format while teachers are not always able to be present due the current times that we are facing.

Let’s think of the big picture. In a small school of five hundred students, if three teachers are forced to quarantine due to contact with a positive COVID case, regardless if it is school related or contact during their outside of school activities, they still have to quarantine. This leaves a small school with three less teachers for 14 days. This is two solid weeks of instruction that must be covered by three different substitutes. The three teachers that must quarantine are in addition to the routine daily call-offs of appointments that teachers may have already had scheduled or possibly a sick child, or for some it could be something so needed such as a mental health day.

Whatever the reason, life happens, and we cannot control the number of call-offs that there is each day. What we must truly tend to are our substitutes who are so highly thought of as they are deep in the trenches with our schools and help provide the instruction to our students when their teacher is not able to do so.

It is important to also be mindful of the fear the goes along with entering into a school that has hundreds, sometimes thousands of students and staff within the walls of the building. This in itself can be unsettling as we face the pandemic. Thanks to our substitutes, they are right alongside our teachers, safely doing their best and following the district’s health and safety plans.

Helpful Support and Resources

Just as educators have never faced any of the guidelines that have been placed on schools this year, our substitutes are new to this too. To ensure that our substitutes are provided with the best information to help keep our schools safe, a COVID checklist should be provided to them just as each teacher is aware of the guidelines and health requirements. Substitutes should also be aware of how to speak to the students about COVID.

This often is a checklist of possible symptoms, as well as having students’ temperatures checked every morning before they enter their classroom. It also can give a detailed outline of what to do if you are feeling ill. While this seems like something so minor, it actually is a true concern as staying healthy is the focus for everyone that enters the school.

An additional resource that should be provided to our substitute teachers is the layout of the classroom. This would include a seating chart, as well as reminders of face coverings being worn, when and how to take mask breaks, where the sanitizer is located and what the schedule will look like with all of the COVID safety precautions and guidelines being followed.

Recess and lunch at most schools often look different than in the past, and this is something schools will want to provide the substitutes with a protocol of how this is handled this year. Dismissal also looks very different, and even something as basic as walking in the hallways is completely different than in years past, and substitutes will need a clear description of how all of this “looks” throughout the course of the day.

Naturally, detailed lesson plans should be available for the substitutes, but this is a standard requirement that all teachers and substitutes are familiar with. Overall, much of the day is dedicated to following new and updated guidelines, monitoring safety, being mindful of the challenges students are facing, as well as delivering instruction.

Often, substitutes are facing the obstacle of delivering instruction in a completely different format than ever before. With so many models in each district, a substitute teacher must be familiar with what platform of instruction is being used. This can at times be challenging, as there are some districts that use different platforms even within their own schools. One can only imagine just how confusing, and at times overwhelming, this may be for a substitute teacher who is in multiple schools.

By providing a solid training of the platform that is being used within the building for the substitute who works in the schools daily, this will best prepare them for a platform that they may not be familiar with. Asynchronous, synchronous, blended, hybrid, 100% virtual, or while you may be sitting in a completely empty classroom in front of a computer, these are all challenges and differences that come along with each substitute assignment that is filled.

At the end of each day, we must not forget that your substitute teachers are heroes too! Not only are they heroes, but they are human as well. They deserve the same grace that all teachers deserve during this very challenging and uncertain time. Our students need them more now than ever, just as our school systems rely on them to show up each day, help conquer another day that we are able to provide instruction to our students, and make it a success. Without our substitutes, schools that are able to stay open would not be able to do so. They truly are our forgotten heroes that need the most support during these challenging times.

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