Immediately assessing the students and watching as they do the same, Regina Pryor, a short-term Substitute Teacher at South, enters a classroom. Maintaining a positive and engaged mindset, she writes the agenda on the board. Throughout the entire class, she tries to help the students as much as possible to leave a positive impact on them, Pryor said.
South currently employs approximately 100 daily substitute teachers, according to Sofia Alvarez, a Human Resources Specialist at District 225 who is in charge of hiring substitutes. Short-term substitutes receive assignments on a day-to-day basis without employment contracts, Alvarez said. Long-term substitutes fill in for assignments extending for 10 or more consecutive workdays, Alvarez said, while also inheriting all of the responsibilities of a regular teacher, such as planning lessons, preparing assignments, and grading.
“Requests for a daily substitute come in at varied times as some absences are planned due to conferences and workshops, while others are submitted the morning of because a teacher might be ill or have another type of emergency,” Alvarez said.
Being flexible, organized, creative, and authoritative are skills necessary for substitute teaching, Pryor said. Unlike other substitute teachers, Permanent Substitute Lauren Bundy works exclusively at South and comes in every day.
“[You have to be] able to be on your toes, [have good] time [management] and also skills of classroom management, [as you are] learning to work with a variety of different classes,” Bundy said. “[Substitute teaching requires] being very attentive to teacher expectations, classroom dynamics, and being able to implement all of that on the fly.”
A major challenge for Pryor was directing the class with confidence and authority.
“You have to establish boundaries, but you need to do it with a smile and confidence,” Pryor said. “You need to look friendly and look them in the eye. Also, you [have to] maintain a certain level of authority. Every class is different, and you don’t know what to expect.”
Active all over the building and constantly substituting in different classes, Bundy wishes she had more time to build a rapport with students like teachers who see the same students each block can.
“It is much harder to build those relationships with students that regular classroom teachers have because I’m not seeing them every day,” Bundy said.
Long-term Substitute Teacher Andrew Reitman strives to build lasting connections with students over his time with a class. While in charge of a classroom, substitutes remember that students have had another teacher at the beginning of the year and expect their teacher to return, Reitman said. Long-term substitute teaching involves finding a balance between the elements implemented by the original teacher and incorporating one’s own style, Reitman added.
“You have got to build their trust and show that you’re going to show up to them every single day [as a long-term substitute teacher],” Reitman said. “You have their best interests in mind, and you’re not just giving them a grade to give them a grade.”
Having an extended amount of time with students allows long-term Substitute Teacher Steven Weissenstein to get to know students better.
“I want the kids to learn, just as their regular teacher does, so I am wholeheartedly invested in making sure that concepts are understood,” Weissenstein said. “[One of the most valuable experiences as a substitute teacher is] seeing students becoming enthusiastic about the topics we are studying.”
One of the most fantastic parts of long-term substitute teaching is watching students grow in confidence in the material throughout his substitution, Reitman said.
“It’s really about making a difference, helping them be the best versions of themselves, and seeing that growth, seeing that you are making that difference, both in the long term [and] just in the couple of months that I’m there,” Reitman said. “It really is tremendous.”
