Barbara Pressman, author of Substitute Teaching from A – Z responds to a substitute teacher’s questions realted to learning about and applying new classroom technology.

By being proactive this summer, you can accomplish a great deal of preparation that will help you get off to a great start this fall.

When a class presents special challenges, is it better to “pass,” or risk being over-matched? Advice for substitute teachers from the author of Substitute Teaching From A to Z.

The concept of extrinsic vs. intrinsic rewards is one that has been debated by education experts. Most of us feel that it’s always better when children are self motivated. And for the most part, good students naturally try to do their best. They want to do well for themselves, their teachers, and their parents. But when a sub is in the room, things change. You are not responsible for grading them. You will not be preparing a report card or conducting a parent conference.

What if I really don’t know the material? If students ask me a question about Geometry or Chemistry, I’m afraid I’ll make a fool of myself if I don’t know the answer. Yet I feel that I might be good at working in the high school.

“I feel invisible to the staff. How can I change that?”

The auhtor of Substitute Teaching From A-Z responds to “What should I do if I simply cannot handle a student? I hate to admit to being weak.”

How do I establish good contact with parents? I never really had to interact with parents the entire time I subbed so I would like to be positive, whether the news about their child is good or bad.

Last week, a quiet young lady in the class, named Anna, asked me to please read her journal entry. I told her that I felt uncomfortable reading something private, but she insisted. I became alarmed at what I saw. She wrote about how she enjoyed cutting herself, and she described in great detail her nightly ritual of cutting herself in various places on her body….

I had an awful day today. The fifth graders filed in at 7:45. I was sitting at my desk, and the students walked right up to me and started asking for special favors. I was asked to solve disagreements even before class began! I found myself pleading for quiet. It set me off on a negative path for the whole day. Yelling and nagging never work, and I know that. For some reason, I was in a bad mood and had very little patience for the students.
I hate being that way. Can I recover? It’s not who I am, and it’s not who I want to be.