Substitute Teachers Chatboard

pixie; Ze and Emma gave great answers As Ze and Emma pointed out, you have no magic powers and cannot make the students do the classwork; some of them have little work ethic or emotional investment in their education. I have gotten to the point where I tell them that I and their teacher expect them to do the assignment, and I will collect it for a grade, but if they refuse, they need t...See MoreAs Ze and Emma pointed out, you have no magic powers and cannot make the students do the classwork; some of them have little work ethic or emotional investment in their education. I have gotten to the point where I tell them that I and their teacher expect them to do the assignment, and I will collect it for a grade, but if they refuse, they need to turn in a paper with just their name on it so the teacher can see who made an effort, and I stress that they cannot disrupt others who are trying to work. This means not saying anything about the phones as long as they are quiet, but I do take down their names. I document to the teacher what I told the students, and leave notes on who disrupted others. I may tell a student to move to a different seat. If the disruption gets extremely loud, I speak to the kid a couple of times and if he persists, I then call the office and ask for the kid to be removed. I don't have to do this very often so I have not had any negative repercussions so far.

On 5/15/15, Emma K wrote: > I start out making it clear to them (you'd be surprised how many > don't quite realize this) that this is work their REGULAR > TEACHER assigned and that I didn't come in at 7 am to make up > this "make work" assignment for them. So I'm clear with them > that the expectation from their regular teacher is that they > will do this work. These are young adults and they need to take > responsibility for their own learning so, short of doing the > work for them, I leave it up to them. I make it clear that I'm > there to help, I encourage them to ask questions about anything > they're not clear about (and remind them that if they ask the > question, at least 3 other students will be relieved because > they, too, will be unclear on that particular question or > aspect). I walk around and try to encourage those not working, > check to see if they have a problem or if they need paper, a > pencil, etc. All you can do is your best - it truly IS up to the > students to do the work.

May 15, 2015

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subtastic Even if the teacher says it isn't due until tomorrow, I tell them it is due at the end of the hour.Then if you get to the end of the hour, and they are still not done, then you can say you will write a note to let the teacher know they needed more time. This works great if they actually got to work, because you can be "the good guy" and t...See More

May 20, 2015

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Substitutes VS. Teachers

by Thoughts from a Retiree of Both

May 12, 2015

I read your postings with interest. I have been on both sides and know the ups and downs of both. Yet, both groups are guilty of bad mouthing the other. Kindness and the extra mile works at both ends. A sub is already at a disadvantage so there are things teachers can do to make things more pleasant. They can have well organized plans and have ever...See More

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??? Well written!

On 5/12/15, Thoughts from a Retiree of Both wrote: > I read your postings with interest. I have been on both sides > and know the ups and downs of both. Yet, both groups are > guilty of bad mouthing the other. > Kindness and the extra mile works at both ends. > A sub is already at a disadvantage so there are th...See More

May 13, 2015

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Investigation

by Anna

Feb 19, 2015

How long does an investigation take? Some students complained I yelled at them, said they were stupid, and made fun of them - one said I made fun of her weight. Not ture Basically, I had this really bad 8th grade class. I did not take any crap from them. This is their way of getting back. I did say that some should consider learning in a different ...See More

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BS Lee you appear to have the proper attitude to sub. Keep up the good feeling of your chosen profession.

O n 2/25/15, Lee wrote: > BS, > > Thank you! Finally, someone who gets it. My Dad grew up in > Italy under Mussolini, these people are clueless. There is no > comparison. > > There used to be a lot of regulars on thi...See More

Feb 25, 2015

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Subbing
What a nightmare to be in this environment where seconds
count against you for not doing anything wrong.

On 2/21/15, Ze Povinho wrote:
> An investigation into teacher misconduct can take one
> hour,
one
> day, one week, one month, who knows...but you can be
assured
> that, as a substitute teacher...See More

May 10, 2015

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Teacher Complaints

by Gwen

Feb 14, 2015

I complained to the office last week after a teacher left me very vague lesson plans with no page numbers. I basically had to ask the kids where they left off. I shouldn't have to be scrambling like this 10 minutes before class starts. She posted the job the night before, so it's not like it was a last-minute thing.

The principal was under...See More

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BJ The two classes weren't too bad, but you can't expect a class of 17 year olds to follow along for 80 minutes or so; it's just not a recipe for success. My issue is this staffing company never backs me up. It's a familiar pattern: complaint, they call, you get your say, but the complaint stands however valid or invalid. Nothing you say makes a diffe...See MoreThe two classes weren't too bad, but you can't expect a class of 17 year olds to follow along for 80 minutes or so; it's just not a recipe for success. My issue is this staffing company never backs me up. It's a familiar pattern: complaint, they call, you get your say, but the complaint stands however valid or invalid. Nothing you say makes a difference in the end. Not once do they ever challenge the school district, yet they are content to take a cut of our pay. When I suggest a change to their policy, I get no response. Total lack of respect, so I'm doing the minium for them. Some weeks I don't work at all for them.

On 5/05/15, pixie wrote: > BJ, I feel for you. It sounds like the teacher was being > overly defensive and took it out on you. Reading > Shakespeare with low- level classes for 80 minuted does > not sound like a good lesson plan to me. A lesson plan > like that puts us in a bind because we are supposed to > implement whatever the teacher says, but it is not > conducive to acceptable student behavior if they are > overly bored and frustrated. Then we have to worry about > being blamed for poor classroom management. That one > school that I had been worried about finally popped on on > the automated system, so I am feeling relieved. If I do > make it through a whole year without any complaints, I > attribute it to the fact that I am very careful about what > assignments I accept. Fortunately there are always several > jobs to choose from on the system so I just wait for one > that I want. When I previously subbed for another district > you had to click and click on the site, sometimes for > hours, waiting for a single job to pop up and you had to > take it instantly or it would be gone. I was often working > outside my comfort zone and this was not good. > > On 5/04/15, BJ wrote: >> I got two complaints, both from the same staffing agency, >> one being I didn't follow the lesson plan (read the Bard >> with low- level classes for 80 plus minutes) The other >> said that I complained about the lesson plan. That same >> assignment I recommended a great book on teaching English >> language learners > and >> the teacher felt I was insulting her. So basically if I >> get another complaint at either school I get banned. >> >> I never seem to have issues with schools I work directly >> for. > I've >> been working less and less for the staffing company >> because > they >> never back me up and on top of that, take a cut of my >> pay. >> >> On 5/03/15, pixie wrote: >>> Only a few weeks left of school, and I have been feeling >>> relieved that I have not gotten a single complaint all >>> year. But I have noticed that a school where I have >>> subbed many times has not been coming up on the >>> automated system for the last several weeks. It could be >>> that I have already taken other assignments for days >>> when that school has an opening. I would think that if I >>> had been blocked from the school due to a complaint I >>> would have gotten a letter or call from HR. I though of >>> calling the school secretary that subs sign in with >>> because she knows me due to the fact that I have been >>> there so many times. But maybe ignorance is bliss and I >>> should just not think about it. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On 4/05/15, Ask Ze Povinho what happens wrote: >>>> >>>> in his district when a SUB has the "audacity" to >>>> COMPLAIN about a Holy, Revered, Untouchable, >>>> Water-Walking, Angelic, Super-Human, >>>> Anointed.......TEACHER! :):):):):):) >>>> >>>> Ze KNOWS! >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On 2/14/15, Gwen wrote: >>>>> I complained to the office last week after a teacher >>>>> left >>>> me >>>>> very vague lesson plans with no page numbers. I >>>>> basically had to ask the kids where they left off. I >>>>> shouldn't have to be scrambling like this 10 minutes >>>>> before class starts. She posted the job the night >>>>> before, >>>> so >>>>> it's not like it was a last-minute thing. >>>>> >>>>> The principal was understanding and said she would >>>>> have a discussion with her. She may not request me >>>>> again, (i can live with that) but let's hope she >>>>> learns her lesson and that no one else is a victim of >>>>> her laziness/sloppiness. >>>>> >>>>> Any one else ever complain about the teacher she/he >>>>> subbed for?

May 5, 2015

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Ze Povinho In the district that I had to leave 3 years ago, I was also put in situations where the lesson plans were completely nonsensical.

In one school, I had to show what a teacher called an "educational video" to his shop class. It was showing "The Scorpion King" (yes, the one featuring The Rock), or another like Saturday Nig...See MoreIn the district that I had to leave 3 years ago, I was also put in situations where the lesson plans were completely nonsensical.

In one school, I had to show what a teacher called an "educational video" to his shop class. It was showing "The Scorpion King" (yes, the one featuring The Rock), or another like Saturday Night Live (complete with the expletives and all). Of course, the students were just fooling around and playing with their flip phones (this was when such phones were state-of-the art things available). And of course, any attempts to tell them keep order were met with F words and the like.

In another shop class, I had to show "Menace II Society." You should have seen how the students reacted when the movie showed killing scenes (they were all laughing and wanting more).

And here is another one: in one of the schools that excluded me in secret at that district, I had to show, to a class full of mentally handicapped high school students (i.e. mental retardation), Harry Potter. The reasoning? That video was meant to teach them about medieval life and culture (i.e. castles and stuff). Oh, well....I simply said nothing and just carried out the plan. Besides, there were the NKVD wannabies aka instructional assistants ready to snitch on me if I dared to say anything or question anything.

And in another one, I was required to show an art movie to a class of third graders. Of course, I assumed that the teacher had previewed the video. Silly me.

That video showed plenty of exlicit art and of course, the students were going wild about it.

At the end of that day, I was told that the Dear Leader aka principal wanted to see me and no, it was not to congratulate me (I have learned a long time ago that when the Great Leaders want to talk to a sub, it is never for anything good). It was about the video. I was told that parents complained that I showed explicit stuff to the kids. I then showed her the lesson plan and the video in question. At least I was cleared on this one.

And, as I have mentioned, that district gives zero support to subs if they are written up for any reason. You are summoned to the district office to talk to the second in command of the HR department (the assistant director of certificated HR), where you are shown the written complaint (which was never discussed with you before it was sent to HR). You are told to state what happened. You quickly find out that nothing you say will matter. Guilty or not, the complaint stays, you are lectured like a kid about your lack of classroom management and blahblahblah. You are never found innocent in any of these hearings, and even if the accusation has no merit, you will be still banned to protect everyone.

And, of course, as I mentioned, there is no right to express any comment that is not blind praise for the school system or the teacher. Even innocent remarks can be misinterpreted and used against one.

Ze

May 5, 2015

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