I am a "jack of all trades", of sorts. After nearly 20 years in Prevention and Training, I have a burgeoning private practice for families with children on the autism spectrum. In addition to that, I have been an English tutor to foreign auto execs and their families. I have 2 lifelong ( I hope) friends from that gig.
One of my favorite "other jobs" is substitute teaching. For 4 years, I was a "Building Sub" at one of our 3 high schools. That was great fun because I saw a freshman class through to graduation and got to know more kids than the average teacher. I only sub secondary (6-12) and Preschool-Adult Special Education. The little kids intimidate me. First off--as soon as they see me, their day is ruined. Then they don't adapt well to doing things different from how the teacher does it. Additionally, elementary subbing means you have the class for the WHOLE day. In secondary, if you have a bad class, you just have them for a hour or so and know you will be rid of them, soon.
Since most of my clients are after school, I substitute teach a few days a week. I LOVE subbing. I love having a different group of people, every day. I love that I can be on the computer all day and get my sub jobs online--with general ed. kids, especially. (In Sp. Ed., I rarely get a chance to see the computer.) I love the kids and I love not having to take any work home with me.
Subbing is best when I get a teacher who is organized and gives me the tools I need to be successful. Those tools include a SEATING chart and plans that will keep the kiddies engaged for the hour. Seating charts are very important to learn the names of the kids. If they know you know their name, they are WAY less likely to goof off. Some of the teachers even give PICTURED seating charts--those are WAY fantastic!
Subbing is worst when a teacher leaves me a video with NO reason for the kids to watch it and NO seating chart. If there is no quiz, notes, or "reason" for the kids to watch, they will not watch it--unless it is a GREAT movie. When this happens, I assign notes, 'due at the end of the hour'. What amazes me is how many kids will know that I am the one who made the assignment--NOT their teacher. Kids will only be as good as what is expected of them.
It is AMAZING how teacher expectations will follow, even when the teacher is absent. Many years ago, I was subbing a class that was a "dyad". One teacher taught them English and the other taught Social Studies, different hours, but the same group of kids. When the kids were in the English teacher's room, they were so unbelievably wild, that I learned how to write people up that day. The next day, I subbed the SAME kids in the Social Studies room and you could've heard a pin drop! Half way through the class, I actually said, "Okay--are you guys messing with my mind here? Is this really the same class I had yesterday???" I subbed that dyad frequently and was amazed at the difference the teacher's expectations made on the behavior of the group.
