Substitute Teaching: …And take attendance!

Schools are crazy when it comes to recording attendance. I have had frantic office clerks calling me every 10 minutes to check on attendance. No one cared that my trials in the unruly class were in vain. The only thing that mattered was entering attendance in a timely manner. Some schools would not release me at the end of the day unless I obtained a certificate from the attendance office that I achieved my main duty. Sometimes it means wondering through five different offices to find a willing staff member to issue the release form, after begging them for help.

At one middle school, a good school turned bad, I had an unruly 6^th period. Students didn’t bring books on purpose so that they can go to their lockers. They were continuously talking rather than working. All of a sudden, an administrator walked in. I was quite relieved to get the unexpected help, and told him about the misbehaving cases. The administrator listened to me politely but seemed to be completely unconcerned. He was not there to help me with misbehaving students. He came to reprimand me for not entering attendance yet!

It feels like nothing that you do in the classroom matters as long as you have taken care of the roll, and yes, entered it to the computerized system. You are measured only by this ability to enter attendance promptly! And maybe with good reason… Maybe it is an amazing accomplishment after all. Finding a functioning computer is a challenge, and figuring out how to operate it is even a greater challenge.

First, not all computers are created equal. The power bottom can be hidden below the desk, under the monitor, behind the screen. Some schools have laptops, some have apples, some very old computers covered with dust, and it is always an adventure. Once you figure out how to turn on the computer you have to be creative about how to log in. sometimes it follows a certain pattern, sometimes not.

Next, you have to find the site, and enter the code to the attendance system. It is made out of 8-10 characters, numbers, and upper and lower case letters. When you see ‘I’ it might be ‘1’, upper case letter ‘I’, or lower case ‘l’. ‘0’ can be a zero or upper case letter ’O’. After three attempts, the system locks you out for unspecified time period, before letting you renew your trials, hopefully with more success this time.

And then, unexpectedly, you are kicked out of the system and you have to start all over again…

No wonder then, that your main test as a sub is entering the attendance…

Substitute Teaching: Tips for substitute teachers

Substitute teaching is hard, but it has the advantage that at the end of the day you don’t have to stress over tomorrow. Even if committed for a long term, there is always a way out without breaking a contract or much attention. I worked at a school for four years, with assignment ranging from one month to a year long, and although never used the option to withdraw, I had a peace of mind knowing that it is available. Lately, with only few exceptions, I take only one-day assignments.

Here are few tips on how to tolerate the job:

What to carry: Take a bag that is big enough to include a light sweater (classes are always over air-conditioned), water bottle, and a lightweight book or magazine, but not too big or heavy in case you move between classrooms. Having something to read or be occupied, will keep your sanity. In most cases, you are not expected to teach, and being busy will make time go faster, and irritation level minimal. Using a cell phone might look unprofessional, but a good book or magazine will do.

Also, bring some basic supplies; papers to write notes to the permanent teacher, the office, or to yourself, extra pencils, a red pen, and even some dry-erase markers.

What to plan: Plan an activity for a worst-case scenario when teacher had not prepared a lesson plan and the class is unruly; happens often enough. My favorite students’ individual activity is Sudoku. I draw it on the board, let students copy it (keeps them busy for a while), and explain the rules. Other activities can be fun problems solving, or if you have a good control of the class, you may create groups to compete against each other. My favorite subject is geography or general themes.

Tools to control the class: The most critical tool for keeping a class in order is a seating chart. Nothing is more powerful than mastering names. Unfortunately, many teachers do not have one, and thus a hard copy roster is critical. Over the years, I have developed methods to create my own charts. If seating is in rows, I mark student’s seat on the roster with a letter and a number (e.g., row A, seat 4). Otherwise, I draw a simple map and mark seats with student’s serial number; makes locating names easy. If none possible, I wait few minutes before taking a roll, observe students to locate potential troublemakers, and mark them as I take role. Calling a student by name, or better, writing it on the board is very effective.

Tool to keep them busy: Responsible teachers prepare work to keep students occupied the entire period, leave extra work for the over achievers, and instruct to collect papers at the end of the period. Some schools demand emergency lesson plans. Less organized teachers (and schools) do not have plan or clear instructions. For these situations I keep a red pen to mark students’ progress. I may give them a check or a star after the first 10 problems, and another star (stamp, sticker), after the next 10. This way I can control their progress, and motivate them to stay busy.

Other motivators: Some substitute teachers walk around and distributing stickers, prices or candies. I don’t. Partly, because I don’t want to carry stuff with me, and partly, because I don’t believe in rewarding behavior that is part of being at school.

You can choose your own way… but, most important – when things get rough remember – you don’t have to do it again tomorrow!