Moving up from So. IL and a little to the Northeast....
I came across an article today in the Champaign News-Gazette (yes, the actual paper version; newspapers aren't totally dead quite yet) that I thought many fellow and upcoming English Ed. graduates might be interested in.
Basically, the article states that the Champaign school district will hold recruitment fairs to conduct interviews for their substitute teachers so as to hire subs that are the best possible fit for the district, because substitutes are "extension(s) of the teacher while the teacher is absent that day." It also talks about how the state has changed the way subs are authorized to work in schools, which I didn't think was that new (background checks are conducted through the Regional Office of Education in which the sub intends to work, rather than the district).
Champaign is a larger district and can afford to be more selective than other smaller districts, IMO. I have subbed for several smaller schools and at one point I was one of only two or three subs available on a regular basis. On the one hand, it stinks that recent education graduates have one more obstacle to overcome before getting some kind of work related to their field of study. On the other hand, it may give those with degrees in education higher priority, because theoretically, their educational backgrounds would give them an advantage over other candidates with only a bachelor's degree. Also, once hired, perhaps a pool of fewer substitutes would allow those individuals to receive more phone calls on a regular basis. One of the biggest drawbacks of subbing, I think, is the irregularity of the work. Some weeks are busy, and some weeks pass without a phone call.
I have worked with excellent substitutes and some who are just passing time, both within my "professional development" as well as during my high school career. I'm curious to know what everyone else thinks. So, what say you??
I love the idea have having a fair for Subs! My district claims that you have to be qualified to teach the class before you can sub for it, but as I've subbed for drafting and auto shop classes, I can assure you that this policy doesn't always hold. I certainly can't complain about the work I've gotten, but I know that those students would have learned more if I had known the field (as it was, they got to watch Avatar, which I had never seen). Worry over subs is a double-edged sword. Subs worry because they don't know the class as well and aren't sure they're prepared for the day's lessons. Teachers are worried that their plans won't be carried out or that the students will choose that day to act like *words we in the teaching field don't use to refer to children*.
ReplyDeleteI've subbed for art, choir, shop class, resource room, KG, and many of the elementary levels. I felt least qualified for KG...
ReplyDeleteIt's probably pretty sad that I felt more comfortable overseeing students use power tools than being in charge of the well-being of a roomful of six year olds.
Anyway, I definitely think it's a great idea for larger schools. I just got a job at a school where there are thirty students per graduating class, so I know it wouldn't work there, as I doubt they have a super large pool of substitutes to choose from.