How many subs here actually "teach"?

[evergray514]

I know the phrasing of my question could come off as an insult, but I don't mean it to be, since subs are just as important, but I remember we had subs when I was school we knew it was going to be a "bs" day, we'd either watch a movie, do some dittos, read, whatever...

Is the norm for most of you guys when you sub, or do you ever have a lesson plan that you have to follow that introduces "new" topics to the students, or actually lets you teach the class?

I know the class I had yesterday it was mostly busy work, but I wasn't just sitting there while they did it. We did the math problems together, I put them on the board and walked the class through them, I help them with their work, etc... Granted this was a 2nd grade class, so sitting back while they did busy work would have been horrible.

 

[newsub07]

Depends on the teacher

Usually when I am teaching I am reviewing something they already started. I think I've taught new information twice. Most teachers, if they know that they will be out, won't have a substitute start a new concept. First of all, the substitute wouldn't know what they have already covered, what their background information is, and would not have a definitive starting point. I've mostly had to review at the beginning of the lesson, complete an activity, and then the students usually have a worksheet that they must do on their own. I have had a few days where every class had to complete and easy activity and that was it. Luckily, those days were with middle school and the students worked on homework the rest of the time.

I don't mind teaching new ideas, and I usually get to schools ahead of time to review the information for that reason. There is nothing like not knowing the info and trying to wing it. It's a bad idea all around.

 

[yesteach]

depends on the sub

As a classroom eacher, I can tell you, the work I left depended on my sub. Our AP scheduled our subs and we had little input. Often I had no idea who my sub was.

If I don't know the sub I leave "busy work" type stuff that is review work. If I have a choice of subs, there were a few I trusted to teach, there were a few I knew couldn't teach my class (self-contained GT with mostof their work project based and indivdualiized math and reading).

The worst was when I had an awesome sub who worked well with my class (her son had been in the class, so she knew how I taught). She was an art historyy major who would plan and add art to what I had planned...it was great! I was gone Three days and left all this handss-on stuff (I didn't use textbooks, so no book to fall back on). The second day they decided to move her and put the "new" sub with my kids because GT would be "easier to each"... it was two days of chaos! My team had to totally replan and find her worksheets to keep them busy. Thank goodness I had a teammate who taught the same way I did and saved the day! After that, I never took another chance! Worksheets and busy work - and told the kids if they finished work on their prjects or reading...

SO if teachers leave you loads of busy work, just know it's notpersonal, just that we never know what may happen or who may be there - and we'd rather they be busy with stuff they know than out of control.

 

[Mrs.Gab]

I also think it depends

Like the last poster said, it has been my experience that it is up to the regular teacher. I have complained before when I've spent the day showing a video or doing worksheets. Teachers have told me that they often don't know who their sub is going to be and they aren't comfortable having just anyone "teach". (In Indiana you only need about two years of college credits to sub - not even a bachelor's degree.) I've been told that when they know it is me, they are more likely to give me real plans rather than leave busywork.

But last year I was supposed to sub for my sister who is a music teacher. She left me minimal plans because she knew I knew music and could handle the classes. Then that morning the principal had a 5th grade teacher of an unruly class unexpectedly out so he switched me to that class. He didn't want to put a less-experienced sub in that room. Unfortunately, the music classes turned out to be a disaster that day. :-( The sub didn't know the first thing about music. You just never know.

 

[chteacher]

I'm always teaching

and I can tell you that I am working very hard at it. When you don't know the kids, their names, etc., and you have to continue with day 2 of the reading program - YOU ARE TEACHING!!! and it takes all of your energy and expertise.

Sometimes in upper grades I can slack off and work on my own stuff while babysitting the older kids. Yes, it is the older kids I babysit and the younger ones that I can teach. Sometimes I get to teach the older ones to, like PP's said it does depend on the teacher.

I have a clear teaching credential from California, this is my 4th year as a full time sub. I know hundreds of kids in my community and enjoy a level of fame and affection. But for the amount of effort I employ I don't feel that I am paid what I am worth. This is why I do not grade papers as a rule and leave when the kids do. I eat whatever food is left out for the teachers in the lounge and often try to get the cafeteria ladies to cut me a deal. , there has to be some perks.

No medical or any other benefits for us underappreciated and underpaid subs!!!! It makes me mad! but here we enjoy a saturated pool of qualified teachers and it is a small community. I just make the best of it. Sorry to ramble, guys.

 

[momofboys]

Depends on the teacher

Some teachers have left me very detailed lesson plans, some have left me busy work and some have left me nothing at all. I prefer the lesson plans because I quite enjoy teaching and it makes the day go by so much faster. I do not like it when they leave a video, that is just too much over and over again. Busy work is okay if it is an exceptionally chatty class. It helps keep them quiet.

 

[MrChapp]

Usually I just do review materials. That's also what I usually left for subs when I was teaching. The only exception was math, which was scripted (Saxon). I'd highlight what I wanted the sub to do, and make sure I reviewed it when I came back. As a sub, I've had some scripted teacher's manual lessons left.

When teachers do leave new material, I really wish they would let me know that it was new. I've given assignments that I assumed were part of their routine (i.e., literacy circle jobs), only to realize after 20 minutes of "what do we do?" that they had never seen it before. I would have done the lesson much differently had I known.

 

[katiepotatie]

I'm always teaching. Many times I teach new concepts. I simply continue with the teacher's plans for that week.

But.... 1) I am a licensed teacher, and 2) 95% of my jobs are booked in advance with the teachers directly asking me to work...so they know whom they are getting. I think both of those things make a difference.

 

[Augustus]

I don't if I can help it!

for what they pay me, and considering the type of individual I can have in class; I am there for the day to see that things do not get too "far out of hand".

katie: I understand you are a licensed teacher and are requested, but do they request you to teach English grammer?

 

[i-sub-2]

I find that I very rarely do things differently than the teacher would have done that day. Friday I subbed at a middle school for a language arts teacher. Each class period completed a bell-ringer, read for 20 minutes, and then completed an independnt activity over what they had begun on Thursday with their teacher.

I was not introducing new materials, but I was still "teaching" since I did have to monitor students and answer questions for them as they worked.

 

[MikeRocode]

Elementary level

Since I only do elementary level, I end up teaching the next lessons out of the Teacher's editions.

 

[chteacher]

Augustus, you crack me up!

Thank you for the laugh. I guess it should have been, they know who they are getting?

Whom, who, or was it something else? Can you teach me? I honestly do not know when to use whom, except when I write, "to whom it concerns... and nobody ever reads those letters anyway.

I always love what you post! :-)

 

[LynneLC]

I have taught new concepts on occasion, but usually it's more of a review.

I'm assuming "they know whom they are getting" is correct in the previous post. I typed it into Word to check; when I used "who" in the sentence, the word "who" was underlined in green, and the grammar "suggestion" was to change it to "whom." I'm sure an English teacher or English major could explain exactly when to use which word.

 

[katiepotatie]

My error was not in the use of whom, but in the use of makes (should have been make...I corrected it). It was simply a typo on my part, but I'm not perfect. I do teach grammar, as well as spelling.

Here's how I remember when to use who and whom:

If you can answer the question with hiM, you use whoM. Both end with M.

So.....

They know whom they are getting. They are getting (her, me, them, him).

If you can answer the question with she or he, you use who.

 

[Augustus]

No, no, my fault

whom is not pretentious as far as I am concerned.
It was the disagreement between the makes and those, or sumptin' like dat. Also her haughtiness at being a licensed teacher whose services are requested (picture an old schoolmarm looking down her nose at us over her bifocals, with eyebrows raised).
Whom is used as the object of a preposition or verb, so as Katie showed the use of who is correct. I owe Katie an apology. We don't need to come here having everything grammatically correct. It is just the Internet. I had just come to this site from a very bitter fight on a political forum. If those people would just listen to me I could fix all of the problems of the USA in about a day. But they won't.

 

[katiepotatie]

Not a problem. This old school marm is sliding her nerdy glasses (not yet bifocals, thank you very much) back in place, and relaxing the eyebrows. Sorry to come across as haughty...

Your last two sentences made me chuckle...good luck! The U.S. could use a little help.

 

[chteacher]

still confused

on whom and who. ahhhhhh!!!!

To whom am I speaking?
Who are you speaking to?

My friend, whom I've known for years is upset with you.
Who of you know the answer?

They know whom they are getting. Why can't that be they know who they are gettting?

I need correct examples, please!!!

Augustus, I wish you were in charge of the world. Someone needs to be!!! love ya.

and how do you pronounce haughty anyway? Hottie??? need to know. guess I can check my dictionary on that one.

 

[katiepotatie]

To whom am I speaking?
I'm speaking to HIM (not HE), so you use WHOM

Who are you speaking to?
I'm speaking to HIM (not HE), so you use WHOM

My friend, whom I've known for years is upset with you.
I've known HIM (not HE) for years, so it's WHOM.

Who of you know the answer?
HE (not HIM) knows the answer, so it's WHO.

They know whom they are getting.
They are getting HIM (not HE), so it's WHOM.

Why can't that be they know who they are gettting?
They are getting HIM (not HE), so it's WHOM.

 

[chteacher]

thanks Katie

guess I will have to practice.

 

[hindypo]

thanks for the laughs!

it is ok to be haughty!

Subs better be or they will get eaten alive...

I "teach" when asked to, or I try....math is sometimes a challenge. I can do the work myself, but it isn't my balliwick...trying to teach those concepts w/o remembering why the rules work the way they do has been rough sometimes....but it's gotten better over the years....I am a wimp, though, and refuse math jobs over 5th grade! Unless it's Algebra 2 or higher because by that time the teachers don't expect subs to remember that stuff.