3 Things I Hate About Subbing
The way teenagers are treated by adults
Particularly librarians. Why librarians? I have no idea, but so often I have seen librarians snapping at students just for using the library as it was intended to be used: for study and research. I thought it was a librarian’s job to cultivate that, not snuff it.
This issue of adult interaction with teens extends
to attendance. There were some schools, particularly the ones with primarily non-white students, where I thought the students were being treated like borderline prisoners. Teachers and staff are supposed to be facilitating and encouraging learning, not managing a factory. When a student is tardy, it just makes no sense to send them back down to the office to wait in line to pick up a tardy slip and be five more minutes late to class. No wonder teenagers skip. It’s way less complicated.
Regarding bathroom breaks, just require students to leave their phones on their desks and let them go. If they don’t come back, make a note of it. It’s their problem if they miss important information. Stop stressing. And make parents sign a waiver at the beginning of the year that states the school is not responsible for dumb decisions a kid might make on while on the premises. The bathroom trip issue is especially silly for seniors. They can vote and buy cigarettes, but they have to ask permission to go to the bathroom? No wonder they have a hard time functioning in the real world. Just teach them respectful times to excuse themselves.
The Snobbery
Like I mentioned above, substitutes are often looked down upon by administration and other classroom teachers. This is just rude, if not illogical. I have interacted with some wonderful, welcoming teams of teachers who were willing to show me the ropes and chat at lunch. And then I have experienced lunchtimes like a teenage girl who would literally rather just eat in the bathroom. A regular classroom teacher is no more talented or intelligent than a substitute. If you are a classroom teacher, say hello and introduce yourself at the lunch table, even if you’re burned out. Chances are, the sub doesn’t need extended conversation, just a greeting. If you are an administrator, educate your teams about the importance and trustworthiness of subs. Teach them that subs have a hard job and simple hello goes a long way.
Another way to show respect to subs is to leave quality lesson plans. Create emergency plans to pull out in case of illness or bereavement, but classroom teachers should trust their subs. We can facilitate more than a movie. Administrators can encourage this by reviewing emergency plans periodically and teaching teachers how to communicate clearly to subs in their absence.
Staff morale
Finally, I have been appalled at the way some staffs interact with each other. Rude sarcasm, overt ignoring, condescending bossiness. Evidently the teenagers are a bad influence on the teachers. More often, I have simply observed a complete lack of interaction except at weekly staff meetings. At so many schools (especially public), teachers eat in their rooms because there is no teacher lounge. Administrators, remember that your teachers are humans. They need a little love and maintenance periodically. Schools function best when teachers operate as a team, folks.
I believe that all new teachers should spend a full school year subbing before they can be hired to a regular position. A full-time teacher can become a bit myopic, seeing the world of education through a very slim lens. A substitute gets a much broader picture. There are so many ways to tackle the challenges of education. I feel fortunate to have experienced this windows down perspective.
