Most US public school districts accept any bachelor's degree, for being a substitute teacher. These jobs are not advertised, and there are frequent openings.
Many people find substitute teaching difficult. For this reason, turnover is high in the
substitute-teacher pool. If there are no openings in your school
district right now, there probably will be soon. Check back in about
a month.
The trick to keeping this job is to do
it so well that you find it fun and rewarding. That has been the case
for me, and I hope that by reading this book and going in prepared,
it will be the case for you as well.
There are many books about substitute teaching at the elementary school level. I prefer high school. I also prefer substitute teaching over being a regular classroom teacher. Yes, I have done both. This book contains all the advice I've gathered doing this job since 1989.
Even if you don't meet all the qualifications
listed on the school district's website, you still have a chance of
getting hired as a substitute teacher.
In most states, school districts can
get emergency teaching credentials for potential substitute teachers,
if their need for substitutes is dire enough. It usually is dire
enough. Most school districts require substitute teachers to have a
bachelor's degree (in any subject), and this is the one criterion
they are strict about. Not all school districts require substitutes
to have a bachelor's degree, though, so look at each district's
website closely.
On your application to be a high school substitute teacher, list any and all
experience you have working with teens: your own teenage children and
their friends, your friends' teenage children, church youth groups,
retail jobs where you worked alongside teens, coaching, tutoring,
teens who babysit for you, and so on.
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High School Substitute Teacher's Guide: YOU CAN DO THIS! by Cherise Kelley
Paperback:
Amazon |
Barnes and Noble Online |
Powell's |
Walmart Online
eBook:
iTunes |
Kindle |
Nook |
Kobo
Audio:
Amazon |
iTunes
~~~~~~~~
About a week after you apply online, call the
school district after 9:30 but before noon.
I have substituted for nine different
school districts now, and I had to follow up with every last one. I
never would have been hired as a substitute teacher if I had just
waited for them to call me after applying online. If you apply in
summer, wait until school starts before you call.
When you call, ask to speak with the
substitute coordinator. Her typical work day is 4 till noon. However,
from 4 until 9:30 she is busy making sure all the day's absences are
covered, so don't bother her before 9:30 except as she has directed.
Ask the substitute coordinator if she
needs any teacher substitutes right now, and if your application
arrived in her in-box. If the substitute coordinator tells you she
has enough substitute teachers right now, then wait about a month and
try again, especially as it gets closer to Christmas or May. Those
are the times of year when the most regular teachers are absent.
In a public school district, the
substitute coordinator is the one who makes the hiring decision. The
elected school board formalizes her decision at their next monthly
meeting. When you go in to see the substitute coordinator, it might
seem like she is just a clerk in the office. She starts work at 4,
remember, so by the time you see her at 10, she might look a little
haggard. She is on the computer and on the phone all morning. She
might wear her hair in a ponytail and dress in jeans. Make no
mistake: the substitute coordinator has the power to accept you or
reject you. Impress her.
It may take several meetings with the substitute
coordinator before you are hired on as a substitute teacher.
Get whatever documentation the
substitute coordinator requests. Take CPR if necessary, and get TB
clearance if she says you need to. Go pay a doctor cash for a routine
physical exam, if needed. Go to the police department and get
fingerprinted. All of this has been required at various school
districts I have subbed for. She is not pulling your leg on these
requirements.
You might be scheduled for a formal job
interview. If you are, this is a good sign they are going to hire
you. Remember, there are many substitute teachers in the school
district, not just one, so they hire a lot of people to put on the
list. Handle this as you would any job interview: dress well, get a
lot of sleep the night before, and prepare answers to interview
questions they are likely to ask. If you carefully and thoughtfully
read this book, then you will be prepared for their questions.
High School Substitute Teacher's Guide: YOU CAN DO THIS! by Cherise Kelley
Paperback:
Amazon |
Barnes and Noble Online |
Powell's |
Walmart Online
eBook:
iTunes |
Kindle |
Nook |
Kobo
Audio:
Amazon |
iTunes
