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To the OP, plain and simple......you're in the wrong line of work.
Everybody is not meant to be in a classroom. Unfortunately, schools that are desperate enough keep warm bodies around. But again, everybody isnt meant to do it, just like everybody is not cut out to be a cop or an attorney. Even if its you're passion
Also, 1)Subbing at the elementary and middle school level SUCKS!!!! The immaturity is terrible and for whatever reason, teachers and administrators are quick to write you up at that level
If you still insist on doing it, maybe only do it at private schools.
But I got to tell you...and this is especially true at the middle and high school level, you really cant give those kids any opportunity for jokes. If there is something even a bit off with your appearance, the kids will look to laugh or insult. Being overweight and trying that job is really not a good idea. Like it or not, appearances mean a lot in certain classrooms
No, it can't be learned if you don't innately have some certain attributes. Just like no amount of lessons or education will ever allow me sing to a level well enough for people to willingly listen to, the same is true with some people and classroom management. There are others who are weak that can be educated or taught enough that their skills will suffice, but for some it will never happen. Never.
They don't have anything against you personally, however, there is something about your personality that makes them dismiss you as a legitimate authority figure.
So, this is a charisma issue? Why didn't anyone tell me that before I went to college and graduated with a teaching degree? I never really thought of teaching like singing, acting, or painting; I thought it was a highly procedural profession that required knowledge of the subject-matter, okay communication skills, and understanding of the rules and procedures in place. I never saw it, until I started subbing and failing, as a profession that requires certain innate talents, like above average people skills, advanced problem-solving ability, and other requirements that they don't really tell you about.
So, this is a charisma issue? Why didn't anyone tell me that before I went to college and graduated with a teaching degree? Why didn't they have some kind of system of observation to tell me whether or not I would make a good teacher? Why didn't they require me to be in a classroom from day one so that I could figure out if it was a good fit for me or not? Why did they all, including my cooperating teachers, turn a blind eye when they saw that I was failing abysmally with classroom management? They wouldn't have allowed me to choose singing or fine art as a major if I couldn't prove I had some kind of innate talent, would they? Why did they allow me to finish school with a teaching credential if my personality won't even let me use it?
IDK Sounds like a bad program.
OR Maybe they thought the student teaching would "weed you out."
OR Maybe they thought the student teaching would "weed you out."
What I find confusing, though, is others who graduated from this "bad program" actually found teaching jobs and are doing okay in the classroom. I don't think anyone had the level of trouble I had, though. I sincerely think I missed something very important in one of my classes. Maybe I didn't ask the right kinds of questions or observe the teachers carefully enough.
I just don't know what "taking control of the classroom" looks like for a sub. If I have one student who acts up and refuses to follow my directions, what should I do? Like I said earlier, if I call the office, I'll be blamed for not knowing how to handle the kid. If I bother another teacher, I'll get similar results. If I try to give out a punishment myself, the kid will probably ignore it and I have no way of reinforcing anything. I'm not their teacher; the kids know it, and I do, too.
Tell them if they do not straighten up then next time it's to the principals office. Then follow through. If they refuse to leave to go to the principals office then call the principal to the classroom. The subs in my sons school were all told this so the acting out was minimal I was told
The "why" doesn't matter. We have told you what to do MANY times. You need to stay out of regular classrooms.
No more subbing for you. Start applying for special ed assistant Jobs on Monday.
That pays a whole lot less than substitute teaching. I may want to consider leaving this aspect of the teaching field altogether. Also, although I've been given good advice in other threads, I'm a novice, and it's possible I listened to too many opinions and tried to follow the wrong advice or have tried to apply advice the wrong way. I'm still not fully convinced that I'm ready to give up yet. Maybe I'll try one more time.
I don't know. I think perhaps some of the problem may be due to the fact that most of my assignments come from an automated system that usually fills positions for emergency last-minute assignments or classrooms where a regular sub isn't assigned by the classroom teacher. Seldom do I get calls from the teachers themselves; I've barely made an effort to get to know them at most schools. I don't know if staying off of the radar is helping or hurting, though. Maybe I should take a risk and try to get to know the other teachers, become familiar with how their classrooms are run on a daily basis, and learn what they do to maintain order in their classrooms. At some schools, I was told flatly that the bad behavior I witnessed did indeed go on even while the regular teacher was there. Maybe if I get a perspective of the different schools and what behaviors are deemed acceptable / unacceptable in the regular teacher's classroom, I'll know if I'm doing as badly as I think or not.
I think I am ready for a career change, though. I would much rather work with kids on the academic and interpersonal side of things instead of having to play crowd control.
So, this is a charisma issue? Why didn't anyone tell me that before I went to college and graduated with a teaching degree? I never really thought of teaching like singing, acting, or painting; I thought it was a highly procedural profession that required knowledge of the subject-matter, okay communication skills, and understanding of the rules and procedures in place. I never saw it, until I started subbing and failing, as a profession that requires certain innate talents, like above average people skills, advanced problem-solving ability, and other requirements that they don't really tell you about.
It really is like singing, acting, and painting: people know what it should look like, they know the rudiments of what is supposed to be done, they can do something that resembles it - but it doesn't mean they can do a good job. Most importantly, there are some things that just can not be taught - you either can do it or you can't. They told students in teaching programs that back when I first got certified during the stone ages, but, yeah, now they swear they can teach anyone to be a teacher just by teaching them the "right" steps and theories. It doesn't work any better than the notion that all students can be proficient in all subjects.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kmb501
I think perhaps some of the problem may be due to the fact that most of my assignments come from an automated system that usually fills positions for emergency last-minute assignments or classrooms where a regular sub isn't assigned by the classroom teacher.
In my last district this is the ONLY way subs were assigned unless they were long-term (more than 10 days). Teachers were not allowed to request subs at all. Schools were allowed to put subs on a "do not call" list, but they couldn't request subs as preferred subs. I only do last minute assignments where I sub now because I can't predict how my health will be in advance. Whatever is causing your issue - this is not it. Take that excuse off the table.
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It really is like singing, acting, and painting: people know what it should look like, they know the rudiments of what is supposed to be done, they can do something that resembles it - but it doesn't mean they can do a good job. Most importantly, there are some things that just can not be taught - you either can do it or you can't. They told students in teaching programs that back when I first got certified during the stone ages, but, yeah, now they swear they can teach anyone to be a teacher just by teaching them the "right" steps and theories. It doesn't work any better than the notion that all students can be proficient in all subjects.
In my last district this is the ONLY way subs were assigned unless they were long-term (more than 10 days). Teachers were not allowed to request subs at all. Schools were allowed to put subs on a "do not call" list, but they couldn't request subs as preferred subs. I only do last minute assignments where I sub now because I can't predict how my health will be in advance. Whatever is causing your issue - this is not it. Take that excuse off the table.
If it's a charisma issue, it doesn't even work as well. Perhaps a student can become proficient in all core academic subjects if they are taught to him or her in a certain way and at his or her own pace, but personality can't really be taught. That said, though, I haven't tried everything yet. For one thing, when I see disruption in the classroom, students moving around and talking instead of being in a desk, it usually kills my enthusiasm that anything will get done, and I act accordingly. It feels like the students aren't going to take me seriously, so why even try?
Here, teachers are allowed to select their own subs and use the automated system when they either cannot get regular subs, meaning their classes are pretty difficult to begin with, or when they are absent last-minute, due to illness or another emergency, and do not have a sub prearranged. Most expect a sub day to be lost instructional time and do not leave assignments the students will take seriously. Further, from what I've heard from others who have their own classrooms, teachers who use the automated system don't expect the sub to do a lot with the students, so they don't really put a lot of thought in planning for the sub. Some have horror stories of subs they've gotten from the automated system, like people who show up drunk or high or who curse the children out; the automated system doesn't have a great reputation here.
Also, since I'm not the only one having trouble, I could also assume that maybe there is something wrong with the way substitute teachers are treated across the board around here. After all, it's reasonable to think that a child who knows that the sub cannot reinforce consequences will do whatever he or she can to upset the sub and expect no repercussion for her or his behavior.
I wonder if I could solve a lot of my "charisma" problems by fixing my appearance and attitude, though? I'm still a poor college student, so I let a lot of things go sometimes. I think it would really only help a little, but maybe it would help more than I think if I made extra effort to appear neat, clean, and professional at every school. I could also just work on general assertiveness: looking people in the eye, practicing proper facial expressions, following generic classroom scripts, etc.
Really, though, from what I've seen, it's just a bad time to be a teacher right now and a worse time to be a sub. Schools did not treat adults like the children when I was going to school. We respected the ones who had authority, teachers first then subs as necessary. These days, the schools have gone to the kids. It's a brand new environment that a lot of people are having trouble adjusting to; I'm not alone. The fact that I'm a sub leaves me with less authority and a need for more patience, but, at some schools, we are all suffering.
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