Need Advice!!!?

Question

I am starting to substitute this year and I am the kind of person that gets really nervous until I am actually in the game. Well i havent been called yet, since the school just started but I am a nervous wreck about going in. What should I expect ( Its K-5 ) and does anyone have any advice?

Answer 1

Starting anything new can be nerve wrecking. Just relax and know that you are an adult and the children don't know that you're a "newby". Everything will be fine.

Answer 2

Every new teacher is nervous, so you have plenty of company. If your district doesn't have an orientation program for subs, create your own by visiting every school at which you are interested in subbing. Find out important things like location of adult restrooms, teacher lounge, cost of adult lunches, discipline policy, fire drill and lock down policies. How do they take attendance? Where is nursing office? Introduce yourself to the Principal and secretary. Ask permission to hang out in the teacher lounge for a while and meet the teachers. You can learn a lot about a school from the teacher's lounge. Attend school open houses. That will let you see the entire school and meet a lot of people.

Many districts have software programs for attendance, math, reading, grammar practice etc. See if you can take a class( often just an hour or two long) to become familiar with these programs. Keep an eye on teacher inservice schedules. Often districts will let you sit in on trainings for free, or low cost. This will help you both as a sub and if you later want to become full time. For example, if the district uses Everday Math, please observe some class sessions and get as much training as you can. It is a high intensity program for the teacher.
Treat this as a serious career step, a way of getting your foot in the door.

As far as the kids are concerned, smile and greet each child as they come in the door. Read the lesson plans left for you. Ask a teacher next door if you don't understand something or cannot find what you need. Do your darndest to follow the lesson plans. Nothing annoys me more than to come back to a classroom in which they do "fun" things with the sub all day, leaving me with twice the work to do. Puppets and games are not why I asked for a sub. Do not sit at the desk and read a book or crochet. If the kids are quietly working, travel the room making sure kids are doing the assignment correctly and helping the students as appropriate. Anyone passing the room should see you as actively involved in teaching. If you do a good job, you will be asked back, maybe eventually be offered a full time job. Good luck.

Answer 3

spend your nervous energy on preparing.

when and as you can afford it buy brightly coloured plastic baskets or boxes for each grade level. in the meantme you can use cardboard boxes and you can jazz them up a bit with some decoration...

place in each basket items appropriate to the age.
two books, some craft items and a plan on how to make the craft and if small enough an example of the craft, age appropriate word games, number games and general knowledge games. include too a nature lesson that includes getting the kids out of the classroom and into the playground and really seeing the playground.

many times the regular teacher will know they will be away so will leave lesson plans for you to follow, do follow them. but for those times when they do not.

write a clear plan of a school day and include a little more than you think you can fit into a day. that way if the class works well and gets through everythin quickly you wont be caught short of ideas. do this for each year of the school. start your plan with an introduction of yourself and complete it with thanking them all for being a wonderful class. that means they go home with al the warm and fuzzies for their substitute teacher.

make a clear name badge for yourself so the kids don't feel embarassed to address you, and can see what your name is. Make it FUN!

remember that it is okay to do things your way because for today they are your class!

Answer 4

Expect kids that won't sit in their seats, hyperactivity, short attention spans.....I've taught Sunday school 3-4 graders, taught Crafts at Bible School k-6, worked in the nursery at church for 2 years, done student teaching (Art) for junior high. There will be a lot of questions, some will try to see how far they can push their limits. They will talk out, not listen, maybe try to play joke. Just stand firm. Make sure you have self-confidence, the kids can tell if you do, and will behave better if they see you do!!! Be forceful, not mean. Respect them and don't talk down to them. Make sure the regular teacher has left a lesson plan, be prepared!!!! If teacher has not left a schedule, don't just let the kids do anything. Make sure they do homework, or have a writing exercise planned. I always liked some sort of creative writing topic when I was in school.